JOHANNESBURG, Sept 5: South Africa coach Mickey Arthur on Friday said a proposed limited-overs series with Pakistan will not happen, providing a welcome break for his exhausted players.

“A lot of the senior players have played a helluva lot of cricket this year, it’s taken its toll and they need a break,” Arthur told a news conference.

“I’m sure the tri-series is not going to take place and, in retrospect, it’s a relief the Champions Trophy was called off because we would have been back on a plane flying out on Sunday.”

Arthur and his squad returned after their two-month tour of England, where they claimed their first test series win in 43 years but lost the limited-overs series 4-0.

The coach said his players would be in no shape to take part in another limited-overs series.

“I can’t think of one player who was involved in both the test and one-day series in England who has not picked up a niggle.

Captain Graeme Smith’s is suffering with an elbow injury, Mark Boucher has a fractured finger, Morne Morkel a side strain and Dale Steyn is yet to recover from a niggling shoulder injury, Arthur said.

The Pakistan board have been in negotiations with Cricket South Africa to stage a one-day series in South Africa, with Sri Lanka proposed as the other team. This month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan was postponed due to security concerns.

Although England, under new captain Kevin Pietersen, ripped South Africa apart in the one-day series, Arthur was delighted with his side’s overall performance.

“I’m still immensely proud of the team,” he said. “It was a huge positive to win the Test series, that was really the be-all and end-all of our tour.

“We knew the one-dayers would be tough and I don’t think a really good England has got the credit they deserve.”

He said he noticed a change in the mood of the team ahead of the final test at the Oval, with South Africa already 2-0 up and assured of the series win.

“We’d achieved what we set out to do and it was like the air going out of a hot air balloon, the fizz just went.

“Having been so disciplined before, in the build-up to the Oval test the batsmen were suddenly driving and cutting at balls they were leaving alone before.”

Arthur said he was considering whether to call up all-rounder Ryan McLaren, currently excelling with English county Kent on a Kolpak contract, to add depth to the side.

He was hopeful of Smith would return to action by November.

“There’s no distinct tear in his elbow, but he needs time off for the fibres to bond properly,” he added.—Reuters