Keshav Maharaj out of Pakistan ODIs, doubt for crucial test series

Cape Town: First choice spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of the remaining two One-Day Internationals against Pakistan and is a doubt for the crucial two-test home series against the sub-continent side that starts on December 26.

Maharaj has a left adductor strain and will miss the 50-over fixtures in Cape Town on Thursday and Johannesburg on Sunday, but of much greater concern will be the 34-year-old’s availability for the test series.

South Africa are top of the World Test Championship table and need victory in one of their two remaining matches against Pakistan to guarantee a place at the Lord’s final in June next year.

Should Maharaj be unavailable, the only specialist spinner in the test squad is the less experienced Senuran Muthusamy. Bjorn Fortuin has been named as his replacement for the final two ODIs.