Hashim Amla to miss the Second test against Pakistan in Dubai. PHOTO:AFP/FILE
Amla, who last week retained his place at the top of the individual test batting rankings, played in last week's first test in Abu Dhabi but flew home on Friday for the impending birth.
Team officials had hoped the baby would arrive over the weekend to allow Amla, who scored a century in the first innings, to rejoin his team mates in the United Arab Emirates for the second test, which starts on Wednesday.
"Hashim's wife hasn't given birth yet, so he won't be playing in tomorrow's test," South African team manager Mohamed Moosajee said.
Steyn faces a late test of his fitness after a hamstring scare in the nets on Monday."Dale sustained what was initially thought to be a right hamstring strain but fortunately the MRI scan revealed that there was no major pathology so we are treating it as tightness," Moosajee added in a statement.
"He will undergo a fitness test. The challenge with a tight hamstring is the fear of aggravating it. It could easily become a strain or progress into a tear, so we will be managing it carefully."
South Africa are likely to replace Amla with left-hander Dean Elgar and have Rory Kleinveldt on standby should Steyn fail the test.
Pakistan lead the two-match series after a seven-wicket win last week.
COMMENTS (5)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Don't forget about Vernon Philander. He found his grove in the second innings and was moving the ball with good control picking up two wickets in a short time. Pakistan has to stay focus and play SA with utmost respect as they are still a very formidable team.
Pakistán is the most un predictable team in the world., beside, complacent has also been its most vulnerable point....if Pakistán team wants to retain its superiority in cricket, it has to improve its fielding......this is the only area which compensates weakness in batting and bowling.....this is how other cricket teams has worked...why we do not try to improve in this sector, although we seem to have realized but yet to improve..why ?
Awesome. I would play the following team:
Shan Masood Khurram Manzoor Umar Amin Younis Khan Misbah Ul Haq Asad Shafiq Adnan Akmal Saeed Ajmal Junaid Khan Zulfiqar Babar Mohammad Irfan
I would drop Azhar and bring in Umar Amin, as he also adds another option to bowl medium pace and is a talented young left handed batsman. Azhar Ali will scratch around and be out caught behind once again.
I think that's a big loss for S.Africa and certainly a gain for Pakistan. If Dale Steyn is declared unfit then Pakistan would hold the edge for sure. But at the end of the day, S.Africa still has match winners like G.Smith, Kallis and De Villiers. Therefore, Pakistan must approach this test aggressively and positively.
Ali Khan
Thank Allah for little mercy....