Johannesburg:Bangladesh is set to face a barrage of extreme pace during their upcoming tour of South Africa, where they will compete in a two-match Test series as part of the World Test Championship (WTC).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, South Africa has announced their squad for the series against Bangladesh, signaling the formidable pace threat awaiting the visitors. The South African team is buoyed by their recent 2-1 series win over Australia, with Anrich Nortje making a return to the squad after recovering from a groin injury. Nortje will join forces with Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Dane Paterson, Wiaan Mulder, and Corbin Bosch to bolster South Africa's pace-bowling resources.
Tony de Zorzi and Zubayr Hamza have also returned to the squad, with de Zorzi recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him during the Australia series. South Africa currently holds second place in the ICC World Test Championship standings with a points percentage of 71.43, while Bangladesh is in fifth place with 47.62 percent.
The last time these teams met in South Africa, the Proteas secured a 2-0 series victory. Bangladesh has yet to win a Test match against South Africa, though they have been successful against the Proteas in ODI series both at home and away. Head coach Shukri Conrad expressed confidence in maintaining South Africa's winning momentum, while acknowledging the potential threat posed by Bangladesh's pace attack, especially in Highveld conditions.
Bangladesh, following their recent series against Australia, drew a Test with Afghanistan and lost another against the West Indies at home. They are set to conclude their Test match against the Caribbean side in Sylhet before traveling to South Africa for the upcoming series. The schedule for the series includes the first Test from November 15 to 19 in Johannesburg and the second Test from November 23 to 27 in Centurion.