Faf du Plessis-may not be fit for Boxing Day Test. (Source: AP)
South Africa may have to play the first ever four-day Test against Zimbabwe without captain Faf du Plessis as he continues to recover from a shoulder surgery. Initially, Du Plessis had suffered a lower back injury during the One-Day International series against Bangladesh and that ruled him out for six weeks. But the South Africa captain opted to have shoulder surgery in that period as he had been struggling with it for a long time.
Cricket South Africa medical committee head Dr Shuaib Manjra on Monday said that Du Plessis’s had a shoulder surgery which needs more time to heal but he can still be ready for the day-night Test against Zimbabwe but it is “touch and go.”
“Faf is looking touch and go. He’s been included in a bigger squad for the Zimbabwe Test but we’ll have to make a decision closer to the time as to whether he will play,” Dr Manjra was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. “The medical committee will make a decision along with the convenor of selectors. We’ll have a broader discussion around it, but the medical committee will make a final decision. He’s expected to be okay for the India series – we still have about three weeks before the first Test. But we would like to get a game under his belt before that.”
South Africa have a long home season coming up which includes tours from Zimbabwe, India and Australia. The three tours will see a total of eight Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is. Du Plessis missed the domestic T20 Ram Slam but is expected to be fit for the tours.
The selectors will confirm the South Africa squad for the Boxing Day Test against Zimbabwe next week. AB de Villiers, who is back in Test contention after a gap of two years, is expected to be back in the team which leaves the selectors in a spot where they have to balance the squad with batsmen who have been performing well in the recent past and also include De Villiers.
The same stiuation could arise in the bowling department where Morne Morkel is ready to be part of the team after signalling his availability by playing a three-day game in which he took 7 for 43 as Easterns beat Eastern Province by an innings. Dale Steyn would also be in contention if he plays and proves his fitness in the match between SA Invitational XI in Zimbabwe’s three-day warm-up game in Paarl. Vernon Philander is back to full fitness as well and only doubtful candidate is all-rounder Chris Morris who suffered a minor groin strain in the Ram Slam final.
“We’re hoping that our ‘A team’ will be ready for the first Test against India,” said Dr Manjra. “Dale and Morne are looking very good, Vernon has been playing consistently, Chris is a bit of a worry, but everybody else is fine.”
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