Staff Reporter.
Glenton Stuurman has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka starting at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Stuurman was expected to make his Proteas debut at Centurion but he was ruled out with a niggle.
It has now been confirmed that he has a qaudricep muscle strain and he was officially released from the South African squad.
He will return to his franchise for rehabilitation.
Meanwhile South Africa’s playing eleven came through intact but coach Mark Boucher acknowledged the challenge of assessing fitness in times of coronavirus. He hinted there could be some rotation in the pace attack.
Just getting 11 players through the second test unscathed will be a major aim and Boucher has sympathy for his opposite number Mickey Arthur.
“It’s very difficult in these times to prepare,” Boucher told reporters. “We haven’t had a lot of cricket – games have been postponed or cancelled.
“We are having to think out of the box continuously to try and get our workloads up in order to bowl 20 overs a day.
“It’s easier for batters to work on their fitness. You can do shuttles. But it’s difficult to bowl 20 overs in your back garden. You have to try to simulate a game situation.”
Fortunately Sri Lanka brought an extended 21-man squad for the tour, so do have replacements on hand if required.
Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara and Dinesh Chandimal are all almost certain to miss Sri Lanka’s second Test against South Africa, due to injury. Dhananjava de Silva had already been confirmed to be out of contention.
The even worse news for Sri Lanka is that of all these players, only Chandimal and Lakmal seem likely to be fit in time to return to the XI for the first Test against England, which begins on January 14.
Chandimal, and fast bowlers Rajitha and Kumara all picked up groin injuries while playing the first match, after de Silva strained a tendon in his left thigh on the first day. Lakmal had tweaked a hamstring in the approach to the first Test and did not play that game. He still hasn’t recovered.
South Africa is currently 1-0 up in the two-match series.