Nel set to miss rest of ODI series

Andrew Hall may get his first start of the series when South Africa take on Pakistan in the third one-day International at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

"We will definitely have to make one change," said coach Mickey Arthur in the wake of Wednesday's heavy defeat at Kingsmead that left the series tied at 1-1 with three matches left.

"André Nel had an accident with a cooldrink bottle he took out of the dressing-room fridge after his innings (in Durban). The outcome is that he has stitches in his foot that will have to stay there for a week. He is a definite non-starter for today and Sunday (the fourth match at Newlands), and I can't see him being ready for (the final match at) the Wanderers next Wednesday either."

Arthur added that the final choice for Friday's match would depend on the condition of the pitch, with either Hall or left-arm spinner Robin Peterson coming into the team. "We generally play a spinner at Port Elizabeth, but it is a night game in which seamers (usually) come more into the picture. The possibility of some bad weather will have to come into our thinking as well."

Whichever way the choice goes, Arthur and his fellow strategists will have to manage their bowling attack carefully. This is the second of three matches within five days. "It is going to be pretty hectic for everybody," the coach said. "Not that we are not used to it at this stage of the season!"

Arthur did not mince his words when it came to his team's performance at Kingsmead. "It just wasn't good enough. We bowled badly up front and we just went from bad to worse. There can be no excuses, everybody must heed the wake-up call."

The South Africans have now made life hard for themselves. Had they gone 2-0 up on Wednesday, then they could have looked to rotating some of their squad members. Instead they have to start the series afresh.

What is clear is that the momentum is with the Pakistanis. The Proteas should have been well aware that their visitors are capable of playing like the worst team in the world one day and then like the best barely 24 hours later. And the more they suffer humiliations like at the Wanderers and Centurion last weekend, the more dangerous they become.

They certainly can't improve on the batting line-up they put in the field on Wednesday, but they will have to give some thought to replacing new-ball bowler Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan. He has been as unconvincing in the one-day series to date as he was in the Test series that preceded it.

A lot will depend on the fitness of possible replacements as Pakistan have had bowlers flying in and out of South Africa at a bewildering rate. Iftikhar Anjum, a wicket-to-wicket seam bowler, is the latest to arrive, and he could be thrown into the fray as quickly as happened with Azhar Mahmood on Wednesday.

Squads:

South Africa:

Graeme Smith (capt), AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Justin Kemp, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Robin Peterson, Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini.

Pakistan:

Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sami, Iftikhar Anjum, Yasir Hameed, Zulqarnain Haider.

Match officials: Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa), Steve Bucknor (West Indies). Match referee: Chris Broad (England).

Start of play: 2.30pm.

TV: SABC3/SS2/SS7.