Petersen Replaces Smith In Champions Trophy Squad

Tuesday 14 May 2013

©REUTERS / Action Images

South Africa have replaced injured former captain Graeme Smith with Alviro Petersen in their ICC Champions Trophy 2013 squad.

Smith was ruled out of the tournament with a recurrence of the ankle injury which has troubled him over the last 18 months and Petersen, his opening partner in Test cricket, takes his place in the squad.

Petersen, who has played 17 One-Day Internationals, scoring 437 runs at 31.21, adds considerable experience of international cricket to a relatively young squad, now missing both Smith and Jacques Kallis.

"We have decided on a like-for-like replacement, and Alviro is the obvious choice in this regard," Cricket South Africa (CSA) Selection Convener Andrew Hudson said.

"He is a specialist opening batsman and also brings some very useful experience on board following the loss of both Smith and Jacques Kallis.

"In addition he is in the form of his life, having made almost 500 runs in three England County Championship Division One matches for Somerset, including two centuries, at an average in the high 80s.

"With the tournament being played early in the England summer we envisage that bowling conditions will favour the seamers and getting good partnerships going up front is going to be paramount to success. He handled these conditions extremely well during our Test tour to England last year."

Petersen's last ODI came against Sri Lanka last year but having captained Glamorgan in 2011, played for Essex in 2012 and been in good form for Somerset, his experience of English conditions will also serve both him, and South Africa well as they bid to repeat their Trophy success of 1998.

They take on India in the opening game on 6th June, Pakistan four days later and finish their group games against West Indies on 14th June.

The top two sides in each group progress to the semi-finals and the final is at Edgbaston on 23rd June.