JOHANNESBURG: Test opening batsman Alviro Petersen will replace Graeme Smith in South Africa’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales next month.
Petersen, 32, has not appeared in a one-day international since January 2012 but Andrew Hudson, convener of the South African selectors, said he was a “like-for-like” replacement for his Test opening partner, Smith, who withdrew last week in order to have surgery on his left ankle.
Primarily regarded as a Test specialist, Petersen has played in only 17 one-day internationals, scoring 437 runs at an average of 31.21 with four half-centuries.
But Hudson said Petersen was currently in good form for English county Somerset.
Revised squad: AB de Villiers (capt, wkt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.AFP
