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Pollock to lead SA to Lanka, Australia

Shaun Pollock will lead the South African cricket team on tours to Sri Lanka and Australia in July and August.

The team will play three Tests and a triangular one-day series in Sri Lanka with Pakistan before going on to Melbourne, Australia, to play three limited-overs matches against Australia.

South Africa beat Australia 2-1 on Sunday in the first challenge series between the two countries, in South Africa.

The United Cricket Board (UCB) announced on Monday that fast bowler Allan Donald will not be part of the 16-man team, having been granted a break from his contract to play a full season with English county Warwickshire. Donald was also not on the list of players who have agreed new two-year contracts with the UCB starting May 1.

"Provided he is fit and keen, he will be offered an 18-month contract when he returns to South Africa in October," said UCB managing director Ali Bacher.

"I have had discussions with Allan but he has not yet made a final decision whether he wants to take up a new contract. I am hopeful he will remain part of our national team set-up."

The two-year contracts compel players to be available for all matches and tours as required by the selectors, which would rule out a situation such as that currently applying to Donald, said Bacher.

Batsman Daryll Cullinan agreed to a contract which will mean he will reverse his decision to retire from one-day cricket in order to concentrate on Test matches.

Disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje was not offered a contract.

Bacher said the UCB has consulted with the Australian board and will be introducing tougher contracts with players in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the scandal when Cronje admitted taking money from an Indian businessman.

The South African team:
Shaun Pollock (captain), Mark Boucher (vice-captain), Paul Adams, Nicky Boje, Daryll Cullinan, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Mornantau Hayward, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes, Roger Telemachus, David Terbrugge. Coach, Graham Ford.
Contracted players: Two-year A category: Pollock, Boucher, Adams, Cullinan, Gibbs, Kallis, Kirsten, Klusener, Rhodes.
Two-year B category: Boje, Hayward, Ntini.
One-year: McKenzie, Hall, Telemachus, Terbrugge, Boeta Dippenaar.

Agencies