Pollock returns and Kemp rested

Shaun Pollock will return to the South African team to contest the Twenty20 international against Australia on Friday. The match serves as the tour opener, and Pollock replaces Justin Kemp in the squad.

South Africa failed to make the finals of the recently complete VB Series in Australia, after Sri Lanka snuck past them to face Australia. In a series where the Africans were plagued by injury, the showing was certainly very disappointing, and Graeme Smith and his men will look to make a statement in the Twenty20 match.

Makhaya Ntini also returns to action after he was sent home from Australia with injury. He is joined by the recalled internationals Roger Telemachus, Neil McKenzie, Robin Petersen and AB de Villiers. Rounding off the squad are Thandi Tshabalala and Loots Bosman, both of whom are uncapped but have had good success in Twenty20 cricket at domestic level. Serving behind the stumps will be AB de Villiers, as Boucher has been excluded from the squad.

For Australia, Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds will not feature in the tour opener. Hussey is with his wife, who gave birth to a baby boy last Thursday, whilst Symonds is resting due a thigh injury. Australia won the last 20-over fixture between these two teams by 95 runs.

South Africa Twenty20 squad: Graeme Smith (capt), AB de Villiers (wk), Loots Bosman, Herschelle Gibbs, Neil McKenzie, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Robin Peterson, Roger Telemachus, Thandi Tshabalala, Johan van der Wath, Makhaya Ntini.

Australia Twenty20 squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist (wk), Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Brett Lee, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Mick Lewis.