Opening batsman Aiden Markram will miss the rest of South Africa's Test series against England due to a finger injury.
Markram sustained during the Test series opener at SuperSport Park in Centurion, where he scored 20 and two. He will likely be replaced by the uncapped Pieter Malan for the second Test, which will be played at Newlands in Cape Town.
Malan has been in fine form for the Cape Cobras at franchise level and Western Province in provincial cricket. His call-up to the Test XI has been a while coming and he will likely be well placed to be the top run-scorer, in the South African first innings at least, when the individual markets open for the second Test at Newlands.
“It's obviously a goal of mine, to play Test cricket for the Proteas, yes, as it should be for any cricket player, but I don't focus on it too much,” he told SA Cricket magazine.
“I'm definitely not preoccupied by one day perhaps playing for the Proteas. I just want to keep putting in good performances and hopefully get rewarded along the way. Anywhere I play, I just try do as well as I can and what's supposed to happen will hopefully happen.”
Bet365 have the Proteas backed at 2.10 to win the Test series, while England are tipped at 3.00. Given the even number of Tests in series, a series draw is a good pick at 4.00.
What was said about Markram
“Aiden sustained a fracture affecting the distal joint of his left ring finger. After consulting with a number of hand specialists yesterday we arrived at a decision that the best outcome would be achieved through surgical reduction and fixation,” said Cricket South Africa chief medical officer Dr Shuaib Manjra.
“This would mean him unfortunately missing the rest of the series against England. We feel for Aiden who worked extremely hard to come through his previous hand fracture sustained in India to be Test-match ready.”
The 25-year-old Markram is a graduate of South Africa Under-19, who are incidentally currently involved in a limited-overs series against India Under-19.
The South Africans have already lost the first two matches, so have conceded the three-match Under-19 series.
