Donald-Ngam pairing still possible

Injuries and retirements notwithstanding, South Africa might still be able to field both Allan Donald and Mfuneko Ngam in the same team during the 2001/02 summer.

The prospect of the country's most experienced fast bowler lining up alongside the quickest young gun in the country may seem a little remote just at the moment, but there are more than a few who believe that Donald's "retirement" from Test cricket may be less permanent than it appeared at first sight.

Ngam, meanwhile, is still recovering from a stress fracture of the right thigh and a shoulder operation. The injuries kept him out of South Africa's Caribbean tour this year, but he has made steady progress towards recovery and was examined by the United Cricket Board's medical staff this week.

Donald became the first South African to take 300 Test wickets last summer, but a variety of injuries restricted his appearances in the series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

A combination of frustration and the desire to play in the 2003 World Cup appear to have persuaded Donald that his future as an international bowler lay in the one-day game.

He has, however, agreed to consider playing Test matches if required, and South Africa Graham Ford suspects that the last has not yet been seen of Donald in the Test arena.

"The door's still open," said Ford this week. "I think we might still see him bowling in a Test match. He gives us so much, both on and off the field, and with two series against Australia coming up it would be a huge boost for us if he was in the team."

At least one senior South African official intends to sit Donald down and talk to him.

"He's not a stubborn man," said the official. "He'll listen to reason."

Ngam, meanwhile, broken down with his stress fracture after playing in his first two Test matches last summer. In a type of bulk purchase deal, it was decided to operate on a rotator cuff injury in his right shoulder while his leg was being given time to recover.

"The way I understand it his leg's just about fine, but the shoulder's taking a while to heal fully," said Ford. "I believe he's been out on the road and I think that he might be able to bowl by September when we go up to Zimbabwe. Throwing's apparently the problem, but if you remember, he couldn't thrown properly when he played his Test matches.

"The medical people are being conservative with him, but you can't blame them. They want to get him fully fit before throwing him into a Test match, and if they're going to err, it will be on the side of caution.

"And yes, it would be great to have them bowling in tandem, but we've got a few useful guys around anyway, people like Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini, and that's not forgetting about Andre Nel and Nantie Hayward. So we're not that badly off," said Ford.