Breetzke has played two Tests for South Africa, in Bangladesh in October 2024 and Zimbabwe in July 2025, with 14 runs to his name, and has a first-class average of 37.03. He last played a first-class match in February, and missed this season’s domestic games as he was with South Africa’s limited-overs squads in Namibia and then against Australia. He scored a century in the first ODI in Durban, and South Africa’s management are hopeful his form will cross formats. “Matt has been part of the squad before,” Shukri Conrad, South Africa’s head coach, said. “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.”
South Africa have also retained three spinners in Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, but it is likely only one will 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.
