Former fast bowler Steve Harmison has implored England to capitalise on a Proteas Test squad lined with six uncapped players.

South Africa will host England for four Tests this month and the next. The first will start in Centurion on Thursday.

Seamers Dane Paterson, Beuran Hendricks, wicketkeeper Rudi Second, batsmen Rassie van der Dussen and Pieter Malan and all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius are the six players uncapped at Test level in the hosts’ squad.

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‘England getting off to a decent start will be the decisive factor. South Africa are in a bit of disarray with six new members in their squad. They have possibly only two or three who will play but have new members coming in and England need to put them under pressure,’ Harmison told talkSPORT.

The home side will go into the series with new head coach Mark Boucher, director of cricket Graeme Smith and batting consultant Jacques Kallis. Smith, Boucher and Kallis are experienced former players. Their coaching credentials, however, are still burgeoning.

‘There’s a new regime in South Africa and there’s been a lot of talk about it, so there will be pressure on the players to perform because of Smith, Boucher and Kallis being involved. Great players, but they are not playing for South Africa but just coaching,’ added Harmison.

‘There could be a little bit of pressure on the players from that point of view.’

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