DURBAN: The Proteas would of course love Kagiso Rabada to be slinging thunderbolts at Kingsmead on Friday, the first day of Australia's first test cricket series in South Africa since the “ Sandpapergate ” scandal in 2018.
Because of a hamstring injury, South Africa's premier fast bowler hasn't played since May. Rabada has been in the nets lately but the Proteas are leaving it as late as possible to green-light him.
They also say they won't push him. Not with eight home tests between now and January and 10 left in this World Test Championship cycle for the defending champion.
And if there's one thing about South Africa's national cricket team, it's the trust in its entire squad to cope with setbacks and excel. Selections from out of the blue have constantly risen to the occasion.
Medium-pacer Dane Paterson, out of the test side for four years, helped them qualify for the 2025 WTC final. Lungi Ngidi, out of red-ball cricket for 10 months, then helped them win that final against 2023 champion Australia at Lord's.
Inspired by the victory, offspinner Simon Harmer made himself available at the age of 37, and took 30 wickets late last year to help South Africa win in Pakistan for the first time in 18 years and win a series in India for the first time in 25 years.
“It feels like every time we win it's somebody else putting up their hand,” Harmer said on Wednesday. “There's not this reliance on certain individuals.”
For their first test series of the year, and their first at home in nearly two years, the Proteas have summoned pacers Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee, who haven't played a test since 2023 and 2024 respectively.
They have a decent chance of making the XI with Rabada doubtful and Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka and Ottneil Baartman out of the series injured. Another bad hamstring ruled out Tony de Zorzi from the first test, giving hope of a debut at his home ground for Marques Ackerman, who will vie for the No. 3 batting spot with Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder and David Bedingham.
There's talk the pitch — which offered lots of spin in the ODI two weeks ago — may persuade South Africa to play two spinners, Harmer with Keshav Maharaj.
A turning pitch would help the prospects of a stunning Australia comeback for batter Nic Maddinson, who played three tests in 2016 then was dropped. He resurrected himself in a risky move to another state in domestic cricket and overcame testicular cancer that spread to his abdomen and lung in 2025. He hasn't played a first-class game since March 2025 but was sensationally added to the test squad last week.
Unlike 10 years ago, though, Maddinson isn't daunted or feeling out of place.
However, Australia great Matthew Hayden this week blasted the selectors for “disrespecting first-class cricket” by picking the 34-year-old Maddinson.
On Wednesday, vice-captain Travis Head, without referencing players or comments, took issue with commentary by former players, accusing them of being unfair in “putting a bullet through” current players. Head said the game has changed significantly since they played.
Another certainty is allrounder Cameron Green won't play in the first test, ruled out by an abdominal strain during the third ODI a week ago. If he were to return for the other two tests, he won't bowl, coach Andrew McDonald has said.
But it's Green's batting that will likely be missed more. He was the leading run-scorer in the drawn series with Bangladesh in August.
Australia won the first of an acrimonious four-test series here in 2018, and South Africa won the second. The third test will long be rememebred for what became known as the “Sandpapergate” fiasco that rocked Australian cricket and set South Africa on course for a 3-1 series win.
Steve Smith and David Warner — then the captain and vice-captain — were each suspended for a year by Cricket Australia and opener Cameron Bancroft was banned for nine months after South African broadcasters caught an attempt at ball tampering in the Cape Town match. Bancroft was caught trying to scratch the surface of the ball to make it more favorable for Australia's bowlers. Smith and Warner returned to re-establish their test careers. Smith is still in the test lineup.
After Durban, the other tests are in Gqeberha from Oct. 18-22 and in Cape Town from Oct. 27-31.