South Africa have named their Playing XI for the opening Test against Bangladesh, with Zubayr Hamza returning to the side for the first time in more than two years. Captain Temba Bavuma said Hamza will bat at number three in place of David Bedingham, who was dropped after the series against Australia last month. Hamza, 31, last played a home Test against England in January 2020 and has not featured in a home Test since then.

Hamza's selection follows a nine-month ban he served after testing positive for a banned substance in 2022, which he said resulted from accidentally taking medication prescribed for his father. Bavuma said Hamza had worked his way back through domestic cricket and had scored runs in all formats for the Gauteng Lions, whose home ground is the Wanderers, where the match will be played.S1

Elsewhere in the side, seam bowler Dane Paterson replaces Gerald Coetzee, who has been dropped. Paterson joins Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder in the pace attack. Anrich Nortje remains in the squad but has not fully recovered from a groin injury. Off-spinner Simon Harmer, who was man of the match in the third Test win over Australia in Cape Town with a ten-wicket haul, stays as the only specialist spinner ahead of Keshav Maharaj.S1S2

South Africa take the field as strong favourites after clinching the series against Australia with a 176-run win in Cape Town. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team would be finalised on the morning of the match and was likely to field three seamers and one specialist spinner, adding that his side drew confidence from recent performances and a one-day series win in South Africa in 2021/22.S1

The first Test is scheduled to run from November 15 to 19 in Johannesburg, followed by the second Test in Centurion from November 23 to 27, according to the ICC. Bavuma said it was important for South Africa to maintain the standards of world Test champions as they aim to reach the next final in 2027, adding that the team was halfway through its journey and still looking for ways to improve.S1S2