CAPE TOWN: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis is expected to be fit for the inaugural four-day Test against Zimbabwe in late December, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Tuesday.

Du Plessis will sit out the next six weeks with a lower back injury sustained while batting against Bangladesh in the third ODI on Sunday, but should be ready for the historic Boxing Day Test against Zimbabwe.

Faf consulted with our team of specialists in Cape Town on Monday. Further investigations and assessment have confirmed an acute lumbar disc injury, South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said in a statement.

He will require a period of rest and rehabilitation for the next six weeks. We anticipate him to be ready for the Test match against Zimbabwe in December.

Du Plessis will miss the two-match T20 International series with Bangladesh starting on Thursday. J.P. Duminy will captain the side in his absence.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2017