• Late change to Proteas squad

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    Dolphins seamer Ottniel Baartman has been ruled out of the Proteas Test squad to tour Pakistan and replaced by the Warriors’ Marco Jansen.

    Cricket South Africa described the reason for Baartman’s omission as ‘due to medical reasons of a separate nature’.

    Jansen, the No 2-ranked bowler of this season’s CSA 4-Day Franchise Series, has taken 21 wickets at an average of 20.71.

    Meanwhile, coach Mark Boucher explained that the logistical nightmare of having to get players in and out of isolation post the Pakistan tour (a mandatory 10-day period after they land), could force them to field a slightly weakened T20 unit against Pakistan.

    The schedule for the Australia series will commence on 18 February, which is four days after the Proteas arrive back from Pakistan. This means the Test squad, or the bulk thereof, along with Boucher and other key members of the management team, could return home after the Test series against Pakistan, which concludes on 8 February.

    ‘It won’t be our strongest team because the emphasis is on Test cricket against Australia, rightly so. It might be a watered-down T20 team,’ said Boucher. ‘And that’s not a bad thing. At the start of the season, I alluded to the fact that we are going to have to use a lot of players. This is an opportunity for guys to put their hands up.

    ‘We haven’t played a lot of cricket, there haven’t been a lot of A tours and even though it’s not ideal to throw guys into the deep end and make them play international cricket when they are maybe not ready, there are not many other choices at the moment. Some will be pushed into the deep end and we will see how they respond.’

    Proteas squad to tour Pakistan

    Quinton de Kock (c), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Daryn Dupavillon, Marco Jansen (Warriors).

    Tour schedule

    26-30 January – 1st Test, Karachi

    4-8 February – 2nd Test, Rawalpindi

    11 February – 1st T20I, Lahore

    13 February – 2nd T20I, Lahore

    14 February – 3rd T20I, Lahore

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    Ryan Vrede