AB to miss Ireland match

Standard Bank Proteas One-Day International (ODI) captain, AB de Villiers, has been given an extended period of rehabilitation to recover from the left elbow injury he sustained in August.

De Villiers will miss the one-off Momentum ODI against Ireland at Sahara Park Willowmoore in Benoni on Sunday to give the injury more time to recover, and his availability for the series against Australia will be subject to him passing a fitness test.

De Villiers missed the recent 1-0 Sunfoil test series win against New Zealand due to the injury, which was the first time he has missed a test match through injury since his debut in 2004.

Proteas team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee explained the decision. “AB has been on a rigorous rehabilitation and treatment plan for the last six weeks but is still complaining of pain in the elbow region.

“We consulted with a specialist, who advised extensive rehab and injected the elbow with cortisone, however, the CSA medical committee has recommended a few more days of rehab to allow the elbow to improve.

“He will undergo treatment this week with our physiotherapist, Brandon Jackson, and a final call on his availability for the first ODI against Australia will be subject to him passing a fitness test. While surgery remains the last option, we hope that the extra time will allow the injury to respond to treatment.”

Faf du Plessis will captain the team in the one-off match against Ireland, and Rilee Rossouw has been added to the squad as batting cover in De Villiers’ absence. – Cricket SA