Wednesday, December 19, 2001 SYDNEY (Reuters)
Veteran fast bowler Allan Donald will have a chance to prove his fitness, ahead of the second Test against Australia, when South Africa play New South Wales in a tour game.

The 35-year-old Donald was left out of the South African team thrashed by Australia in the first Test in Adelaide but may be included in the second Test in Melbourne starting on December 26. The South Africans have delayed naming their team until the start of the match on Thursday but captain Shaun Pollock said Donald was certain to play against NSW to test his fitness.

"He's been continually monitored," Pollock said. "We'll have to take the results and performances he puts in (against NSW) as a gauge for the second Test." Donald has failed to complete a series for almost two years after suffering a string of injuries.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Steve Waugh has defended fast bowler Brett Lee following criticism of his intimidatory bowling to the South African tailenders. Australians newspapers were generally critical of Lee's persistence in bowling short-pitched deliveries at the Proteas lower-order batsmen.

But Waugh said he had no problems with Lee's tactics, even though he twice struck South African paceman Makhaya Ntini on the helmet. "These days you're earning big money, you've got a responsibility to learn how to bat," Waugh said. "I mean there's no times like 20 years ago when it was not professional and sort of a bowlers' code. These days you're professional, our batsmen work very hard at their batting and expect other tailenders to do likewise."

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