The Proteas are confident and ready heading into the 1st Test against the West Indies in Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday

South Africa head into the World Championship Test having played in just three five-day games this year and they lost once to India at home and twice to the Black Caps in New Zealand.

The Proteas are taking a different approach in naming just two frontline seamers in Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ndidi. The allrounder, Wiaan Mulder, will provide extra seam, while Keshav Maharaj is the only frontline spinner.

Wiaan Mulder. Photo: Cricinfo

The captain, Temba Bavuma, said despite the lack of Test cricket in 2024, they are feeling well prepared, while will draw on the success of their previous series in the Caribbean in 2021, as well as last year in South Africa.

“Like you said, there is a lot of confidence from that tour in which we came out victorious,” said Bavuma.

“There are an awesome couple of new faces in our squad, so I guess we have to be quite cognisant of that inexperience. In terms of preparation, that's been good and the guys have really acclimatised to Trinidad & Tobago in terms of the conditions. The weather which looks like it’s going to become a factor.”

“We’ll take a lot of confidence from our series victory at home in 2021 and last year at home.”

Play at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain is set to get underway at 16:00 on Wednesday.

Proteas playing XI – Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg