Uncapped Daryn Dupavillon, Ottniel Baartman picked for Pakistan Tests

Of the nine fast bowlers South Africa have selected for their historic Test series in Pakistan later this month, one name sticks out: Kagiso Rabada. It's no surprise that the leader of the attack should be in the squad, but he will be welcomed back after missing the rubber against Sri Lanka in the past 14 days because of a groin strain. The series will end South Africa's absence of 14 years from Pakistan because of security fears.

Two of the other quicks selected were Daryn Dupavillon, who made his international debut in an ODI against Australia in Potchefstroom in May - when he dismissed Aaron Finch and returned South Africa's best economy rate - and Ottniel Baartman, who has dismissed Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks and Temba Bavuma in franchise first-class cricket this season.

South Africa steamrolled Sri Lanka by an innings at Centurion and by 10 wickets at the Wanderers. But the conditions they will encounter in Karachi and Rawalpindi are likely to be starkly different compared to Highveld surfaces. Consequently they have bolstered their spin depth by including Tabraiz Shamsi and George Linde. Keshav Maharaj will remain the first-choice slow bowler, but he is unlikely to be the only one in the XI.

Shaun von Berg and Senuran Muthusamy, spinners both, may wonder why they didn't crack the nod considering they are first and fourth among franchise first-class wicket-takers this season. Conversely, Dupavillon and Baartman may wonder how they made the squad - they are 14th and 24th on the wicket-taking list this summer.

"Considering that the conditions that will be faced are largely unknown to the South African team, we wanted to strengthen the attack with the skill sets that Tabraiz Shamsi and George Linde have to offer, while giving players like Daryn Dupavillon and Ottneil Baartman an opportunity after making strong cases for themselves in recent seasons," a CSA release quoted selection convenor Victor Mpitsang as saying.

Dwaine Pretorius, who has been kept on the sidelines since November 12 by a hamstring strain, has returned to full fitness and thus kept his place. Glenton Stuurman, Migael Pretorius and Raynard van Tonder, who were all part of the squad for the Sri Lanka series and were injured while on South Africa duty despite not playing a match, were not included.

Shamsi and Baartman are the only players selected who are part of their franchise squads for the sole round of franchise one-day games that will be played before the Test squad travels to Pakistan. The release said they would "still take part in the competition" because it had "been moved into a bio-secure environment in Potchefstroom" where all of the truncated tournament's 15 games will be played, starting on Saturday.

South Africa leave next Friday on a commercial flight - charter flights have become popular among touring sides during the pandemic - and will quarantine in Karachi before resuming training and staging intra-squad games to prepare for the series, which starts on January 26. The Rawalpindi Test is scheduled to end on February 8 and will be followed by three T20s. CSA said it would announce that squad next week.

South Africa squad: Quinton de Kock (captain), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Daryn Dupavillon, Ottniel Baartman.