Nantie Hayward, Jacques Rudolph and Claude Henderson have all been cut from the South African squad for the one-day triangular series against Australia and New Zealand which will follow the third and final Test match against Australia in Sydney.

The South Africans will be reinforced by Justin Kemp, Jonty Rhodes and Charl Langeveldt with Lance Klusener rejoining the squad after a brief visit home to South Africa to bring the strength of the party up to 16.

According to team officials, Hayward has ankle injury which could require up to three weeks rest. Henderson, meanwhile, was expected to make way for Nicky Boje once the all-rounder had recovered full fitness, a process that was unexpectedly accelerated when Boje was flown to Australia to play in the third Test.

But Rudolph's tour of Australia has been a bitterly disappointing episode for the young left-hander. After playing against India at SuperSport Park in November – a match that has not been granted official Test status – he was pencilled in to bat at three in the Adelaide Test only to be replaced by Boeta Dippenaar after the South African selectors had a late change of heart.

He scored 50s for South Africa in the tour matches against Western Australia and New South Wales and was finally chosen to make his Test debut in the third Test in Sydney before United Cricket Board president Percy Sonn intervened to veto the side. The result was that Justin Ontong replaced Rudolph who has now had a large chunk of his summer taken up to no good effect.

Squad

Shaun Pollock (captain), Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, Allan Donald, Steve Elworthy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Charl Langeveldt, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Jonty Rhodes.

© CricInfo