Dewald Brevis’ Test snub justified by South Africa coach with Rafael Nadal comparison

Dewald Brevis momentum has slowed down as the South African team management is no longer considering him as an all-conditions batter. Brevis, who was considered the next big thing in the Proteas cricket circle, is now totally out of the nation’s Test team.

The South Africa National Team is all set to travel to Australia for a high-profile Test series, which will be crucial for the ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC). Ahead of the series, South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad confirmed that for the Test series against Australia, they will not be selecting Dewald Brevis.

Dewald Brevis was supposed to be the next big thing

Brevis made his name through his attacking batting in the Twenty20 format. In multiple franchise leagues across the world, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dewald Brevis showed his magic. He looked technically sound, fearless once he found his rhythm back. But he lacked intensity and consistency after the global exposure.

The middle-order batter’s form started to dip, and he became irregular for the South Africa cricket team as well. Ahead of the home series against South Africa, Shukri Conrad explained why he will not select Brevis for the crucial series.

Dewald Brevis is not the best batter in Test cricket for us: Shukri Conrad

According to the coach, the batting style of Brevis mostly suits the subcontinent conditions. Therefore, there will be no Dewald Brevis when the Proteas are up against the Australian cricket team. Conrad also mentioned that the batter is set to miss the Tests in South Africa but will be back with the team for the limited-overs cricket.

“I don’t think he is one of the best batters in Test cricket for us. There are other guys in the squad for SA conditions. He is probably more suited to subcontinent conditions. In Test cricket, he is a bit like our Rafael Nadal, a clay court specialist,” Condar mentioned.

So far, the 23-year-old has played only 4 Tests after making his debut in the format on June 28, 2025. He started his Test career with a half-century against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, but could not continue the form and eventually lost his place in the Test team. Brevis played his last match in Whites on October 20, 2025, against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

Two batters in the race to replace Dewald Brevis

The Proteas have published a list of an 18-man probable squad for the first Test match against Australia. They have included the uncapped Marques Ackerman in the preliminary squad. Ackerman is a pure batter with experience in playing multiple T20 leagues, like Dewald Brevis. But the cricket board preferred to show their trust in the uncapped batter instead of Brevis.

Batsman Leus du Plooy is also in the line to represent the South Africa cricket team. Plooy, who used to be a domestic cricketer in the United Kingdom, is dreaming of playing Tests for the Proteas. He averages 48.55 after 255 innings in first-class cricket, including 26 centuries.

“I am thrilled when players like Leus want to come back and play for South Africa. We must be doing things right – it is heartwarming. He can stake a claim. Have we been having conversations? Not leading up to his decision, but he reached out last week. It has been busy. Over the next day or so, we will be chatting about things going forward,” Shukri Conrad said.

Source: cricketaddictor.com