CENTURION, Jan 25: South Africa announced six changes on Tuesday to their one-day squad to play against England in a seven-match series starting in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Five players were dropped from the squad that lost all five matches in Sri Lanka last year and then failed to advance beyond the group stage in the ICC Champions Trophy in England last September.
Axed were Martin van Jaarsveld, Lance Klusener, JP Duminy, Alan Dawson and Robin Peterson. Six players were brought into a 15-man party for the first four matches. The only uncapped player is AB de Villiers, the 20-year-old batsman who made 92 and 109 in the fifth Test which ended at Centurion on Tuesday.
Recalled were Adam Bacher, Andrew Hall, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp and Andre Nel. Bacher, 31, an opening batsman and medium-pace bowler, last played for South Africa in 1997/98.
SOUTH AFRICA SQUAD: Graeme Smith (captain), Nicky Boje (vice-captain), Adam Bacher, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph. De Villiers and Bacher were also named in a South Africa A team to play against England in Kimberley Thursday.
SOUTH AFRICA A: Boeta Dippenaar (captain), AB de Villiers, Morne van Wyk, Adam Bacher, Justin Ontong, JP Duminy, Albie Morkel, Johan van der Wath, Alfonso Thomas, Garnett Kruger, Ethy Mbhlati, Loots Bosman (12th man).
FLINTOFF PULLS OUT
England all rounder Andrew Flintoff has been withdrawn from the one-day international series against South Africa to undergo surgery on a long-standing ankle injury.
The England and Wales Cricket Board replaced him with seamer Matthew Hoggard on Tuesday for the seven-match one-day series starting on Sunday. Flintoff has been plagued by a bone spur in his left ankle for a couple of seasons. He has received cortisone injections to alleviate the problem. -Reuters
