Dippenaar to partner Smith against Pakistan
Boeta Dippenaar will resume his opening partnership with Graeme Smith in Friday's deciding Test match at Newlands, regardless of the outcome of the appeal of Herschelle Gibbs against his two-Test ban.
The hearing was conducted Wednesday morning and the finding of code of conduct commissioner Richie Benaud is expected to be announced on Thursday.
"Boeta will definitely open the batting," said Proteas coach Mickey Arthur on Wednesday.
"If Herschelle is not available to play, then we will consider AB de Villiers for the No 6 position. Otherwise AB will take a break altogether.
"We have got to get his (AB's) confidence back as he will have a key role to play at the World Cup."
The change of the top order has imminent after South Africa's disastrous first innings at Port Elizabeth.
"It was a sloppy batting performance and we were soft in the way we gave our wickets away," said Arthur.
"That is what it came down to. When you get out for 124, you are under pressure for the rest of the game. Something cracks.
"I was very proud with the way we fought from halfway into day one and we did well to give ourselves even a little bit of a sniff. But in the end the pressure told."
Arthur admitted that the uncertainty over Gibbs had not helped the top order in their preparation for this Test match. "It always does disrupt things," he said. "Herschelle is finding some very good form now and he has slotted in very nicely at the No 6 position.
"He has given us quite a lot of depth. Obviously we have a plan B and we will switch to that if necessary once we know the final outcome tomorrow (today)."
As far as the rest of the team selection is concerned, Arthur is leaving the final call until the last minute as far as it affects Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini.
"They are tired, but we have got them down here and that will be tomorrow's problem.
"I will make a call after training. I am just loathe to go into a game without both Ntini and Pollock.
"I can go in with one and not the other and rest the one but to lose both of them you are losing a huge amount of experience in such a crucial game. "But I guess that is the gamble we took and it did not pan out. So now we have to make some decisions.
"Hall covers Pollock and Kallis, he covers the all-rounder positions. Morkel covers the strike bowling position and, of course, Dale Steyn is fit.
"He will take the place of Andre Nel. André struggles in back-to-back Test matches because he is so big and he has had a slight recurrence of that bruising on the foot again."
Arthur also revealed that Jacques Rudolph, who announced his signing of a three-contract for Yorkshire as a Kolpak player on Tuesday, had been available for this weekend's Test match on a one-off basis.
"Jacques was available for this Test match but we decided that there was no point in his being available for one Test and then not being available again.
"We are trying to build this Test team for 2008 (when they tour both England and Australia). It is pointless having a guy available for one Test match and then we don't see him again for the next three years.
"It is always disappointing to lose a guy like Jacques although he is not out of the system (he will still play domestic cricket for the Diamond Eagles as a foreigner).
"His decision was totally honest which is something that I really admire," said Arthur. "His decision is not turning his back on South African cricket or burning any bridges.
"He hasn't done that. His decision is purely a financial one. He is looking to start a young family and he needs financial security which obviously a national contract alone doesn't give him.
"Three years at Yorkshire gives him a nice little nest egg and his decision is totally understandable."
As expected, replacement Pakistan fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed will only arrive in time to be considered for the limited overs series.
That means they will have to choose between Rana Naved-ul-Hassan and Shahid Nazir to decide who will be the back-up seamer for Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sami.