Injuries Affect Both Sides Ahead Of Fourth ODI

Injuries Affect Both Sides Ahead Of Fourth ODI

Sohail Tanvir will bolster the Pakistan squad for the fourth match at Kingsmead.

©REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte. Picture Supplied by Action Images

Both South Africa and Pakistan have injury concerns ahead of the crucial fourth One-Day International in Durban on Thursday. Faf du Plessis has been ruled out for the remainder of the series with a back injury, while Pakistan have called up Sohail Tanvir as cover for Mohammad Irfan and Umar Gul.

Du Plessis first made public the discomfort in his back following the conclusion of the Twenty20 series and said at the time that it was preventing him from bowling his leg-spin. However, a worsening of his condition has meant that he has been ruled out altogether and will also miss the first four weeks of the IPL.

"Faf has been troubled by low back pain over the past while," Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa's team manager, said. "He was recently diagnosed with bony inflammation in the lumbar spine. His symptoms have worsened over the past two weeks to the extent that it has become necessary to withdraw him immediately in order to allow for rest and rehabilitation as well as a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to further facilitate healing."

Du Plessis has been replaced in South Africa’s squad by Quinton de Kock, although his place in the eleven could yet go to David Miller who is also in the 15-strong party. De Kock opened and kept wicket for South Africa in AB de Villiers’ absence during the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in January but enjoyed little success and was left out for the series against Pakistan.

Umar Gul missed the third match on Sunday with a knee injury and is a doubt for Pakistan, while Mohammad Irfan left the field during that match due to a stomach bug. Sohail Tanvir is on standby should either of them fail to recover. He is currently in South Africa in any case playing for the Highveld Lions in their domestic T20 tournament.

South Africa squad: AB de Villiers (captain), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Pakistan squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Imran Farhat, Asad Shafiq, Younus Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.

© Cricket World 2013