Ian Bell has said he will fight for his Test place having been dropped by England for the tour of South Africa in which only Alastair Cook, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad remain from the side that drew the series the last time they visited in 2009-10.

The 33-year-old, a veteran of 118 Tests, described himself as “absolutely gutted” after hearing he is to be replaced following a difficult series against Pakistan and a disappointing two years in which he has averaged 29 and scored only two centuries.

“I certainly feel I could have contributed out there and have been working tirelessly to get into the best possible condition for the tour,” Bell said. “I am going to enjoy a winter break with my family for the first time in 11 years and come back determined to win my place back.”

In announcing the 16-man party, James Whitaker, England’s national selector, said: “Bell has been an outstanding player for many years and undoubtedly still has plenty to offer England in the future. It was clearly a difficult decision but he has struggled for runs in recent series and we felt it was the right time for him to take a break and spend time working on his game out of the spotlight.”

The England squad includes Nick Compton and Gary Ballance, both players who have been dropped in the past two years after a promising start to their Test careers. With the uncapped Alex Hales expected to become Alastair Cook’s latest opening partner, one or other of the pair can be expected to bat at three – the position Bell is vacating – in the first Test in Durban, which begins on Boxing Day.

In the absence of Steven Finn and Mark Wood through injury, the seamers Chris Jordan, the uncapped left-arm fast bowler Mark Footitt and Chris Woakes have been included in the pace bowling group but there is no place for Liam Plunkett.

Samit Patel, a late and unexpected replacement for Zafar Ansari in the squad that went to the UAE, has been retained as cover for Moeen Ali, who is certain to return to No8 in the batting order.

Adil Rashid has been omitted. He played in all three of the Tests in the UAE, and despite taking five wickets in the second Pakistan innings in the first Test in Abu Dhabi has looked an expensive luxury, inconsistent with playing as a single spinner. With England likely to revert to the four-man pace attack – a strategy that helped them regain the Ashes – Rashid has become superfluous.

He is, though, an important part of England’s white-ball plans, and with the World Twenty20 taking place in the spring there is a chance Rashid will be able to go and play in the Australian Big Bash franchise league, which starts in a month’s time. He could play for the Adelaide Strikers, who have yet to fill their overseas quota and will be coached by Jason Gillespie, Rashid’s coach at Yorkshire.

England squad to tour South Africa

A Cook (capt, Essex), M Ali (Worcs), J Anderson (Lancs), J Bairstow (Yorks), G Ballance (Yorks), S Broad (Notts), J Buttler (Lancs), N Compton (Middx), M Footitt (Surrey), A Hales (Notts), C Jordan (Sussex), S Patel (Notts), J Root (Yorks), B Stokes (Durham), J Taylor (Notts), C Woakes (Warks).