Cricket South Africa suffered a major blow ahead of the second ODI against Pakistan, as spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out for the remainder of the series due to a left adductor strain.
Maharaj, who sustained the injury during warm-ups before Tuesday's opening ODI in Paarl, will not feature in the upcoming matches.
His spot in the Proteas squad will be filled by fellow left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin.
The 34-year-old, who will return to Durban for rehabilitation, will have his fitness reassessed ahead of the first Test against Pakistan, scheduled to begin on Boxing Day.
Maharaj was initially set to play in the opening ODI but had to be replaced by Andile Phehlukwayo when the injury occurred just before the toss.
Fortuin, who has taken 13 wickets in his 11 ODI appearances, will join the squad for the remainder of the series. His last appearance was against Ireland in Abu Dhabi in October.
Prior to the confirmation of Maharaj's injury, Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad spoke about the potential setback for the team, stating that losing Maharaj would be a major blow.
“His performances have been superb in the last couple of months, and he’s a calming influence in the changeroom. He, Marco (Jansen), and (Kagiso Rabada) are the trio that will ensure we get the bulk of the 20 wickets we need to win a Test match,” said Conrad.
South Africa is already missing key players due to injury, including Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi, and Anrich Nortjé.
Pakistan emerged victorious by three wickets in the series opener, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
South Africa posted 239/9 in their 50 overs, with Heinrich Klaasen leading the charge with 86 runs.
Pakistan spinners led by Agha made significant inroads into the middle order, picking up four wickets, with Abrar Ahmed and Shaheen Afridi also contributing with wickets.
The team's chase faltered early, losing four wickets for just 60 runs, but a resilient 109 from Ayub and a steady 82* from Agha turned the tide.
Despite a late collapse, Agha sealed the win for Pakistan, guiding them to 242/7 in 49.3 overs.
