England Test squad for South Africa tour, Digi Mart USA News: England have called up uncapped left-arm finger spinner Liam Patterson-White for this winter’s three-Test assignment in South Africa, while Jacob Bethell returns after missing the Pakistan series in the summer through injury.
All-rounder Patterson-White helped Nottinghamshire win the Championship title in 2025 by taking 26 wickets and scoring 540 runs in 11 appearances. He then claimed 42 wickets and scored 474 runs in 14 appearances last season.
Bethell did not feature in August and September’s 3-0 sweep of Pakistan due to a knee problem that required surgery, but he is back to add to England’s batting options. The tour will be broadcast in full on Sky Sports across December and January and will be Stephen Fleming’s first series as head coach.
Jordan Cox deputised for Bethell at No 3 against Pakistan, scoring a half-century in each of the three Tests at Headingley, Lord’s and Edgbaston. His displays have created a selection dilemma, with possibly only three spots available between Cox, Bethell, Emilio Gay and Dan Lawrence.
Gay has three fifties across his first six Tests since replacing the dropped Zak Crawley at the start of the summer. England could omit him, or Cox or Bethell could potentially partner Ben Duckett at the top of the order.
Lawrence was recalled against Pakistan following Ben Stokes’ international retirement and acted as chief spinner as England, with great success, deployed an all-pace frontline attack.
England men’s national selector Marcus North said: “Liam Patterson-White’s selection comes on the back of a strong summer in the Rothesay County Championship, when he took the most wickets of any spinner in Division One with 42 at an average of 25.11 and earned his first ECB development contract.
“We have also selected a strong England Lions squad, who will fly out to South Africa on November 25 for a preparation camp before three 50-over matches and two first-class games. Those players will benefit from experiencing South African conditions and ensure we have players who are fit and ready should they be required for the Test series.”
Josh Tongue will be unavailable for the first Test as he returns to the UK for the birth of his second child, with Brydon Carse in position to replace him. North said: “We’ve picked this squad with Josh Tongue and we’re aware he is going to be unavailable for the first Test, as he’ll be returning to the UK during that time for the birth of his second child.”
Sam Curran is unavailable for the Test series as he prioritises his wedding. North said: “He is obviously prioritising a very special time in his personal life, getting married.
That’s something that I just want to say, we understand and support that decision.”
South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer took 10 wickets in the match as the Proteas thrashed Australia in Cape Town recently to earn a 2-1 series win. Harmer said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast last week that he would have selected left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has taken 142 wickets in 39 Tests but has not played for England since the tour of Pakistan in late 2024.
The six players in the Test squad not involved in the upcoming white-ball series in Australia are Sam Cook, Gay, Lawrence, Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson and Jamie Smith. They will fly out early with the England Lions squad for a preparation camp in Pietermaritzburg on November 25.
England begin the South Africa series in Johannesburg on December 17, before the Boxing Day Test at Centurion and a series finale in Cape Town from January 3. A warm-up match against a CSA XI is scheduled in Durban from December 9 to 11.
England then meet the Proteas in three one-day internationals, with one game in Paarl on January 10 and two in Bloemfontein on January 13 and 15.
England Lions will play three 50-over matches and two four-day matches against South Africa A, starting December 1 in Pietermaritzburg. Watch England’s three-Test tour of South Africa live on Sky Sports from Thursday, December 17.
The opening game is at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, starting at 8am UK time.
