South Africa squad for 1st Test against Pakistan announced

The National Cricket selection panel has named the following squad to play against Pakistan in the 1st Castle Lager/MTN Test match at Kingsmead in Durban from the 26th to the 30th December.

Shaun Pollock - Captain - KwaZulu-Natal
Mark Boucher - Vice-Captain - Border
Nicky Boje - Free State
Boeta Dippenaar - Free State
Steve Elworthy - Northern
Herschelle Gibbs - Western Province
Andrew Hall - Easterns
Mornantau Hayward - Eastern Province
Jacques Kallis - Western Province
Gary Kirsten - Western Province
Neil McKenzie - Northern
Makhaya Ntini - Border
Graeme Smith - Western Province

Coach: Eric Simons
Assistant Coach: Corrie van Zyl
Physiotherapist: Shane Jabbaar
Fitness Trainer: Andrew Gray
Manager Goolam Rajah

The selection panel convener Omar Henry said Mornantau Hayward will undergo a fitness test at training on Tuesday and should he not be fit to play then Steve Elworthy will play.

The squad for the second Test at Newlands as well as the final squad of fifteen for the ICC World Cup 2003 will be announced in Durban at the end of the first Test.

Border paceman Monde Zondeki although selected in the squad has been withdrawn to allow him to play for the Border Bears in two Standard Bank Cup matches this weekend.

The convenor of the national selectors, Omar Henry, explained that while Zondeki had been selected for the national squad, he was unlikely to play in the first Castle Lager/MTN Test match so it had been decided to release him to his province and allow him to use every opportunity to play competitive cricket. The Castle Lager/MTN Test match starts at Kingsmead on Thursday 26 December and the Border Bears have two home fixtures in the Standard Bank Cup - against Easterns on Friday and against North West on Sunday.