South Africa Misses Rabada, Breetzke in England ODI Opener

South Africa will miss key players Kagiso Rabada and Matthew Breetzke in the opening One Day International against England at Headingley, with Rabada recovering from an ankle injury and Breetzke sidelined due to a hamstring strain. Captain Temba Bavuma also confirmed that teenage pace bowler Kwena Maphaka will sit out the first ODI to manage his workload but may feature later in the series. Veteran David Miller is not part of the ODI squad but remains involved in the Twenty20 internationals and is in contention for the 2027 World Cup. South Africa's lineup for the ODI includes Aiden Markram and other established players, while England will introduce pace bowler Sonny Baker, who impressed in the Hundred competition. The series consists of three ODIs followed by three T20 matches, with both teams navigating recent inconsistent forms and injuries as they prepare for the contests. Bavuma highlighted the potential role of Maphaka in the current English weather conditions, emphasizing his raw but exciting pace bowling skills.