ZIM vs SA 2025: South Africa announce playing XI for first Test, name three debutants

The Keshav Maharaj-led South Africa have announced their XI for the first Test of the two-match series against Zimbabwe to be played at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo from Saturday, June 28. They have proceeded to field three debutants in their squad – Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, and Codi Yusuf.

Maharaj will lead an inexperienced South African outfit after full-time skipper, Temba Bavuma, was ruled out due to the hamstring injury he sustained during the final of the 2023-25 World Test Championship. Wiaan Mulder, who batted at No. 3 in the WTC final against Australia, is amongst the four pacers in the lineup.   

Tony de Zorzi, who last played a Test last year, made a comeback to the XI. Mulder, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, and Maharaj are the only players to have played the Proteas’ previous Test, against the Aussies.

This game is not a part of the current cycle of the WTC. This will be the first time South Africa will play the Zimbabweans in the longest format since December 2017. They last toured Zimbabwe to play a series against them 11 years ago.

Only three players (Maharaj, Craig Ervine, and Blessing Muzarabani) are a part of this series from December 2017. The contest was comprehensively won by an innings and 120 runs by the Proteas. It was a clash which did not even last a couple of days.

The entirety of the match saw only 498 runs being scored. Aiden Markram, who is amongst a whole lot of players to be rested by Cricket South Africa, received the Player of the Match award for his 125-run knock in the only innings his side played in Gqeberha.

South Africa’s Playing XI for First Test

Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, David Bedingham, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Kwena Maphaka

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