Keshav Maharaj suffered an acute groin strain while warming up for the first of three ODI against Pakistan © Getty
If you see a conversation between players when South Africa's men's team are in the field - regardless of the format, the subject of the conversation and whoever the captain is - expect Keshav Maharaj to be at its centre.
Maharaj has taken 193 Test wickets at 29.67, and he has economy rates of 4.56 and 7.33 in ODIs and T20Is respectively. But he has become far more than the national teams' first-choice spinner.
He is the thinking person's cricketer; always scheming, always talking, always involved, always ready to play.
So when he went down with what management called an "acute groin strain" while warming up for the first of three ODI against Pakistan in Paarl on Tuesday, the nation held its breath.
The ODIs are inconveniently timed and not entirely relevant ODIs. South Africa have a WTC final to reach. Should they win the first Test against the Pakistanis, which starts in Centurion next Thursday, they will book their spot at Lord's in June.
Could they do that without Maharaj?
Maybe they won't have to. On Wednesday, and pending the results of a scan, Maharaj was named in the squad of 16 for the two Tests. Should he not make the grade, Senuran Muthusamy - also a left-arm spinner and a better batter than Maharaj to boot - will be South Africa's only frontline slow bowler.
The squad includes uncapped fast bowlers Corbin Bosch - the son of the late Tertius Bosch, a Test fast bowler himself - and Kwena Maphaka. Wiaan Mulder, who broke his finger during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead last month, is also in the group. Should Mulder be passed fit, Matthew Breetzke will be released from the squad.
South Africa Test squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne.
Schedule:
1st Test: Centurion, December 26 to 30
2nd Test: Newlands, January 3 to 7
If you see a conversation between players when South Africa's men's team are in the field - regardless of the format, the subject of the conversation and whoever the captain is - expect Keshav Maharaj to be at its centre.
Maharaj has taken 193 Test wickets at 29.67, and he has economy rates of 4.56 and 7.33 in ODIs and T20Is respectively. But he has become far more than the national teams' first-choice spinner.
He is the thinking person's cricketer; always scheming, always talking, always involved, always ready to play.
So when he went down with what management called an "acute groin strain" while warming up for the first of three ODI against Pakistan in Paarl on Tuesday, the nation held its breath.
The ODIs are inconveniently timed and not entirely relevant ODIs. South Africa have a WTC final to reach. Should they win the first Test against the Pakistanis, which starts in Centurion next Thursday, they will book their spot at Lord's in June.
Could they do that without Maharaj?
Maybe they won't have to. On Wednesday, and pending the results of a scan, Maharaj was named in the squad of 16 for the two Tests. Should he not make the grade, Senuran Muthusamy - also a left-arm spinner and a better batter than Maharaj to boot - will be South Africa's only frontline slow bowler.
The squad includes uncapped fast bowlers Corbin Bosch - the son of the late Tertius Bosch, a Test fast bowler himself - and Kwena Maphaka. Wiaan Mulder, who broke his finger during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead last month, is also in the group. Should Mulder be passed fit, Matthew Breetzke will be released from the squad.
South Africa Test squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne.
Schedule:
1st Test: Centurion, December 26 to 30
2nd Test: Newlands, January 3 to 7