JP Duminy has been dropped from South Africa's starting XI for the Trent Bridge Test. Captain Faf du Plessis, who returns to the side after missing the first Test for the birth of his daughter, confirmed Duminy will sit out the match but said South Africa had not yet settled on an XI.
They have to choose whether to play seven specialist batsmen or six along with four seamers and a spinner, to make up for Kagiso Rabada's absence. Rabada was suspended from the match after an accumulation of demerit points which culminated in a send off for Ben Stokes in the first Test at Lord's.
South Africa have a reserve seamer in Duanne Olivier and two allrounders - Chris Morris and uncapped Andile Phehlukwayo. Should both Morris and Olivier play, it is likely batsmen Theunis de Bruyn will miss out.
Du Plessis had indicated in the aftermath of South Africa's 211-run defeat at Lord's that Duminy's place was in jeopardy. Since deputising for AB de Villiers at No. 4, Duminy made vital hundreds against Australia and Sri Lanka but has now gone eight innings with reaching 40.
"JP will be the first guy to say he knows he needs to score runs for this team and it's no different for anyone else," du Plessis said. "He is desperate to do well as anyone in that position. He understands that if it has to come to a position where there is someone else that needs to be looked at… he will be the first to acknowledge [that]."