Maphaka withdrawal leaves South Africa four quicks short for the Kingsmead opener

South Africa open their home one-day season at Kingsmead without four of their frontline fast bowlers after Kwena Maphaka was withdrawn on the eve of the first ODI against Australia

The first of three one-day internationals begins in Durban on Thursday, with Temba Bavuma leading a home attack stripped of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman and Maphaka, all four sidelined by hamstring trouble.

Australia have made their own adjustments. Mitchell Marsh captains in Durban in place of Pat Cummins, who is being held back as Australia's quicks build towards the World Test Championship series that starts on 9 October.

South Africa are without Aiden Markram for the opener too, the batter unavailable for personal reasons and expected back for the second and third matches.

Four quicks lost to hamstrings

Rabada was the first to go, ruled out of the one-day series with a hamstring concern before the squads were finalised, with his availability for the Test series to be assessed closer to it.

Baartman followed, injuring a left hamstring in the opening first-class match of the domestic season after bowling only five overs. Duan Jansen, who had been with the squad in Namibia, was called up in his place.

Ngidi was then ruled out with a right hamstring injury picked up in a domestic first-class match, and Nqobani Mokoena, who made his ODI debut against Namibia this month, was added to the squad.

Maphaka's withdrawal on the eve of the match made it four, leaving South Africa to begin a home summer with an attack they had not planned for.

Bavuma turns to the spinners

"It does make it a little more challenging," Bavuma said of the absences. "Obviously you want your best players at your disposal all the time, as realistic or unrealistic as that may be."

He was blunt about the run of soft-tissue injuries. "It is concerning, and I don't think we would shy away from that, but we are working together to see where it is that we can be a lot better."

The captain framed the problem as more than a selection headache. "We build it around our fast bowlers," he said of the South African side. "That's part of our DNA."

With that plank missing, the hosts have hinted they will lean harder on spin at Kingsmead, where Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin give Bavuma two experienced slow bowlers and Marco Jansen leads a young seam group.

Marsh leads with the Tests in view

Marsh was clear about why Cummins is not playing. "Pat's main focus is the Test group, and a lot of our bowlers – and him in particular – are preparing for that Test series," he said, adding that he was "hopeful that he'll feature in this series at some stage".

Cameron Green is managing a shoulder problem and may be used as a batter only, while Jack Edwards is in line for a debut after Billy Stanlake and Spencer Johnson returned home from the tour.

Both captains conceded the Test series to come is hard to ignore. "It's very hard not to find yourself speaking about the Test series, even though you're within the ODI space," Bavuma said.

Kingsmead after the rain

Heavy rain through the build-up left the Durban pitch with a tacky look, and humid conditions are forecast for a start scheduled at 10am local time.

The captain who wins the toss is expected to bowl. The average winning first-innings total in one-day internationals at the ground is 271, a figure that suggests neither side will find batting straightforward early.

A rivalry South Africa narrowly lead

The teams have met 113 times in one-day internationals, South Africa winning 57 to Australia's 52, with three ties and one no-result. At home the Proteas hold a 28-22 advantage.

South Africa also won the most recent series between them on these grounds, taking it 3-2 in September 2023.

Australia arrive having swept Zimbabwe 3-0, a result that followed a lean stretch in which they lost four of their previous five one-day series.

The series moves to the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 27 September and finishes at Potchefstroom on 30 September, before the two sides meet in the Test series from 9 October.

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