SA name squad for second Test vs Australia; Matthew Breetzke in for Tristan Stubbs

South Africa named their squad for the second Test against Australia, scheduled to begin on Sunday at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha, with Matthew Breetzke selected in place of Tristan Stubbs. Head coach Shukri Conrad also confirmed that Ryan Rickelton will don the wicket-keeping gloves for the match.

The change follows a heavy defeat for the hosts in the first Test in Durban, where Australia recovered from 124/6 to post 390 and South Africa lost by 214 runs. That result was Temba Bavuma’s first-ever Test defeat as captain and, according to the selectors, has already harmed South Africa’s chances for the WTC 2025-27 final, dropping them from second to third in the standings. With the three-match series on the line, South Africa require a win to level the contest.

Tristan Stubbs was omitted after a run of low scores; the selectors noted he has only two 50+ scores in his last 16 innings and that he made 32 and 1 in the Durban Test, getting out "playing rash shots in both innings."

Matthew Breetzke’s selection was justified on the basis of recent limited-overs form: he has scored 14 runs in two Tests for South Africa, carries an ODI average of 58.73 and struck a match-winning century in the first ODI against Australia three weeks back. Speaking in a conference, Shukri Conrad said, "The fact that his ODI form is as hot as it is gave him an inside lane."

Conrad also confirmed the wicketkeeping decision, with Rickelton set to keep and an implication that Kyle Verreynne will be excluded from the playing XI. The squad announcement noted that Verreynne "has gone without a fifty in the last 11 innings."

South Africa’s squad for the 2nd Test is: Temba Bavuma (C), Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortjé, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Dane Paterson, Kyle Verreynne (WK).

The second Test begins on Sunday at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha, with South Africa requiring a victory to level the three-match series.