Boje left out for Champions Trophy

Nicky Boje has been left out of South Africa's squad for the Champions Trophy © Getty Images

Nicky Boje is the notable omission from South Africa's 14-man squad for the Champions Trophy. Robin Petersen has been selected as the lone specialist spinner, while Jacques Kallis will lead the side against Zimbabwe, in three ODIs which act as a warm-up, with Graeme Smith still recovering from ankle surgery.

However Kallis, along with Justin Kemp and Charl Langeveldt, will undergo fitness tests in Bloemfontein on Tuesday and there will be four additional players who will make up an 18-man squad to face Zimbabwe.

The omission of Boje is interesting, considering that South Africa are not blessed with spin bowling options. He, along with Herschelle Gibbs who makes the trip, had indicated they were willing to travel to India despite the risk of being questioned by Indian police about match fixing.

Haroon Lorgat, Cricket South Africa's national convenor of selectors said: "With several of our key players needing to pass fitness tests before they can be considered for selection, we had little choice but to select a larger than usual squad."

It is expected that Smith will be fit to resume the captaincy in India and Lorgat added: "We continue along our path of building a pool of players from which the final World Cup 2007 squad will be selected.

"We will be using the games against Zimbabwe and the ICC Champions Trophy as preparation for the ICC World Cup and to settle on our final combinations."

South Africa's planning was disrupted by the aborted tour to Sri Lanka last month after the team flew home following bombings on Colombo. However, Lorgat insists that the squad is still on track to be ready for the World Cup and to meet the quota targets.

"More than enough players, including black players, are making an impact on the field to warrant selection into our final squad. All selected players will be encouraged to play for their franchises at every given opportunity, in order to stake a claim for a place in the final World Cup squad.

"The door is open for any player outside of the squad who performs and fits the role that the selectors will be looking for, as evidenced by the selection of newcomers Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy. [Both] were impressive in the recent SA Emerging squad tour to Australia."

The three match series against Zimbabwe starts at Bloemfontein on September 15, while two additional matches have been arranged against the Lions and Titans for the national side.

Champions Trophy squad Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Robin Peterson

Additions for Zimbabwe series and World Cup training squad JP Duminy, Alviro Peterson, Roger Telemachus, Johan van der Wath