Bavuma to miss 1st ODI against Pakistan to manage his workload ahead of Test series

Paarl, Dec 16 (IANS) South Africa captain Temba Bavuma will miss the ODI series opener against Pakistan on Tuesday in Paarl to manage his workload ahead of the two crucial Tests which can decide Proteas' qualification for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

In Bavuma's absence, Aiden Markram will lead the home side with the former set to play the remainder of the games in the series.

These matches mark South Africa's first and final opportunity to field their strongest squad ahead of the Champions Trophy. However, the team faces the challenge of balancing preparations for the marquee event while keeping their Test players rested. Eight members of the ODI squad - Bavuma, Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, and Kagiso Rabada - played pivotal roles in the recent 2-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka and are likely to feature against Pakistan as well.

The management is particularly cautious about their fast bowlers due to a string of injuries in the pace department. Wiaan Mulder (broken finger) is racing to recover for the Boxing Day match, while Lungi Ngidi (hip injury) and Gerald Coetzee (groin niggle) are sidelined until January. Nandre Burger is out for the season with a lower back stress fracture. Anrich Nortje, who might have provided relief for Rabada and Jansen, is unavailable due to a broken toe and has also stepped away from red-ball cricket to recover from recurring injuries.

"Not everyone that we'd normally call upon is around because of injuries. We've got bowlers within the squad so we'd like to be in a position where we can give guys those opportunities, rest certain guys and give other guys opportunities. We'll try to balance it out as best as we can," Bavuma said ahead of Tuesday's game.

After the conclusion of the ODI series, South Africa will face Pakistan in the two-Test series as they aim to seal the WTC final spot for the first time.

South Africa moved to the top of the WTC standings after dominating 2-0 series sweep over Sri Lanka, pushing Australia and India to second and third spots, respectively.

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