South Africa’s injury woes deepened as pacer Ottneil Baartman was ruled out of the third and final ODI against Pakistan due to a right knee injury. The 31-year-old, who took two wickets in the series opener, reported discomfort during the warm-up ahead of the second ODI in Cape Town and was subsequently left out of the playing XI.
Ottneil Baartman’s absence will be filled by 30-year-old all-rounder Corbin Bosch, who has been called up to the squad.
The Proteas are already without spinner Keshav Maharaj, who was ruled out of the entire series with a left abductor strain. Add all the injuries to their pacers, and these setbacks have left South Africa’s bowling attack stretched as they attempt to avoid a clean sweep in the ODI series.
After losing the preceding T20I series 2-0, Pakistan roared back in the ODIs with two commanding victories. They edged out South Africa by three wickets in the first match in Paarl, followed by a convincing 81-run win in the second game.
With the series already decided, the final ODI in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 22, offers South Africa a chance to regain momentum ahead of future assignments. For Pakistan, it’s an opportunity to seal a 3-0 series triumph and further bolster their confidence ahead of the Champions Trophy.
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