South Africa's already slender hopes of reversing the 3-0 defeat suffered against Australia earlier this year plummeted on Thursday when both captain Shaun Pollock and batsman Justin Ontong were ruled out of Friday's first Test at the Wanderers with injuries.

Pollock strained muscles in his side while playing for his province KwaZulu-Natal last weekend while Ontong pulled a hamstring at practice on Wednesday. Andre Nel had already been placed on standby for Pollock and comes into the team with Mark Boucher taking over the captaincy, but no replacement has been named yet for Ontong.

South African selection convener Rushdi Magiet was due to fly up to Johannesburg from Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon and it is expected that Ontong's replacement will be named later in the day.

Candidates for inclusion include the free-scoring Graeme Smith, who has already been named 12th man for the first Test, veteran Daryll Cullinan and Jacques Rudolph, who was picked for the third Test in Sydney last month but omitted when United Cricket Board president Percy Sonn rejected the side handed to him by the selectors.

Also in the frame are Ashwell Prince who has been regarded mainly as a one-day player, but who scored a fine 92 against the Australians earlier in the week, and Martin van Jaarsveld, the 27-year-old Northerns Titans batsman who scored 182 not out and 158 not out for his province against Griquas at the weekend.

© CricInfo