Amla advised rest for injured arm

Hashim Amla has been instructed to rest his injured left forearm for a second week by Cricket South Africa's (CSA) medical committee. He has been ruled out of the MTN40 second-leg semi-final between the Dolphins and Knights on Friday after he took a blow to his arm on the last day of the second test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi eight days ago.

"The contusion is serious enough to keep him out of the game tomorrow (Friday). Normally it takes five to seven days to respond to treatement. If it takes longer, we need to re-evaluate. By tomorrow we will know what stage it he is at," South African team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee told ESPNcricinfo.

Amla was hit on his left forearm by a Misbah-ul-Haq pull shot. He was fielding at short leg and tried to take evasive action but was struck. Amla received treatment on the field and took no further part in the match. At the time, he was treated with icing, compression and elevation. "Because of the speed at which the ball was hit, it caused internal bleeding in the tissues," Moosajee explained.

Amla was originally ruled out for a week and was due to sit out of the Dolphins first-leg semi-final. He has not made a full recovery and "is not able to hit drives off either the front or back foot without experiencing some degree of discomfort", according to a CSA statement.

The administrators are confident that Amla will be fit for the series against India in exactly two weeks time. "He, however, remains on target to be fit for the first Test against India starting at SuperSport Park on December 16. There is also a good chance that he will be able to play for the Dolphins next Friday if the franchise reaches the final of the MTN40 competition," the statement said.

A 12-man squad for the Test series against India is due to be announced during the semi-final on Friday.