Joe Root captains a group that will face the Proteas, the ICC Test world champions, who returned to the top of the Test rankings after beating Australia 2-1.

Uncapped left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White earns a first Test call-up, and Jacob Bethell returns after a knee injury he suffered during the summer.

Those are the only two changes from the squad that beat Pakistan 3-0 at the end of the home summer.

Patterson-White took 42 wickets at an average of 25.11 in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship, more than any other spinner, and earned his first ECB Development Contract.

Surrey and Nottinghamshire supply three players each, while Yorkshire, Sussex and Essex provide two apiece.

Stephen Fleming will take charge of England’s Test side for the first time as head coach on the tour.

Fleming flew to Perth to finalise plans with Rob Key, Marcus North and Ed Barney while the white-ball squad prepares for Australia.

Sam Cook, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Liam Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson and Jamie Smith are not involved in the white-ball series in Australia.

They will fly to South Africa early with the England Lions for a preparation camp in Pietermaritzburg on 25 November.

Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Ben Duckett and Root return to the UK after the ODI series against Australia before flying out on 2 December.

Harry Brook, Bethell and Jordan Cox leave the Australia tour after the fourth T20 in Sydney on 29 November and travel directly to South Africa.

The England Lions’ red-ball and white-ball squads have been named, and they tour South Africa from 26 November until 21 December.

They will play three 50-over matches and two first-class games, giving players experience of South African conditions in case they are needed for the Tests.

England warm up against a CSA XI at Kingsmead in Durban from 9 to 11 December. The first Test is at the Bullring in Johannesburg from 17 to 21 December.

The Boxing Day Test follows at SuperSport Park in Centurion from 26 to 30 December, with the New Year’s Test at Newlands in Cape Town from 3 to 7 January.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Liam Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue

Photo: Sam Mellish/Getty Images