Calf injury is to blame for last-minute switch.
Australia has been forced to make a change to its squad for their much-anticipated tour of South Africa, with Phil Hughes taking the place of the injured Shaun Marsh.
Marsh picked up a calf strain batting for Australia against England in the fifth ODI, and his condition did not improve enough to allow him to join the rest of the squad.
Hughes, who was in some pundits eyes controversially left out of the original squad given his form at domestic first class level this season in Australia, will fly out to the Republic as soon as possible.
“As Shaun Marsh’s calf injury has not improved as much as required over the past four days he has been withdrawn from the Test Squad for the Tour of South Africa,” said Cricket Australia, in a statement.
“Phillip Hughes had been placed on standby and now comes into the Test Squad as a replacement for Shaun.”
In other injury news for Australia, Jackson Bird was given the green light to play in a series spinner Nathan Lyon believes will be ultra-competitive between the two fast bowling units.
“I think it’s going to be pretty similar to Australia,” Lyon said of the conditions that are expected to be tailor-made for fast bowlers.
“South Africa have a good pace attack as do we, so it’s going to be a pretty similar.
“Coming in off we what we just achieved in the Ashes series, full credit goes to our fast bowlers.
“They were fantastic the whole time so it will be a challenge for them to turn it around and back it up again and again.
“We’ve got to bowl in partnerships, and we do that the best in the world I believe.”
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