The final stage of the tour begins by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	GC Smith, MG Johnson
Event:	Australia in South Africa 2008/09

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DateLine: 2nd April 2009

 

South Africa took the top ODI spot thanks to their 4-1 victory in Australia in January but to retain their new status they need to stop Australia winning this five-game series. They will feel quietly confident with their star batsmen Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis set to return from injuries that kept them out of the two Twenty20 matches, which South Africa won in any case. The hosts have no more cricket on the agenda until the World Twenty20 in England in June, so this will be the last opportunity for a few players to put their names forward for that tournament. Australia will head straight from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates for a limited-overs series against Pakistan.

 

Graeme Smith hasn't been part of the South African side for any of the Twenty20s or one-day internationals against Australia up until now. A broken left hand kept him out of the matches in Australia and an almost identical fracture in his right hand stopped him playing the third Test and two Twenty20s in South Africa. After his side conceded the Tests at home Smith will be desperate to finish the summer on a high. Smith and Kallis, who has been out with a groin injury, should both be available to bolster the South African top order after missing the Twenty20s, while Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini have also been added. Yusuf Abdulla, Robin Peterson, Justin Ontong and Johann Louw were the Twenty20 squad members overlooked for the first two ODIs.

 

Mitchell Johnson was responsible for both of the breaks to Smith's hands and he will be keen to take the new ball and have a few more cracks at the South African captain before leaving the country. Australia's star in the Test series, Johnson has much to offer with bat and ball in the shorter format as well. For Australia, Shane Harwood and David Warner have both headed home after the Twenty20s while Marcus North and Ben Laughlin will be aiming to make their ODI debuts at some point through the series. It is strange that there was no place for Phillip Hughes in the limited-overs squad after his brilliant and aggressive arrival on the Test scene and instead Australia will likely rely on makeshift openers Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin.

 

South Africa squad : Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, JP Duminy, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Roelof van der Merwe, Mark Boucher (wk), Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell.

 

Australia squad : Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Callum Ferguson, Marcus North, James Hopes, Cameron White, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Brett Geeves, Nathan Bracken, Ben Laughlin.