Tristan Stubbs dropped for Gqeberha Test as Ryan Rickelton to take keeping gloves

Tristan Stubbs has been dropped from South Africa’s squad for the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha. He was the only change from the side that lost the first Test in Durban, where he scored 32 and 1. Head coach Shukri Conrad also confirmed that Ryan Rickelton will take the wicketkeeping gloves for the match.

Matthew Breetzke has been named in the squad as Stubbs’s replacement. Stubbs’s previous Test innings before this series, played in India 11 months ago, had yielded 94, but his scores in Durban were not enough to retain his place.

Kyle Verreynne, who has not scored a Test fifty in his last 13 innings, is unlikely to feature in the starting XI as a result of Rickelton taking over the keeping duties, though he remains part of the 17-player squad.

Why has Breetzke been recalled to the Test squad?

Breetzke has played two Tests for South Africa, in Bangladesh in October 2024 and Zimbabwe in July 2025, scoring 14 runs across those appearances. He carries a first-class average of 37.03, though his last first-class match was in February and he missed this season’s domestic games while travelling with South Africa’s limited-overs squads in Namibia and then against Australia.

His recall has been driven in part by his recent white-ball form. Breetzke scored a century in the first ODI against Australia in Durban, and South Africa’s management are hopeful that form will carry across formats.

“Matt has been part of the squad before. The fact that his ODI form is as hot as it is gave him an inside lane and more importantly, it’s the attitude and the character Matt brings and has,” said Conrad as quoted by Cricinfo.

Tony de Zorzi, South Africa’s most regular opening partner to Aiden Markram in the previous World Test Championship cycle of 2023-25, could not be considered as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. That absence has opened the door for Breetzke, who could be used to open the batting, or the role may go to uncapped batter Marques Ackerman, who generally plays in the middle order.

What does Rickelton keeping mean for South Africa’s batting order?

Rickelton’s move behind the stumps creates a decision for the team management over where he bats.

“With Ricks taking the gloves, there are decisions to be made over whether he does move down the order or whether he can continue to open the batting, which he has done before,” said Conrad.

If Rickelton moves down the order, South Africa will need to find an opener to partner Markram, which is where Breetzke or Ackerman could come in.

“There’s a few things to consider before we look at the final XI but we are hell of excited,” said Conrad.

The rest of the 17-player squad is unchanged from Durban. Kagiso Rabada, who sat out the first Test while recovering from a hamstring niggle, is expected to be fit to play. He is one of seven pace bowlers in the squad alongside Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Gerald Coetzee, Dane Paterson and Corbin Bosch, with Conrad indicating that weather could influence the final selection.

Heavy rain is forecast for the first day of the match on Sunday. South Africa have also retained three spinners in Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, though only one is likely to play. Both Maharaj and Harmer featured in Durban.

South Africa squad for second Test vs Australia

Temba Bavuma (capt), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.