Just nine-and-a-half hours after his six-month ban from international cricket for match-fixing expired, Herschelle Gibbs has been recalled to the South African team for the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match against Sri Lanka starting at Newlands on January 2.

Gibbs will replace Boeta Dippenaar in the only change to the side that drew that first Test at Kingsmead.

The 26-year-old Gibbs is widely acknowledged as one of South Africa's outstanding talents, but he was drawn into the match-fixing scandal when he was asked by Hansie Cronje to underperform in a one-day international in India. Gibbs agreed, but then "forgot" to go through with the arrangement, scoring 74 off 53 balls.

It had widely speculated that Gibbs would be recalled once his ban was lifted, but there is a school of thought which holds that the selectors should have waited a little before rushing him back into the side at the first opportunity.

South African selections convener Rushdi Magiet said that Gibbs' experience and a run of good form in recent weeks had tipped the balance in his favour.

Reports that Gibbs had been recalled have circulated since the end of the Kingsmead Test and Magiet confirmed that the decision had been taken in Durban on December 30. He said that Dippenaar's union, Free State, had been informed that he would be available for provincial selection this week and thought that news of Dippenaar's axing had leaked in this way.

Dippenaar must be considered particularly unfortunate. He scored a Test century three innings' ago against New Zealand at the Wanderers, but managed only 11 and 22 at Kingsmead.

Magiet said that there had been no pressure from the United Cricket Board either to pick or not pick Gibbs.

"Our job as selectors is to choose the best team available," he said. "And once Herschelle's ban was up, he was available for selection."

Magiet also said that Allan Donald would have a fitness test during the Newlands match to assess the extent of his recovery from a stomach muscle strain.

The South African team is: Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock (capt), Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam.

© CricInfo