JOHANNESBURG (Reuters)
Allan Donald has been ruled out of South Africa's two-test series in Zimbabwe because of influenza and will be replaced by uncapped Charl Langeveldt. Fast bowler Donald, the only South African to take 300 Test wickets, was hit by the virus at the team's training camp in Johannesburg last week and returned home to Bloemfontein on Sunday, the United Cricket Board (UCB) said. Donald will also miss the first one-dayer on September 23 but will be considered for the last two of the three one-day internationals, in Harare on September 29 and 30, if he recovers in time. The selectors will meet on September 24 to pick the squad for the last two matches. South African coach Graham Ford defended the decision to leave Donald, who recently rescinded a decision to retire from Test cricket, at home. "Allan hasn't completed a Test series since before the West Indies' tour of South Africa (in 1998-99), he's broken down every time, which is why he retired from Test cricket," Ford told Reuters. "At our training camp, he didn't bowl a ball and he didn't do the fitness work because of the 'flu. If we put him on the field now and he breaks down, we're back to square one. A young guy gets 'flu and he gets over it. But we're talking about trying to get the best out of Allan Donald here, and that's a bit different."

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