Pressure continued to mount on Jonty Rhodes to make himself available again for Test cricket even as South Africa named an unchanged squad of 12 for the third and final Castle Lager/MTN Test match against India starting at SuperSport Park on Friday.

Despite half-hearted attempts by the United Cricket Board to suggest that Rhodes would be available for Test cricket "in an emergency", it has become increasingly apparent that no one really buys this explanation any longer. Rhodes has said repeatedly that he no longer intends to play Test cricket – even though he still manages to find time to play first-class cricket and found time recently to captain South Africa at the Hong Kong Sixes.

But no one at the UCB seems to have the will to force the issue with Rhodes, although Graeme Pollock, now one of the national selectors, made his position on the issue clear at the announcement of the SuperSport Park squad.

Even though Pollock was at pains to say this his was a personal view, he insisted that South Africa needed all the experience they could get at numbers four, five and six for the Australian tour next month. The selectors, he said, would have to try and "convert" Rhodes back to Test cricket, even if it meant talking to "his wife".

Pollock also referred to Daryll Cullinan in the context of how badly South Africa would need experience in Australia, even though, as Pollock conceded, the Gauteng right-hander has had few opportunities to demonstrate his form since knee surgery.

In another revealing reference, Pollock admitted that the selectors were concerned about the support give to Shaun Pollock by South Africa's back-up bowlers. He tossed in the name of Steve Elworthy, still in wonderful form this season at the age of 36, although whether the Northerns Titans veteran will make it Australia remains to be seen.

By lunch time on Monday, when the third Test squad was announced, Shaun Pollock had taken 16 of the 31 Indian wickets to fall in the series and even though selection convener Rushdi Magiet tried to brush over this obvious shortcoming in the South African attack, Pollock acknowledge that there was good cause for concern.

Jacques Rudolph is still in the squad for the third Test, but there were no indications that he would be given his Test debut on his home ground and South Africa look likely to field the same XI for the final match in the series.

Squad

Shaun Pollock (capt), Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Boeta Dippenaar, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Nantie Hayward, Jacques Rudolph.

© CricInfo