KARACHI, Oct 1: South Africans on Monday officially appointed batsman Ashwell Prince as vice-captain to Graeme Smith for the two Tests while Justin Kemp has been named as Smith’s deputy for the One-day Internationals.

Prince takes over the job held previously by Jacques Kallis who quit the post in protest at being left out of the Proteas’ World Twenty20 squad. He will continue for the rest of the 2007-08 season during which South Africa will also host New Zealand and the West Indies and will tour Bangladesh and India.

“Prince will be the Test vice-captain for this tour and the rest of the season’s Tests,” the touring team’s media manager Michael-Owen Smith told reporters.

Prince’s appointment ended speculation the day South Africa announced their squad for Pakistan Tests. The 30-year-old left-handed Prince led South Africa in a two-Test series in Sri Lanka last year while Smith was recuperating from an ankle surgery. Sri Lanka won 2-0 on that occasion.