“KG is out of the ODIs and we are constantly monitoring his rehabilitation. When we sit down to select a Test squad, we will make an informed decision. He is tracking nicely, going on reports from physios,” Conrad said during a press conference on Monday. “Anrich Nortje was not considered for the ODIs. I don’t think he has done enough for now but don’t be surprised if he played the Bangladesh series.”

“Everybody that is not here or in the A side will be playing the first round of first-class cricket,” Conrad said. “And everyone not in the ODI squad will play in the second round. That includes Dewald. He competes for a spot in the middle order and there he competes with Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs and David Miller. He will definitely get a crack in ODI in the Bangladesh series.

“We’ve got six ODIs before we play England. The England squad will be a shadow squad for the World Cup. We’ve got a few guys vying for space at the top in terms of Aiden, Ricks, Quinny and Tony. It’s just about making sure everyone gets a fair crack at it.”

The shape of the line-up will be formative in terms of South Africa’s plan for the 2027 World Cup.

“With the World Cup just over a year away, this series marks an important step in shaping the squad as we build towards the tournament, while also giving those players who are in the frame opportunities when we face Bangladesh and England later in the season,” Conrad said. “We have a clear idea of the combinations we want and the roles we need players to fulfill. From a batting perspective, we’ve looked at making sure we have a middle order that can be explosive but have the ability to absorb pressure and take the innings quite deep. That balance is going to be important for us.”

South Africa’s ODIs against Australia are their second 50-over assignment of the summer after the three matches in Namibia that will take place this week with a second-string squad. Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Andile Simelane were included for the Namibia games but have been ruled out with an adductor and abdominal injury respectively, and have been replaced by Corbin Bosch and Matthew Breetzke. The first match in that series takes place on Wednesday.

South Africa ODI squad for Australia

Temba Bavuma (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs