England face several selection problems ahead of the first Twenty20 international against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday.
There are injury concerns about no fewer than four of the touring team’s bowlers, while a poor batting performance in a warm-up game against South Africa A raised doubts about the batsmen earmarked for the 20-overs clash.
Star batsman Kevin Pietersen joined up with the squad on Wednesday after recovering from heel surgery and there may be a temptation to rush him into action, although it was expected originally that he would only be considered for the five-match one-day international series which starts on Friday week.
There may also be a discussion about tour captain Andrew Strauss, the team’s most impressive batsman on tour so far, after the team slumped to 89 all out in his absence on the way to a four-wicket defeat against South Africa A in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
Strauss, who hit 72 against the Eagles and 117 not out against the Warriors in 50-overs matches, is not due to play in the shortest form of the game.
”He has made the decision that he does not want to play Twenty20 cricket and it is pretty much as simple as that,” said England Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood.
”It is also nice for him to have a break from captaincy. If we are down to our bare bones he may have to play but there is hardly any chance of that.”
Collingwood also said it was unlikely Pietersen would be rushed into an early return to action ahead of a 50-overs match against South Africa A in Potchefstroom on Tuesday.
”I would not say that is set in stone but it is highly unlikely that Kevin will play in the Twenty20s,” he said.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad is unlikely to play in the Twenty20 games because of a shoulder injury but England are hoping that fellow bowlers Graham Onions (back), James Anderson (knee) and Graeme Swann (thigh) will be fit for selection.
England will be up against a South African team that played impressively in beating Zimbabwe by 212 runs in the second and final one-day international in Centurion on Tuesday.
South African captain Graeme Smith said he expected England to be strong opponents. ”We know that there’s a stiffer challenge in the summer and our focus now turns to that,” he said.
The teams meet in two Twenty20 matches, with the second in Centurion on Sunday, followed by five one-day internationals and four Test matches.
Smith said he did not read much into England’s defeat on Tuesday.
”It’s fantastic that the South Africa A side has played well and beaten England but we know from touring that it’s the real international matches that really count,” he said. — AFP
