Danny
29-12-2005, 01:09 PM
Injured when fielding, Ntini cannot bowl without a lot of pain and is likely to miss the SCG Test as well.
Ntini suffers cruel injury
By Toby Forage
Fox Sports editor
December 29, 2005
SOUTH Africa suffered yet another huge blow today with the news strike bowler Makhaya Ntini is out of the remainder of the Test series with a severe knee injury.
Down and out ... Ntini takes a tumble at the MCG yesterday. Pic: Reuters
Video: Symonds gets on a roll
LIVE: Australia v South Africa, second Test
New face: Proteas call in mystery spinner
Ntini will take no further part in the second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after tearing medial ligaments in his left knee, team officials confirmed this morning.
He is also out of next week's Sydney Test after reportedly blowing his knee during a fielding mishap and a major doubt for the limited-overs series.
A team spokesman said the 28-year-old, who bowled his last over on tour yesterday evening, had been able to run this morning, but felt sharp pain when he attempted to land on his front leg while bowling.
He is likely to be replaced by Johan Botha for the Sydney Test, which starts on Monday.
Botha, an off spinner who can bowl the "doosra", which spins away from right-handed batsmen, is just 23 and has no Test experience.
He played four limited-overs internationals, making his debut on last month's tour of India.
The right-arm bowler was due to fly in for the limited-overs series but has been asked by the Proteas selectors to travel early to Australia in order to join the ailing squad.
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"Yes he will be in our one-day squad but he's coming over a little earlier,'' South Africa's chairman of selectors Haroon Lorgat said today in Melbourne.
"He's the young kid on the block and we thought we'd give him a chance.
"He will arrive in the next day or two. We'll look at our options for the next Test."
Characterised by his supreme fitness and dedication to training, Ntini has not been injured since the turn of the century.
His rotten luck now leaves South Africa with seriously depleted bowling stocks.
Andre Nel will likely take the new ball in the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground with Shaun Pollock, but all rounder Jacques Kallis the only other experienced seamer left in the attack.
Charl Langeveldt, dropped for the Boxing Day Test after an ordinary performance in the first Test at the WACA Ground, may also come back into the reckoning, but showed few signs of being a matchwinner in Perth.
Garnett Kruger, a lanky paceman, is another option and could celebrate his birthday on January 5 with a call-up to the New Year Test side.
The right-arm fast bowler, who has been in Australia as part of the original tour squad, has yet to play a Test for South Africa, but has a first class bowling average of 29.37 and 214 wickets at that level.
The 28-year-old toured the West Indies with South Africa A in 2000-2001, claiming six wickets at 16.83.
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Ntini suffers cruel injury
By Toby Forage
Fox Sports editor
December 29, 2005
SOUTH Africa suffered yet another huge blow today with the news strike bowler Makhaya Ntini is out of the remainder of the Test series with a severe knee injury.
Down and out ... Ntini takes a tumble at the MCG yesterday. Pic: Reuters
Video: Symonds gets on a roll
LIVE: Australia v South Africa, second Test
New face: Proteas call in mystery spinner
Ntini will take no further part in the second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after tearing medial ligaments in his left knee, team officials confirmed this morning.
He is also out of next week's Sydney Test after reportedly blowing his knee during a fielding mishap and a major doubt for the limited-overs series.
A team spokesman said the 28-year-old, who bowled his last over on tour yesterday evening, had been able to run this morning, but felt sharp pain when he attempted to land on his front leg while bowling.
He is likely to be replaced by Johan Botha for the Sydney Test, which starts on Monday.
Botha, an off spinner who can bowl the "doosra", which spins away from right-handed batsmen, is just 23 and has no Test experience.
He played four limited-overs internationals, making his debut on last month's tour of India.
The right-arm bowler was due to fly in for the limited-overs series but has been asked by the Proteas selectors to travel early to Australia in order to join the ailing squad.
Advertisement:
"Yes he will be in our one-day squad but he's coming over a little earlier,'' South Africa's chairman of selectors Haroon Lorgat said today in Melbourne.
"He's the young kid on the block and we thought we'd give him a chance.
"He will arrive in the next day or two. We'll look at our options for the next Test."
Characterised by his supreme fitness and dedication to training, Ntini has not been injured since the turn of the century.
His rotten luck now leaves South Africa with seriously depleted bowling stocks.
Andre Nel will likely take the new ball in the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground with Shaun Pollock, but all rounder Jacques Kallis the only other experienced seamer left in the attack.
Charl Langeveldt, dropped for the Boxing Day Test after an ordinary performance in the first Test at the WACA Ground, may also come back into the reckoning, but showed few signs of being a matchwinner in Perth.
Garnett Kruger, a lanky paceman, is another option and could celebrate his birthday on January 5 with a call-up to the New Year Test side.
The right-arm fast bowler, who has been in Australia as part of the original tour squad, has yet to play a Test for South Africa, but has a first class bowling average of 29.37 and 214 wickets at that level.
The 28-year-old toured the West Indies with South Africa A in 2000-2001, claiming six wickets at 16.83.
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