SOUTH AFRICA have named their squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, with Tony de Zorzi returning from injury and Zubayr Hamza recalled ahead of the opening match on November 15.

David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne have been left out of the squad as the Proteas prepare to host Bangladesh in a series that forms part of the ICC World Test Championship.

There is little mystery about the challenge awaiting Bangladesh this summer.

For more than two decades, tours to South Africa have been among the toughest assignments in world cricket for the Tigers.

Johannesburg’s steep bounce, Centurion’s pace-friendly conditions and the relentless pressure from South African fast bowlers have repeatedly tested the visitors. Yet Bangladesh arrive with more experience, greater confidence and a deeper talent pool than many of their previous touring parties.

The month-long campaign opens in Johannesburg and finishes in Centurion, with the two Tests followed by three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals. The Test matches will contribute towards the World Test Championship standings, while the white-ball contests will give both sides an opportunity to refine their combinations ahead of future global tournaments.

For South Africa, de Zorzi’s return offers another batting option after his injury absence, while Hamza’s recall adds depth to the squad. Their inclusion comes as Bedingham and Verreynne miss out, giving the selectors fresh combinations to consider for the opening Test.

History, however, remains firmly in South Africa’s corner.

In Test cricket, the Proteas have won 14 of the 16 meetings between the two sides, with the other two drawn. Bangladesh have yet to win a Test against South Africa, and the hosts swept the 2022 series 2-0, winning by 220 and 332 runs.

The picture is even starker in T20 internationals, where South Africa have won all nine previous encounters, including a narrow victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup while defending a target of 113.

Only in the 50-over game have Bangladesh consistently challenged the hosts. South Africa lead the overall ODI head-to-head 19-6, but Bangladesh’s six wins include a landmark achievement. In 2022, they won the ODI series 2-1, securing their first ODI series victory in South Africa.

It is a reminder that while South Africa dominate the overall record, Bangladesh can produce surprises when conditions and confidence align.

The Tests at the Wanderers and SuperSport Park should reveal how far Bangladesh’s red-ball game has evolved. South Africa’s fast-bowling tradition has long thrived at both venues, where batters are tested from the first over.

Negotiating the new ball for long periods remains a major hurdle for touring sides, and Bangladesh’s top order will need to show greater discipline if they are to compete over five days.

The white-ball phase could tell a different story.

In December, the series moves through East London, also listed on some schedules as KuGompo City, Gqeberha and Cape Town for the ODIs, before three T20 Internationals in Kimberley, Benoni and Centurion.

Those formats can narrow the gap between teams, and Bangladesh will see the ODI series in particular as an opportunity to challenge the hosts. Their record against South Africa suggests they are more competitive over 50 overs than their Test results indicate.

For South Africa, the assignment is clear. They will want to make home conditions count, collect World Test Championship points and maintain their record against Bangladesh. The Test squad announcement is the first step towards that task, with de Zorzi and Hamza now in contention for the opening match.

Bangladesh arrive with a different mission. They are not simply trying to win matches; they are looking to improve a record that has proved difficult to shift, particularly in South African conditions.

South Africa have history on their side. Whether Bangladesh can make this tour more competitive will be one of the central questions of the series.

Fixtures: Bangladesh tour of South Africa 2026

Tests

1st Test: 15-19 November, Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
2nd Test: 23-27 November, SuperSport Park, Centurion

ODIs

1st ODI: 1 December, Buffalo Park, East London
2nd ODI: 4 December, St George’s Park, Gqeberha
3rd ODI: 7 December, Newlands, Cape Town

T20 Internationals

1st T20I: 10 December, Kimberley Oval Cricket Stadium
2nd T20I: 12 December, Willowmoore Park, Benoni
3rd T20I: 13 December, SuperSport Park, Centurion