Donald available for South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, APRIL 20. Fast bowler Allan Donald will be available for South Africa until April 2002 after agreeing to a new contract with the United Cricket Board of South Africa. The fast bowler's decision came as a ray of good news for the beleaguered UCB in the wake of the Hansie Cronje scandal.

Donald, 33, will only be available for South Africa from October, when he has completed a sabbatical from international cricket while he is playing for English county Warwickshire.

The decision to agree to a new, tougher contract with the UCB could mean that Donald's county career will end this year. Donald's current one-year contract with Warwickshire was on condition he was available for all the county's matches.

``Allan spoke to me today and confirmed he would be available for all Test and one-day international matches if required by the selectors,'' said Ali Bacher, managing director of the UCB.

Donald is poised to become the first South African to reach 300 Test wickets, needing just two more.

While Donald's decision was welcomed by Bacher, the UCB boss was less delighted by newspaper reports that opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs had been at a Cape Town nightclub until 3 a.a. last Friday, just hours before playing in a day-night international against Australia at Newlands.

- AFP

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