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Kallis set to play at Centurion

Jacques Kallis will line up for South Africa in the opening Test against England after the hosts confirmed his presence by releasing three players from their 15-man squad to play franchise cricket

Jacques Kallis is South Africa's most experienced player  •  Getty Images

Jacques Kallis is South Africa's most experienced player  •  Getty Images

Jacques Kallis will line up for South Africa in the opening Test against England after the hosts confirmed his presence by releasing three players from their 15-man squad to play franchise cricket. Friedel de Wet, the uncapped pace bowler, has been retained as cover for Dale Steyn following his hamstring problems but Alvrio Petersen, Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell have all been allowed to return to domestic action.
"We are happy with the state of readiness of all squad members to play in the first Test on Wednesday," said coach Mickey Arthur. "Both Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn should be fit to take their places.
"Nevertheless we are keeping Friedel de Wet on standby as a like-for-like replacement for Dale. There is always the chance with bowlers that Dale could wake up on the morning of the match with a recurrence and we don't want to have to scramble around for a last-minute replacement."
There has been much speculation over the fitness of Kallis as he recovers from the fractured rib that ruled him out of the Test series. However, he came through South Africa's three-day training camp in Potchefstroom with no adverse effects although it is highly unlikely that he will resume bowling duties.
That will leave South Africa with a four-man attack which is a calculated gamble given Steyn's recent injury problems. He bowled at decent pace on Sunday but was restricted to indoor training at Centurion Park on Monday after heavy thunderstorms left the nets unusable. De Wet's was the most surprising inclusion in the original squad but Mike Proctor, the convenor of selectors, has been impressed with what he has seen.
"He had a good season last year and I've seen him bowl recently on some pretty flat tracks at East London and at Johannesburg so he's a player worth looking at and we'll see what comes out of it," Procter said last week.
The decision to release the three players also confirms that Morne Morkel will return to the Test line-up after missing South Africa's previous match against Australia in March. With concerns over the potency of the attack Morkel is viewed as someone who can add a cutting edge with his height and bounce.
Makhaya Ntini, who will play his 100th Test, will be the third quick bowler and he believes South Africa will start favourites. "Of course," he said, "we are on our home grounds and will have a lot of support."
He also said that Andrew Flintoff's absence from the England line-up will be a significant blow to the visitors. "They've lost one of their major players in Freddie Flintoff. He was the one who made a huge impact. Losing the pillar of the team means we have a better chance - because he was always the guy that intimidated us.''
Revised South Africa squad Graeme Smith (capt), Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Friedel de Wet

Andrew McGlashan is assistant editor of Cricinfo