Mike Procter, the national selection convener, and Mickey Arthur, the national coach, confirmed on Friday that Jacques Kallis was likely to open the batting with Graeme Smith against England, with positions up the order also being found for AB de Villiers (three) and JP Duminy (four).
Alviro Petersen will bat at five, with the widely held objection to Mark Boucher batting at six in the Champions Trophy being addressed in the decision to bat Albie Morkel at six and Boucher at seven.
"We want Jacques to be absolutely ready for the England series," said Arthur. "With his slight side strain he's unlikely to play in the two ODIs against Zimbabwe in early November. Our thinking is that Hashim Amla will probably open with Graeme against Zimbabwe and he'll generally act as cover for the one, two and three spots during the first three ODIs against England."
The decision to rejig the batting order taken by Arthur, Smith and, to a lesser extent, Procter, is premised on the idea that the Proteas were too predictable in the Champions Trophy. There was also a feeling - shared by all three - that plans needed to be laid for the 2011 World Cup.
"I'd be lying to you if I said when we sat down on Wednesday to discuss selection issues that we didn't have an eye of the World Cup - I think that would be naive," said Arthur.
Procter also mentioned he always felt the batting in the Champions Trophy "was a bit light". The national convener added that while the Champs Trophy side purported to have balance, it might not have been quite as neatly proportioned as some would have us believe.
For Procter, the crucial debates had to do with the composition of the middle and lower-middle order, with the relationship between technical strengths and the position requiring careful consideration.
"We decided Alviro was the guy who we needed to give a crack at five - it's a vital position," said Procter. "And if you look at six (where Albie Morkel will bat) it's really a pure position. You need a real batsman at six, not an allrounder such as Mark; someone who can come in and bat for 25 overs if need be, if you find yourself four wickets down pretty cheaply."
Procter only mentioned him in passing but the mix in the lower middle-order can only be strengthened by the inclusion of Ryan McLaren in the squad for Zimbabwe and the first three matches of the England series. The Eagles allrounder could be marginalised by spin twins, Roelof van der Merwe and Johan Botha, but might yet force them apart.
Botha will be called to Cape Town for precautionary tests about the legality of his action next week, along with Warriors teammate Rusty Theron.
The two were reported by match officials during last weekend's SuperSport Series game between the Warriors and the Dolphins at St George's Park.
Procter said while watching the Warriors against the Lions in East London on Friday, he'd seek out the off-spinner.
"I'll find time to go and have a chat and tell him you have to take these things one at a time," said Procter.
The week provided similar challenges for Arthur. On Wednesday he met Makhaya Ntini, doubtless breaking the news that his ODI career looks close to being over. There followed a long meeting with Smith and a three-and-a-half hour selection meeting with Procter.
While the "Mdingi Express" will play a decisive part in the summer Tests, it looks with the selection of the latest round of teams that Herschelle Gibbs has probably played his last game for his country.
While he will doubtless exercise his options on the international Twenty20 circuit, there was better news on Friday for Heino Kuhn, given his first cap in the Proteas' Twenty20 side for two matches against England in November, as well as a host of others rewarded with caps in the SA A side. The lucky few include Rilee Rossouw, CJ de Villiers and Theron, the first two having impressed for the Eagles during their Champions League campaign in India.
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