Temba Bavuma returns to lead South Africa to West Indies in rare Test series

NEW DELHI: Temba Bavuma is set to make his international cricket comeback after a hiatus that lasted the entire year. He will lead the South African team in a two-Test series against the West Indies, scheduled to take place in the upcoming month.
Bavuma's prolonged absence from the South African squad highlights the current state of the cricketing world, as pointed out by coach Shukri Conrad.The coach emphasizes that the modern cricket landscape is predominantly focused on white-ball formats, which has had an impact on Bavuma's participation in the national team.
"It is what it is and we just have to make it work," Conrad said, as quoted by AFP, at a press conference announcing a 16-man squad for the tour.
Conrad will face a challenge in the upcoming pre-tour camp in Durban, as only half of his 16-man squad will be present due to their commitments in white-ball cricket and the English county season.
Bavuma sustained an injury during the first Test match against India in December last year, forcing him to sit out the second Test. The Proteas suffered a humiliating defeat within one-and-a-half days on a subpar pitch in his absence.
Subsequently, Bavuma was also unavailable for the two-Test series in New Zealand. South Africa sent a depleted squad, which resulted in losses in both matches, as the contracted players were obligated to participate in the SA20, a domestic franchise tournament.
Bavuma did not participate in the T20 World Cup, where South Africa finished as runners-up.
The majority of South Africa's T20 players are currently engaged in the Major League Cricket tournament in the United States, which concludes on July 28. The selected players for the West Indies tour will travel straight to the Caribbean, allowing them to participate in a warm-up match before the opening Test.
Despite the circumstances, Conrad opted to maintain an optimistic outlook on the situation.
"We've got the luxury of a warm-up game, so we've got 10 days in Trinidad before the first Test match," he said.
"I mentioned to Temba that it's the first time as a Test unit that we're going to spend some extended time together.
"My first series was against the West Indies (in February and March 2023) when we got together three days before the first game and we got together two days before the India series because there were Monday matches going on.
"You just have to roll with the punches. It is the modern day world. Players can easily move from T20 and Test match cricket.
"I'm very comfortable that guys will be in America. They'll take a short flight across and then we'll have a week's preparation before the first Test."
Matthew Breetzke, a 25-year-old batsman with experience in six T20 internationals and currently playing for Northamptonshire, an English county, has been selected as the sole uncapped player in the squad for the Tests in Trinidad and Guyana.
The West Indies tour marks the beginning of a busy period for the Proteas, who have only played four Tests in the past year. The team is set to play eight Tests between now and January.
Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton (wkt), Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt)
Fixtures:
July 31-August 3 - West Indies Invitation XI, Tarouba, Trinidad
August 7-11 - First Test, Port of Spain, Trinidad
August 15-19 - Second Test, Providence, Guyana