South African batsman Kagiso Rabada bowling against India at Six Gun Grill Newlands stadium in the third test of the Betway India Tour Kagiso Rabada will once again be tasked with leading the Proteas bowling attack in their Test series against hosts Bangladesh starting later this month. Photo: Phando Jikelo/Independent Media
The Proteas will have one eye on the World Test Championship (WTC) as they head into their two-match series against host Bangladesh later this month, according to SA coach Shukri Conrad.
South Africa currently occupy sixth place in the WTC, but have played the fewest number of games of any of the nine competing nations.
The Proteas have played six Tests in the two-year competition ending in 2025, while top-ranked India have played 11, second-placed Australia have played 12 and Sri Lanka in third have played nine.
In fourth, England have played 16 Tests during this cycle already.
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Conrad, meanwhile, is hoping his team could still have a say in the WTC with the first Test starting in Dhaka on October 21 and the second in Chattogram on October 29.
“With regards to the World Test Championship, it is there and we pay attention to it because it's something that we realistically can still be a big part of,” said Conrad.
“According to my calculations I reckon five out of six should get us there, and then obviously depending on a few other results as well.”
The squad for the Bangladesh series which was announced on Monday, and the bowling attack may be tweaked slightly as the top six batsmen seem to have cemented their places.
With Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, skipper Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham and Kyle Verreyne looking set to take their position in the Proteas lineup, Conrad was confident about the squad he had selected.
“We wanted to settle this batting unit and I think we've achieved that. I think those are our batters that are going to take us forward now. We've got Marco [Jansen] and Gerald [Coetzee] to come back when they are fit in terms of the fast bowling personnel for Bangladesh.
“On a day in Dhaka we might play three semis similarly in Chattogram we might play three seamers and it was actually no point in dragging along another quick bowler with us, if all we ever going to play was three at most. The front three would be Nandre Burger, KG [Kagiso Rabada] and obviously Wiaan [Mulder] as the all-rounder.
“Then we felt we needed someone like Patto [Dane Paterson] when conditions are quite flat. If he does get on the park, he is someone that could give us a measure of control both and if conditions on certain mornings allow it might seam around a bit and he might also be able to exploit that. But he's really going as cover for the front three as I mentioned.”