South Africa have included Dane Paterson in their squad for their upcoming two-match Test series in Bangladesh.
Seam bowler Dane Paterson had played his first two Test matches in early 2020, not too long before the global lockdown, against England at home. He picked up four wickets in two Tests at 41.50, and remained largely forgotten by the national selectors until early 2024.
Since their Test series in New Zealand coincided with the SA20 at home, South Africa sent a second-string side. Recalled to the squad, Paterson got five wickets in two Tests at 46.60.
It seemed improbable that they would pick him to tour Bangladesh. When New Zealand toured Bangladesh last year, the hosts prepared tracks where, of their reasonably strong, young seamers, they picked only Shoriful Islam and a cohort of spinners.
However, Paterson had impressed on his return home, finishing the season 5-31 and 3-32 for Western Provinces against Gauteng to finish the home summer with 23 wickets at 23.30. He then had 20 wickets at 28.60 for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.
Paterson will now go to Bangladesh as the fourth seamer, after Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder. He is unlikely to get a game in the series if the surfaces are anything similar to what New Zealand had encountered in 2023. It is a curious selection call, given South Africa’s famed pace depth.
Several first-choice seamers, like Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, and Gerald Coetzee have been ignored. Jansen and Coetzee are, according to an ESPNCricinfo report, on a break and were not considered for selection, while there has been no official word on Nortje and Ngidi, both of whom are currently playing white-ball cricket - Nortje in the CPL and Ngidi in South Africa's UAE tour.
There had also been concerns around the feasibility of the Bangladesh tour following the massive political unrest in the country, with the tour getting a go-ahead on Monday (September 30). There's been no update from either the players not picked or the board, but it could have played a part in Paterson getting a go ahead of several other first-choice options.
In all probability, they will go in with three spinners. Keshav Maharaj, the leading wicket-taker among spinners in their history; off-spinner Dane Piedt, who was Paterson’s teammate in New Zealand (and took 5-89 and 3-93 at Hamilton); and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs also bowl spin.
South Africa squad for 2024 Tests in Bangladesh:
Temba Bavuma (c), Kyle Verreynne (wk), Ryan Rickelton (wk), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs.
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