Boucher appointed captain for tri-series

Mark Boucher, the South Africa wicketkeeper, has been appointed captain for the forthcoming ODI tri-series against India and Sri Lanka next month.

Boucher will lead a 14-man squad and replaces Ashwell Prince who was only appointed captain of the Tests. Prince, whose side fell to a crushing innings defeat in the first Test against Sri Lanka today, has yet to cement his place in the one-day side. Boucher, though, is vastly experienced in one-day cricket with 217 matches under his belt, although he has only captained South Africa once, in 2003 against Pakistan.

"With Ashwell not a certainty in our one-day side, we have asked Boucher to captain the team," Haroon Lorgat, the South Africa convenor of selectors, said. "With injuries to some key players, we have an opportunity to look at others as we build towards the World Cup in the West Indies next March."

South Africa will be without four of their one-day regulars, including their captain Graeme Smith and explosive batsman Justin Kemp. Jacques Kallis and Charl Langeveldt also miss out through injury.

South Africa play Sri Lanka in the opening match at the Premadasa stadium on August 14; each team plays the other twice in the competition, with the top two advancing to the final.

South Africa one-day squad
1 Mark Boucher (capt, wk), 2 Boeta Dippenaar, 3 Loots Bosman, 4 Herschelle Gibbs, 5 A.B. de Villiers, 6 Shaun Pollock, 7 Johan van der Wath, 8 Robin Petersen, 9 Andrew Hall, 10 Andre Nel, 11 Makhaya Ntini, 12 Ashwell Prince, 13 Roger Telemachus, 14 Thandi Tshabalala