Hilditch to decide on Jaques

Andrew Hilditch, the Australian selector, will have the final say on whether Phil Jaques plays in Friday's second one-day match against South Africa at Cape Town. Hilditch is expected to arrive in South Africa to make the decision if Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds, who has a hip flexor problem, are both ruled out.

Ponting has a stomach injury and has scheduled his usual pre-match captain's press conference for Thursday, but Errol Alcott, the physiotherapist, is doubtful he will be fit for Sunday's match at Port Elizabeth. Australia, who lost the opening game by six wickets, have called in Jaques as cover after a disrupted start to the tour that also included a Twenty20 defeat.

"At the moment we've got 12 fit players here and Phil arriving makes that 13," John Buchanan, the coach, told AAP. "A selector [Andrew Hilditch] arrives very soon so I guess they'll make some call on that."

The squad has received a boost with Stuart Clark expected to play at Cape Town after recovering from a rib injury. Australia's inexperienced line-up was ineffective during the opening match and Clark should replace either Mitchell Johnson or Mick Lewis, who both bowled only three overs. A late-afternoon training session at the Newlands ground on Thursday will help Australia finalise their squad for the important fixture.