Kallis to open as Gibbs, Ntini go

Jacques Kallis will be used as an opening batsman in the forthcoming one-day internationals against Zimbabwe and England, according to the convenor of selectors for the South African team, Mike Procter.

The squad for the two matches against Zimbabwe and the first three games in the five-match series against England was announced on Friday and the selectors' decision to drop Herschelle Gibbs has meant a vacancy at the top of the order alongside captain Graeme Smith.

Procter told SuperCricket on Friday that the team management were looking to Kallis to move into the opening batsman's slot from number three.

"Mickey [Arthur] and Graeme [Smith] want Jacques to open and AB [de Villiers] will then move up to three and JP Duminy to four," Procter explained.

Surprisingly, the recalled Alviro Petersen, the Highveld Lions opening batsman, will initially get the chance to bat at number five.

"We're looking at Alviro at five. We know it's out of position, but we believe he can adapt and he has been a prolific run-scorer in the last couple of seasons," Procter said.

"But we have so many options. Hashim Amla or Alviro could open if the Smith/Kallis partnership does not work and we're also looking to take pressure off Albie Morkel in terms of his bowling. We'd like to take the responsibility of bowling ten overs off his shoulders and he can make up for it with the bat. We'd like to play him at six and use him as more of a pure batsman."

Gibbs, the veteran of 245 ODIs and South Africa's second-most prolific run-scorer with 8060, revealed the dramatic changes in his personal life on Thursday and expressed a desire to get back to his peak form on the field. But the 35-year-old is now battling to save his international career and Procter admitted that the hero of the legendary "438 game" may be running out of time.

"We have lost patience with his inconsistency and I had a chat with him this morning and we agreed that he has been inconsistent," Procter said. "We have to keep 2011 [the World Cup] in mind and we need to spread our wings a bit. But the door is not closed for Herschelle, although it will be tough for him. He is 35 ... but he is fit and he is a huge talent and if he makes a mountain of runs and is batting consistently then things change."

Gibbs's performance for the Cape Cobras in the Champions League Twenty20 is a microcosm of the problem. He scored just 43 runs in four innings, but 42 of them came in one glorious knock in the semifinal, which he then ended with an impetuous stroke at a time when he should have been looking to bat through.

But it is the bowling attack that is South Africa's chief worry and the addition of both Ryan McLaren and Charl Langeveldt to the squad has certainly ensured stiffer competition for places in the starting XI.

Langeveldt has shown in the Champions League that he is still the master of swing and yorkers after a shoulder reconstruction and Procter admitted he was delighted to be able to recall the Cobras star, who has also relinquished his Kolpak status.

"We're absolutely thrilled to be able to choose Charl again, we saw what a superb last over he bowled for the Cobras the other night. He bowls very well at the death and he's able to get both late and reverse swing," Procter said.

While Langeveldt's skills should ensure him a place alongside Dale Steyn, it would seem offie Johan Botha, whose controversial action once again seems to be ailing him, left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, and seamers McLaren and Wayne Parnell will be fighting among themselves for two places.

While Gibbs's demise was somewhat unexpected, Makhaya Ntini's ODI career now seems to have died a natural death with his exclusion from the squad and the Pro20 and SA A teams to play against England.

Proteas’ ODI squad: Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Hashim Amla (Nashua Dolphins), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Charl Langeveldt (Nashua Cape Cobras), Ryan McLaren (Diamond Eagles), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Alviro Petersen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Chevrolet Warriors), Roelof van der Merwe (Nashua Titans).

Pro20 squad: Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Yusuf Abdulla (Nashua Dolphins), Loots Bosman (Nashua Dolphins), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Heino Kuhn (Nashua Titans), Charl Langeveldt (Nashua Cape Cobras), Ryan McLaren (Diamond Eagles), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Roelof van der Merwe (Nashua Titans).