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Proteas sweating on Kallis' fitness
Cricket, 11:56, December 11, 2009 ,
South Africa batsman Jacques Kallis has been using an oxygen chamber to try and regain fitness for the first Test with England.
The 34-year-old missed the entire one-day series with England after fracturing a rib and has been undergoing rehab to try and prove his fitness for the opening Test of the four-match series, which begins in Centurion next Wednesday.
Kallis is widely regarded as the best all-rounder in world cricket, having scored more than 10,000 Test runs at an average of 54.66 and snaring 258 wickets at 31.08.
The Proteas were favourites to win the series but, following England's victory in the one-day series and Kallis' possible absence, Andrew Strauss' men will be confident of causing an upset.
South African coach Mickey Arthur has lifted the lid on Kallis' chances of making the starting line-up next week and admitted that it is by no means a certainty that he will play any part in the opener.
"We certainly haven't ruled him out of bowling during the series and we are still working hard with him ahead of the First Test," he said.
"He has been using an oxygen chamber to try and speed the recovery and is doing extensive rehab every day.
"At the moment the best-case scenario is that he bats and bowls at Centurion which is probably 50-50. The next best is that he just bats which is probably around 60-40 and the worst case scenario is that he is only fit for Durban.
"Our priority was the Test series which is why he was pulled from the one-dayers so he didn't do further damage. We will have a far better idea of where we stand on Sunday."