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Johannesburg - The management of the South African cricket team, forced to withdraw Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir from its Test squad over problems with his travel documents, is pushing hard to get his papers in order so that he can tour India next month.
Last Friday Tahir was included in a 15-man South Africa squad ahead of the must-win fourth Test against England at the Wanderers. It was believed his call-up was preparatory to his selection for the squad for the upcoming tour to India, rather than as a contender for the Johannesburg Test.
But the Lahore-born Tahir had to be withdrawn when problems with his documents were discovered.
Team spokesman Michael Owen-Smith said on Monday that the only stumbling-block for Tahir to be included was that he needed to obtain a South African passport by the time the team leaves for India on Jan. 31.
"As far as we know, Imran has fulfilled every other condition to qualify," Owen-Smith said.
South Africa will play two Tests and three one-day internationals against India next month.
Owen-Smith said withdrawing Tahir from the squad had been a precaution to avoid a similar controversy to the one which arose around Zimbabwe-born Springbok rugby prop Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira recently over his eligibility to represent the national team.
Tahir, who is married to a South African, was thought to have been cleared and properly qualified to play for the national side by April 2009. Tahir, 30, has previously played for Pakistan A and English county teams Hampshire, Middlesex and Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Friedel de Wet has been ruled out of the final Test at the Wanderers starting on Thursday.
Scans have revealed a stress fracture in his back, although a team spokesman said that it was not the same injury as the one which led to him missing the first half of the 2008-09 season.
De Wet will meet team management at the Wanderers on Tuesday, where a rehabilitation program for him will be finalized.
The fast bowler, who had made his debut earlier in the series in Pretoria and was then dropped, came back into the Test line-up in Cape Town in place of veteran Makhaya Ntini. With Ntini no longer in the squad, De Wet's absence means left-arm swing bowler Wayne Parnell is likely to be given his debut.
England lead the current Test series 1-0.
South Africa squad:
Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, A.B. de Villiers, J.P. Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn.
Last Friday Tahir was included in a 15-man South Africa squad ahead of the must-win fourth Test against England at the Wanderers. It was believed his call-up was preparatory to his selection for the squad for the upcoming tour to India, rather than as a contender for the Johannesburg Test.
But the Lahore-born Tahir had to be withdrawn when problems with his documents were discovered.
Team spokesman Michael Owen-Smith said on Monday that the only stumbling-block for Tahir to be included was that he needed to obtain a South African passport by the time the team leaves for India on Jan. 31.
"As far as we know, Imran has fulfilled every other condition to qualify," Owen-Smith said.
South Africa will play two Tests and three one-day internationals against India next month.
Owen-Smith said withdrawing Tahir from the squad had been a precaution to avoid a similar controversy to the one which arose around Zimbabwe-born Springbok rugby prop Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira recently over his eligibility to represent the national team.
Tahir, who is married to a South African, was thought to have been cleared and properly qualified to play for the national side by April 2009. Tahir, 30, has previously played for Pakistan A and English county teams Hampshire, Middlesex and Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Friedel de Wet has been ruled out of the final Test at the Wanderers starting on Thursday.
Scans have revealed a stress fracture in his back, although a team spokesman said that it was not the same injury as the one which led to him missing the first half of the 2008-09 season.
De Wet will meet team management at the Wanderers on Tuesday, where a rehabilitation program for him will be finalized.
The fast bowler, who had made his debut earlier in the series in Pretoria and was then dropped, came back into the Test line-up in Cape Town in place of veteran Makhaya Ntini. With Ntini no longer in the squad, De Wet's absence means left-arm swing bowler Wayne Parnell is likely to be given his debut.
England lead the current Test series 1-0.
South Africa squad:
Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, A.B. de Villiers, J.P. Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn.
