Dwaine Pretorius expressed his delight at being called up to the Proteas squad after the injury of Dale Steyn.

The 27-year-old all-rounder proclaimed that he almost fainted when he received the call from Linda Zondi.

‘I nearly fainted when I saw Linda Zondi’s name on my phone,’ Pretorius told Sport24 on Tuesday.

‘You always have that hope in the back of your mind that you might get the call but I honestly thought they might not take anyone over and just back the squad they have there.

‘We were in Potch (the Lions were playing the Titans) and my wife and I just went out for supper. My phone was lying on the table and it started ringing. I paused for about a minute before I answered. It was very nerve-wracking.’

Pretorius said back in September ahead of his ODI call-up that his batting at domestic level was something he needed to improve significantly if he wanted to put his hand up for the Proteas, and in the Sunfoil Series this season he managed to score four fifties for his side while still keeping his wicket tally at a decent level.

‘I’ve taken that on and told myself to have solid game-plans. I’m not just attacking the bowlers but I have a clear game-plans of how I want to approach my innings,’ Pretorius said.

‘I’m fortunate that at the moment I’m in good form. I’ve been working hard and hopefully the good form can continue.’

With Morne Morkel and Kyle Abbott the forerunners to replace the injured Dale Steyn, it is highly likely that Pretorius will not play in Australia. Despite this, Pretorius remains proud of his promotion to the Test squad.

‘At the end of the day as a player, you can’t do anything about selection. You can only do your best and have a good attitude about the whole thing,’ Pretorius said.

‘Just to be a part of that whole environment will be great. If I play it will be great and if I don’t play then I’m still there experiencing what the other guys are experiencing and I’ll just try and contribute to the team wherever I can.’

It is a tour that, for Pretorius, is the ultimate in cricket.

‘I actually spoke to my dad-in-law yesterday and I told him that this is probably as big as it gets, apart from maybe World Cups,’ he said.

‘As far as Test cricket is concerned I think it’s probably the biggest tour to go on. I think it’s massive. It’s a dream that I’m going to be a part of it.

‘I’m just looking forward to seeing what it’s all about. I can’t explain to you how excited I am.’