The Proteas have been hit with yet another injury blow ahead of Thursday’s crunch World Cup clash against India at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out of the match because of a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for up to 10 days.
Ngidi left the field in their 21-run defeat to Bangladesh on Sunday after bowling just four overs.
And with Dale Steyn out of the World Cup, the Proteas are thin on options in the bowling department.
Captain Faf du Plessis says of Ngidi’s injury: “To lose one fast bowler, you become okay. To lose two, there is pressure on our bowling attack.
“But we’ve got to roll with the punches. Our Plan A is now gone. The plan was for the fast bowlers to play together, but they haven’t done that yet [because of injury].
“In [Anrich] Nortje [who was in the squad before injuring his thumb] we had another X-factor bowler that can bowl 145km-plus.
One of Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo would be a hockey player if he wasn't a cricketer, while the other would play rugby.
But which way round?
Watch Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi take on 'Perfect Pairs'. pic.twitter.com/x5Ku8pu93I
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) May 29, 2019
“Now you’re moving onto the allrounders. Now we have to look at what we can do to be effective - we have to reshuffle all our cards.”