Ntini dropped on form - out of ODI squad

Ntini, the country's leading black cricketer with four Test caps to his name, has been charged with rape and will appear in court in March, but Peter Pollock, the convenor of selectors, said Monday he had been excluded purely on cricketing grounds. ``At the moment we believe he is just not playing well enough,'' Pollock said. The United Cricket Board executive recommended at the weekend that Ntini be considered for selection.

As for players of colour being chosen for the seven-match one-day series, three are in the squad, two of them new caps.

Herschelle Gibbs, the opener for the last four Tests, has predictably been retained, even though the one-dayers may see him changing position in the batting order, while Free State's black fast bowler, Victor Mpitsang, and Boland swing bowler Henry Williams have received their first call-ups to national duty.

Both Allan Donald and David Terbrugge have been left out of the squad to rest niggling injuries, so vacancies in the pace bowling department have been created. This has also allowed Gauteng all-rounder Andrew Hall to make his debut.

``Mpitsang has done well in the one-dayers for Free State,'' Pollock said when explaining the decision to choose the 18-year-old paceman. ``He is tall and can take the ball away from the batsman.

``Hall has had a magnificent season as an all-rounder. He's a real fighter,'' Pollock said of the 23-year-old Gautenger whose life has changed in more ways than one since he narrowly survived an armed hijacking in Johannesburg in September.

Paul Adams, the coloured spinner whose attacking bowling netted him four wickets Monday as South Africa clinched a massive 351-run victory, has been dropped for the limited-overs games, the selectors trusting the veteran Pat Symcox and all-rounder Nicky Boje with the spinning duties.

Natal star Dale Benkenstein, who has impressed with an unbeaten century and a 49 since his two-month layoff with a broken finger, retains the place he won in the national squad for the ICC Knockout Trophy in Bangladesh late last year, joining provincial team-mates Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener.

A preliminary squad of 30 was named for the World Cup in May, including the 17 in the current line-up, Ntini, Donald, Terbrugge and Natalian Andrew Hudson.

Squad for limited-overs series against West Indies:

Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje (capt), Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock (vc), Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Pat Symcox, Steve Elworthy, Andrew Hall, Mike Rindel, Dale Benkenstein, Nicky Bojé, Henry Williams, Victor Mpitsang.

Preliminary World Cup squad:

Adam Bacher, Dale Benkenstein, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Hansie Cronje, Derek Crookes, Daryll Cullinan, Alan Dawson, Allan Donald, Steve Elworthy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Mornantau Hayward, Tyron Henderson, Andrew Hudson, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Victor Mpitsang, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Nic Pothas, Ashwell Prince, Jonty Rhodes, Mike Rindel, Pat Symcox, Roger Telemachus, David Terbrugge, Henry Williams.