Proteas dealt another blow as Ngidi forced out of Australian ODIs

The Proteas were dealt another blow on Friday with Lungi Ngidi forced to withdraw from the squad for the ODI series against Australia because of a hamstring injury.

Ngidi picked up the injury while playing for the Titans in the First Class series last week. He pulled up in the middle of an over, clutching his right hamstring. The ailment didn’t appear serious at the time as he returned to the field, but after conducting scans on Wednesday, the Proteas management decided to withdraw him from the ODI squad so that he could begin a rehabilitation programme.

Ngidi’s place in the squad will be taken by 20-year-old Nqobani Mokoena, who made his ODI debut against Namibia last week and played two matches in that series in Windhoek.

The Proteas management said on Friday Ngidi’s availability for the three-match Test series against the Australians that starts in Durban on October 9 will be assessed in the week before the first Test.

South Africa is already sweating on the fitness of the attack’s spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who also damaged his hamstring, while training in preparation for the season. Cricket South Africa dismissed initial concerns that he would miss the Tests, saying he was still undergoing rehabilitation. Rabada posted a video to Instagram this week of him bowling off a short run in-doors, but he was not close to top speed.

Last Sunday Ottneil Baartman was also forced to withdraw from the ODI squad after picking up an injury to his left hamstring while playing for the Dolphins against Ngidi and the Titans.

It leaves Marco Jansen as the only frontline member of the Proteas attack. Besides Mokoena, Kwena Maphaka, Gerald Coetzee and even Marco’s twin brother Duan, picked to replace Baartman, will all be wanting to make an impression during the ODIs, with an eye on cracking a call-up to the Test squad.

The ODI squad is convening in Durban on Saturday. The first ODI takes place at Kingsmead on Thursday.