THE Proteas will be without the services of speedster Dale Steyn for the upcoming ODI series against England.
But after the successful combination of Morne Morkel and youngster Kagiso Rabada, the team will feel at ease whilst waiting for Steyn to recover from his shoulder injury that happened in the first Test in Durban at the beginning of January.
According to Cricinfo, Steyn will play no part in any of the five 50-over matches that get underway next Wednesday (3 February).
The site also suggested that a call on Steyn’s availability for the two T20s would be made at a later stage.
Vernon Philander is also set to miss the ODI series as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, while the extent of Kyle Abbott’s latest hamstring strain is also not known in full, but is enough to rule him out of the first ODI.
But with Kagiso Rabada taking 13 wickets in the last test match, one will hope that he can carry his form into the ODI format of the game.
The Proteas coaching staff will have to monitor the youngster and not over work him if they want him to play in all five games, by including other strike bowlers to lighten his load.
ODI squad for England series
AB de Villiers (Titans, captain), Kyle Abbott (Dolphins), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (Titans), Quinton de Kock (Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (Titans), Imran Tahir (Dolphins), David Miller (Dolphins), Morne Morkel (Titans), Chris Morris (Titans), Kagiso Rabada (Highveld Lions) and Rilee Rossouw (Knights).
Fixtures for ODI series
• Wednesday 3 February – South Africa vs England in Bloemfontein at 1:30pm.
• Saturday 6 February – South Africa vs England in Port Elizabeth at 10am.
