Proteas captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the two-match Test series in Zimbabwe because of a left hamstring strain.
Bavuma sustained the injury while batting in the second innings of the World Test Championship final at Lords last week. Cricket SA confirmed on Friday Bavuma is set to undergo further scans to assess the extent of the injury.
Keshav Maharaj will captain the team in the two Tests, which dont form part of the 2027 World Test Championship cycle because Zimbabwe arent part of that competition.
There will be no batting replacement for Bavuma.
The South African squad for the two Tests, which will both be played in Bulawayo, is markedly different from the group that claimed a historic triumph against Australia in the WTC final at Lord's , which concluded on Saturday.