Key Takeaways
- South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada is in contention to play in the first Test against Australia.
- Rabada suffered a hamstring injury in June but played in a two-day intra-squad match recently.
- Coach Shukri Conrad will make a final decision as late as possible before the match.
South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada is in contention to play in the first Test against Australia, which starts on Friday, according to batting coach Ashwell Prince.
Rabada, who has taken 340 Test wickets, suffered a hamstring injury during training in June and his participation in the series was initially in doubt.
However, he played in a two-day intra-squad match in Durban on Sunday and Monday, where he performed well, according to Prince.
Prince stated, 'He’s obviously not going to be 100pc straightaway, but he is looking good and he will train with the squad for the rest of the weekend.'
Coach Shukri Conrad warned they would take no chances with Rabada, who is 31 years old and a key player for the team.
Conrad said, 'We will give a decision as much time as humanly possible, but we also don’t want to take a call based on desperation.'
Despite the uncertainty, the South African team still has several bowling options, including Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, and Dane Paterson.
The squad also includes spinners Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, and Senuran Muthusamy, giving the team flexibility in their bowling plans.
Prince added, 'We’re blessed with whatever combination we choose. We can take 20 wickets whether it is seam heavy, or whether it is two spinners. What plan we go with depends on the surface.'
Sunny conditions are expected over the weekend in Durban, where the match will be played.
He’ll continue to be involved, obviously, in training over the next few days leading up to the match, but it’s fair to say that he’s obviously not going to be 100pc straightaway.
Ashwell Prince, Batting coach
We will give a decision as much time as humanly possible, but we also don’t want to take a call based on desperation.
Shukri Conrad, Coach
