DURBAN, Jan 31: South Africa have named a 15-man squad, including seven black players, for their home one-day series against Pakistan starting on Sunday. Cricket South Africa (CSA) has set a target of seven black players for the World Cup which starts in March.

“We are confident in our one-day squad and have therefore retained the players that have performed for us over the past two seasons,” a CSA release quoted selection convenor Haroon Lorgat as saying on Tuesday.

The South African board selected 14 black players in the provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup.

The squad to play Pakistan includes suspended batsman Herschelle Gibbs, who will miss Friday's Twenty20 match in Johannesburg and the first game of the five-match one-day series in Centurion on Sunday.

Gibbs was banned for verbally abusing Pakistani supporters during the first Test in Centurion.

The casualties from the squad that beat Pakistan 2-1 in the Test series are batsman Jacques Rudolph, spinners Paul Adams and Paul Harris and fast bowlers Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn.

Rudolph ruled himself out by signing a Kolpak contract to play for English county Yorkshire.

Thirteen of the players, including five black cricketers, were generally regarded as automatic choices. The remaining two places went to Loots Bosman and Roger Telemachus.

Lorgat said the final 15-man squad for the World Cup in the West Indies would be announced on Feb 15, the day after the Pakistan series ends.

But South African coach Mickey Arthur has said he wants to use the Pakistan series, South Africa's last before the World Cup, as a dress rehearsal. Changes therefore are unlikely before the final squad is named.

Bosman, 29, a hard-hitting opening batsman, and seam bowler Telemachus, 33, could both be regarded as marginal choices.

Bosman, who has played in seven One-day Internationals with modest success, was picked as an extra batsman ahead of the experienced Boeta Dippenaar, who was Man-of-the-Series when South Africa won the one-day series against the West Indies in the Caribbean two seasons ago, form player Morne van Wyk and fellow black players Alviro Petersen and J-P Duminy.

Telemachus, 33, is renowned as a tough competitor. He has played in 37 One-day Internationals and gained the extra bowler's position ahead of in-form fellow black player Alfonso Thomas and white bowlers Dale Steyn and Johan van der Wath.

Thomas and Van Wyk were both included in a 12-man squad for a Twenty20 international in Johannesburg Friday, ahead of the one-day series.

All-rounders Jacques Kallis and Andrew Hall, wicket-keeper Mark Boucher and fast bowlers Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel and Langeveldt will be rested for the Twenty20 match.

Batsman Gulam Bodi and fast bowler Alfonso Thomas are uncapped at senior international level.

Squads: