South Africa has announced a preliminary 18-man squad for the Test series against Australia, which starts next month in Durban, with Marques Ackerman receiving a debut call-up.

Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s leading pace bowler, has been included although there are concerns around his fitness. Shukri Conrad, South Africa’s coach, said they would monitor Rabada leading into the first match to assess his fitness.

Marques Ackerman is the only uncapped player in the squad. The 30-year-old Ackerman has been in good form in recent months and scored 256 for South Africa A against Bangladesh A in August.

Temba Bavuma will captain the side while David Bedingham gets a recall. He was left out of South Africa’s last Test squad, which won a series in India last year, but Bedingham has been in scintillating form in recent months. He scored a hundred in each innings for Western Province in the last round of domestic first-class matches and averaged over 70 for Durham in the County Championship this year.

Fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who is not centrally contracted to Cricket South Africa, was also recalled. Nortje has been plying his trade in various T20 leagues around the world and has not played a multi-day cricket match for more than three years.

The first Test begins in Durban on 9 October, with two other Tests scheduled to be played in Cape Town and Gqeberha.

South Africa won the second game in the ODI series against Australia yesterday at the Wanderers, giving them the series with a match to play.

South Africa squad v Australia: Temba Bavuma (capt), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne