Patterson-White took 26 wickets and scored 540 runs in 11 appearances for Nottinghamshire in 2025. Bethell, who did not feature in August and September's 3-0 sweep of Pakistan due to a knee problem that required surgery, is back to add to England's batting options for the tour. The six players in the Test squad, who are not involved in the upcoming white-ball series in Australia, will fly out to South Africa early with the England Lions squad for a preparation camp in Pietermaritzburg on November 25.
Josh Tongue will be unavailable for the first Test to return to the UK for the birth of his first child, while Sam Curran is unavailable for the Test series as he is prioritising his wedding. England begin the South Africa series in Johannesburg on December 17, before the Boxing Day Test is held at Centurion and the series concludes in Cape Town from January 3.
