Yeh series, jo Bulawayo ke Queens Sports Club mein 28 June se 10 July 2025 tak kheli jayegi, World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle ka hissa nahi hai. Is wajah se, team management ne bade players ko rest dene ka faisla kiya, jo shayad team ke liye ek risky move ho sakta hai, kyunki Zimbabwe, bhale hi WTC ka hissa nahi hai, phir bhi apne ghar mein challenging ho sakta hai. Yaad hai 2014 mein, jab South Africa ne Zimbabwe ka daura kiya tha, aur unhe ek hi Test match mein hara diya tha, lekin tab team mein senior players jaise AB de Villiers aur Dale Steyn jaise stalwarts the.
Is series ke liye South Africa ke squad mein naye aur talented khiladiyon ko mauka diya gaya hai, jo domestic cricket mein shandaar performance ke baad yahan tak pahunche hain. Lhuan-dre Pretorius, ek 19 saal ka young left-handed batsman aur wicketkeeper, is squad ka sabse bada highlight hai. Pretorius ne CSA 4-Day Series mein apne pehle 5 first-class matches mein 3 shatak lagaye, jismein ek 114 run ka crucial innings final mein Titans ke liye draw dilane mein madad kiya. Unka average 72.66 raha, jo unke talent ko dikhata hai. Woh South Africa U19 ke liye 2024 Under-19 World Cup mein bhi top run-scorer the, jahan unhone 287 runs banaye, jismein 3 half-centuries shamil the. Iske alawa, SA20 2025 mein Paarl Royals ke liye 97 runs ki debut innings khelkar unhone sabka dhyan khincha, jismein England ke Ben Stokes ne bhi unki tareef ki.
Dewald Brevis bhi is squad mein shamil hai, aur yeh unke liye bada mauka hai. Brevis, jo 2022 Under-19 World Cup mein leading run-scorer rahe, ne domestic first-class cricket mein 573 runs banaye 12 innings mein, jismein 2 shatak aur 2 half-centuries shamil hain, aur unka average 47.75 raha. Unki consistency aur maturity ko coach Shukri Conrad ne bhi saraha hai, kehkar ki Brevis ek “complete cricketer” ban rahe hain. Brevis aur Pretorius dono Titans ke liye khelte hain, aur dono Hampshire ke liye T20 Blast mein bhi sign kiye gaye hain, jo unke international exposure ko dikhata hai.
Iske saath hi, Lesego Senokwane, Codi Yusuf aur Prenelan Subrayen bhi apna Test debut kar sakte hain. Senokwane ne 559 runs banaye CSA 4-Day Series mein, jismein 2 shatak shamil hain, aur woh South Africa A ke liye West Indies ke khilaaf khele. Yusuf, ek right-arm seamer, ne 23 wickets liye 22.39 ke average se, aur Subrayen ne South Africa A ke liye ek match mein 5 wickets aur ek unbeaten half-century banayi. Yeh teeno players domestic circuit mein apne performances ke dam par yahan tak pahunche hain, aur yeh series unke liye ek bada platform hai apne aap ko prove karne ka. Coach Conrad ne kaha hai ki yeh series naye talent ko test karne ka mauka hai, aur squad mein depth banane ka bhi.
Squad mein Temba Bavuma captain hain, aur unke saath David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi aur Kyle Verreynne jaise experienced players bhi hain. Zubayr Hamza ki wapsi bhi ek positive sign hai, jo February 2024 ke baad apna pehla Test khel sakte hain. Yeh squad ek mix hai experience aur youth ka, jo South Africa ke cricket ke future ko bright dikhata hai. Yaad hai jab South Africa ne 2012 mein England ke khilaaf Test series jeeti thi aur world number one Test team bani thi? Us waqt Graeme Smith aur Vernon Philander jaise players ke saath naye talent ka bhi yogdaan tha. Aaj Pretorius aur Brevis jaise players usi legacy ko aage le ja sakte hain.
Lekin thodi si chinta bhi hai. Yeh series WTC ka hissa nahi hai, isliye shayad iska competitive edge kam ho. Zimbabwe ke liye bhi is series se kuch khaas gain nahi hai, jaisa ki ESPNcricinfo ne kaha ki yeh series ek “club game” jaisa feel de sakta hai. Iske alawa, Pretorius aur Brevis ke Hampshire T20 Blast commitments ke wajah se unka availability thodi affect ho sakti hai, jo team ke planning ko thoda complicate kar sakta hai. Phir bhi, yeh series South Africa ke naye talent ke liye ek golden opportunity hai, lekin kya yeh players international pressure mein apna domestic form repeat kar payenge? Yeh ek bada sawaal hai jo series ke baad hi jawab milega.
South Africa Test Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf.
