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Maphaka to make Test debut at Newlands as Bavuma bats away criticism of Proteas’ spot in WTC final

Maphaka to make Test debut at Newlands as Bavuma bats away criticism of Proteas’ spot in WTC final
Kwena Maphaka will offer South Africa an extra bit of pace in their Test match against Pakistan at Newlands, which starts on Friday, 3 January 2025. Captain Temba Bavuma has hinted that debutant Maphaka might open the bowling alongside Kagiso Rabada against Pakistan. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)
Keanan Hemmonsbey
By Keanan Hemmonsbey
2 Jan 2025
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Kwena Maphaka will become South Africa’s youngest Test cricket debutant when he walks on to the field at Newlands on Friday, 3 January 2025, as South Africa make three changes to the side that beat Pakistan at SuperSport Park.

South Africa have made three changes to their side from the one that beat Pakistan by two wickets in the Boxing Day Test match in Centurion. 

Eighteen-year-old fast bowler Kwena Maphaka is set to make his debut in Test cricket at Newlands Cricket Ground on Friday in the New Year’s Test, while all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and experienced spinner Keshav Maharaj also return to the fold. 

Opening batter Tony de Zorzi has been ruled out of the Test match having suffered a left thigh strain at SuperSport Park. This has forced a rejig in the batting order with Ryan Rickelton, who has been batting at first drop in South Africa’s last two matches, will be opening the batting for the first time in Test cricket, alongside Aiden Markram.

Mulder will bat at No 3 instead, as he did in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban at the end of November when he suffered a finger injury, which has kept him out of action since.

Dane Paterson – who took a career-best five haul at SuperSport Park –  and Corbin Bosch – who debuted in the previous Test, striking 81 with the bat and taking five wickets with the ball – are the other two players who have missed out on selection.

“Selection is always a tricky one,” Test captain Temba Bavuma said at Thursday’s pre-match press conference. “We can all sit here and select three or four different teams for tomorrow.

“What helps the guys is that level of safety and security. Guys know what their roles are in the team.

“We are all geared towards the same thing; we all want to win for ourselves, for the team, for the country.

“We understand that whatever decisions are made. Whether by Shukri [Conrad] or myself, it’s for the betterment of the team.

“A guy like Patto [Paterson] is as experienced as anyone; he’s seen it all. It will be tough on him, same as Corbin Bosch, but looking at him today he had a smile on his face; he understands that it’s for the betterment of the team.”

Lord’s bound


Temba Bavuma in action against Sri Lanka Proteas captain Temba Bavuma has batted away criticism of South Africa’s journey to the finals of the World Test Championship. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)



South Africa head into the Test match at Newlands with their biggest box already ticked: qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. 

They secured their berth in the final at Lord’s in June later this year after beating Pakistan in the first Test.

Their accomplishment wasn’t received well globally with former England captain Michael Vaughan saying that South Africa have reached the Test cricket pinnacle “on the back of beating pretty much nobody”, based on their opponents in the WTC cycle.

Teams have to play six series’ – three home, three away – in a WTC cycle, meaning that they skip two of the nine sides who compete in the red-ball competition. This cycle, the two sides South Africa have avoided are England and Australia, which is outside of South Africa’s control, as the International Cricket Council arranges the fixtures.

Vaughan went on to say that South Africa don’t “warrant being in the WTC final [based on] whom they have played over the last two years”.

New Zealand are the only team that have beaten the Proteas in this WTC cycle, and that was off the back of South Africa sending a severely depleted side to the Kiwi shores.

Read more: Proteas have navigated a rocky road to the World Test Championship final

“We don’t come up with the scheduling,” Bavuma said. “We’d love to play a lot more games like the other three countries around the world are.

“Hopefully with the way we’ve performed, there will be more matches that come our way.”

“We just do what we can as a team; we’ve tried to play good cricket and through all the good cricket that we’ve played, we’ve gotten to the point that we’re at. 

“As players, it’s not really for us to really get involved with those negative sentiments being passed by past players. For us, it’s to play cricket and do our best.

“I definitely don’t believe it was an easy ride to get to this point. We played against New Zealand with not such a strong team. From then onwards we’ve pretty much won all our games.

“I don’t think that’s an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination. Those are games we won at home and away. We take a lot of pride in what we’ve achieved.”

Young debutant


Kwena Maphaka bowls for the Lions at Wanderers in Johannesburg in November 2024. Kwena Maphaka will offer South Africa an extra bit of pace in their Test match against Pakistan at Newlands, which starts on Friday, 3 January 2025. Captain Temba Bavuma has hinted that debutant Maphaka might open the bowling for South Africa alongside Kagiso Rabada. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)



When Maphaka makes debut tomorrow he will be South Africa’s youngest Test debutant at 18 and 271 days old, beating former spinner Paul Adams, who made his Test debut in 1995 at 18 and 340 days.

“Kwena’s selection is more potential than anything,” Bavuma said. “He exudes the talent that he has shown.

Read more: ‘Heaps of talent’ Rabada says of Maphaka, with the two quicks boasting many similarities 

Coach Conrad has shown a tendency to select at least one bowler with express pace, which Maphaka possesses, with Bosch not in the team.

“We wanted to go with the extra bit of pace as well, that’s where his selection came into it,” Bavuma added. “Unfortunately a guy like Dane Paterson, who has been superb for us, misses out.

“We’re quite excited for Kwena as well. We also considered that we have a series on the line; you want to give an opportunity to a young guy when there’s something on the line. 

“Whatever happens from a performance point of view, it will put him in good stead.”

Bavuma hinted that Maphaka could have the brand-new cherry in his hands too.

“I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to be running in with KG [Kagiso Rabada] over the next five days,” Bavuma said. DM

Proteas side to take on Pakistan (in batting order):


Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka.

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