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All-rounder Kallis to stand-in for injured captain Smith

27/08/2008

All-rounder Jacques Kallis is expected to stand-in as South Africa captain for the third one-day international due to Graeme Smith's on-going injury battle.

Smith has been trying to play on despite suffering from tennis elbow but has now succumbed to the injury and will miss the third one-day international at the Oval on Friday.

Kallis recently quit as vice captain after he was dropped from the Twenty20 squad, however, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher expects the veteran will step up for the sake of his team.

Boucher said: "I know he gave up the vice captaincy a little while ago because there were a few issues there and there probably still are a few issues.

"But if it's as a stand-in and an emergency I don't think he will say no to helping the team out."

The Proteas currently trail the five-match series 2-0 and are still reeling from their 10-wicket defeat at Trent Bridge on Tuesday when they could only score 83 runs.

However, Boucher said it is still possible for them to win the series and that they must apply themselves in order to change the outcome of the series.

The 31-year-old says the veteran players in the side must show their experience and be an example to the younger players around them.

"There's no reason why we can't change momentum," Boucher insisted. "It's going to take a massive effort from the senior players but it's an opportunity for us to stand up and be counted.

"We have talked about trying to forget what happened at Trent Bridge but you can't. One or two of the senior guys are really going to have to respond now if we are going to have any chance at all in the series."

If England can defeat South Africa 5-0 in the series then they will replace them as the second ranked one-day side in the world according to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) one-day championship.