Australia's cricketers arrive in South Africa on Sunday for an eight-match tour with doubts hanging over their key pace bowler and an opening batsman.
Ryan Harris, who was the Aussies' best bowler until injury cut him down in last month's series against Sri Lanka, is still under a fitness cloud, although he tried to put up a brave face yesterday.
Opening batsman Shane Watson has been told he can't move down the order following a run of poor scores in the three tests in Sri Lanka.
Harris, who took 11 wickets at 14.54, missed the last of the three tests in Sri Lanka because of a hamstring problem.
He had his first bowl since the injury early last month in the nets on Monday.
"I had my first bowl and everything was good," said the right-arm quickie.
"I ran a bit last week, so everything is on track."
Watson made only 87 runs in five innings at a miserable average of 17.40 against Sri Lanka.
Before the tour his test average was above 40, now it's below.
Watson has insisted that he wants to remain an opening batsman, but the allrounder has now admitted that he is giving thought to a possible return to the middle order because of a recently increased bowling workload.
He had one of the heaviest bowling loads for Australia, sending down 75 overs.
Only Trent Copeland, Michael Johnson and spinner Nathan Lyon bowled more. Aussie captain Michael Clarke, however, has nipped in the bud any plans for Watson to give up opening the batting.
Clarke said yesterday that his mind had not changed since the series in Sri Lanka and that Watson would continue to open the innings in South Africa.
Watson hasn't scored a 50 in any of his seven test innings this year and his average of 17.4 in the recent three-test series against Sri Lanka was the lowest of Australia's specialist batsmen.
Australia open their tour on October 13 with a T20 match against the Proteas at Newlands.
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