A day after The Hundred concluded at Lord’s, England and South Africa are set to clash in a six-match white-ball series beginning with the first ODI at Headingley, Leeds, on Tuesday. Both sides are building towards the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup, using this series to experiment with combinations.
South Africa Without Miller, Rabada and Breetzke
The big talking point for South Africa is the omission of David Miller. Despite being a proven match-winner, the 36-year-old has been left out of the ODI squad, though skipper Temba Bavuma insisted the veteran remains part of their 2027 World Cup plans.
Miller, who averages 42.30 in ODIs at a strike rate of 103.68, chose to play in The Hundred instead of South Africa’s tour of Australia in August. He will, however, return for the T20I series starting September 10. South Africa will also miss Kagiso Rabada and Matthew Breetzke in the series opener due to minor injuries.
David’s still within the mix in the ODI stuff. He wasn’t available for selection this time, but he remains in our long-term plans.
England’s Fresh Faces and Young Captaincy Aspirations
For England, much of the attention will be on Jacob Bethell, who is set to captain the side against Ireland later this month and will hope for a turnaround after a quiet Hundred campaign. Young pacer Sonny Baker, with only 12 List A matches under his belt, is expected to partner Jofra Archer, who is returning to international duty after carefully managing his workload.
We’re trying to create an environment working towards something, like Morgs [Eoin Morgan] did years ago. South Africa will be a fresh challenge, and we need to adapt quickly.
Conditions in Focus at Headingley
The Headingley strip usually offers some assistance for bowlers, with the average first-innings score around 274 runs. With the English summer nearing its end, weather could also play a significant role in shaping the series. Both teams have packed their line-ups with batting depth to counter conditions.
Probable Playing XIs: England: Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker. South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickleton (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.
