Keshav Maharaj And Wiaan Mulder Included In South Africa's Test Squad Against Pakistan Despite Injuries

Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder have been named in South Africa's Test squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan, which begins on December 26 in Centurion, despite both players recovering from injuries.

Maharaj, who sustained an acute groin strain during warm-ups before the first ODI against Pakistan at Boland Park in Paarl, will undergo a scan to assess the severity of the injury. Mulder, meanwhile, has completed the final stage of his recovery from a fractured right middle finger, which had kept him out of the second Test against Sri Lanka. If Mulder is selected for the first Test, batter Matthew Breetzke will be released from the squad.

The squad also includes 30-year-old seamer Corbin Bosch, who has earned his first Test call-up. Bosch has been in excellent form in first-class cricket, claiming 72 wickets at an average of 36.75 and an economy rate of 3.24 in 34 matches. Additionally, Bosch has shown his all-round ability, with a batting average of over 40. He recently played for the SA Invitational XI against England Lions in Cape Town, where he took 1-21.

Joining Bosch in the squad is uncapped seamer Kwena Maphaka, who was part of the squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka.

South Africas head coach, Shukri Conrad, commented on the squad
"In terms of our own squad, we have added Corbin to the mix. His all-round ability with both bat and ball adds depth, and his pace brings an extra bite to our attack, so we're excited to see him make that step up to Test cricket. Dane Paterson really impressed us against Sri Lanka, and we look forward to seeing him again. Overall, the pace attack is a really good one. We are keeping a close eye on Kesh Keshav Maharaj and hope his injury is not too serious."

After the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at SuperSport Park, South Africa will face Pakistan in the New Years Test in Cape Town. South Africa needs just one more win to guarantee their place in next years World Test Championship WTC final, which they currently lead.

"We head into this series with a clear focus, with a spot in the World Test Championship Final being the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We've selected a squad which gives us the best chance to achieve that. It's an exciting time for South African cricket, and we're particularly looking forward to this battle against Pakistan. They always pose a strong threat with the talented fast bowlers they produce, and I expect it to be no different this time around," said Conrad.

Conrad also praised the South African batters for stepping up against Sri Lanka and sees this series as another opportunity for them to showcase their skills against a strong Pakistan bowling attack.

South Africa Test Squad
Temba Bavuma captain, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne wk