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Peterson lifeline with call up for injured Phangiso

Robin Peterson has been given an international lifeline after being called up as a replacement for Aaron Phangiso for the rest of South Africa's limited-overs trip in New Zealand and Australia.

Firdose Moonda
Firdose Moonda
24-Oct-2014
Robin Peterson has been doing well in South Africa's domestic one-day tournament  •  Getty Images

Robin Peterson has been doing well in South Africa's domestic one-day tournament  •  Getty Images

Robin Peterson has been given an international lifeline after being called up as a replacement for Aaron Phangiso for the rest of South Africa's limited-overs trip in New Zealand and Australia.
Phangiso, who had not featured in the series so far, sprained a finger on tour and will need four to six weeks to recover. He should still be available for next year's World Cup, a tournament Peterson may now have an eye on participating in.
Peterson. 35, last played an ODI for South Africa in November last year, during the series against Pakistan and although he played a Test after that, he has lost ground to Imran Tahir, Phangiso and Dane Piedt. His international career was considered on the wane after he was left out the squads to tour Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in July-August.
"Phangi and Immi are bowling beautifully so it is going to take something really special to get in the team but you never know," Peterson told ESPNcricinfo two weeks ago, at the launch of CSA's regional performance program in Langa, where he was coaching. "You've got to make sure that you are sharp all the time but the squad is playing magnificent cricket. I am just so thrilled for a guy like Phangi coming through and the future looks rosy for him."
When asked about his own plans for the next few years, Peterson said he would "take it season by season for now," and was concentrating on his performances for the Cobras. After four matches of the domestic one-day cup, he sits second on the wicket-takers' list with nine scalps at 14.00 and an economy rate of 3.40.
Those numbers ultimately led to his recall and if he managed to replicate them internationally, he may be in line for a fourth World Cup. Peterson first took part in the 2003 event in South Africa, although he only played one game, and steadily became a more important part of South Africa's teams at major tournaments. At the 2011 competition, he was their highest wicket-taker and including him now, rather than blooding someone new, could indicate South Africa may want to use him again.
Peterson identified this leg of South Africa's preparation as their most important, even when he was not part of the squad. "They need to beat Australia in Australia just because I think they might meet Australia later on in the tournament and they will want to know that you've ticked that box. I'm hoping that the series is 2-2 going into the fifth one so it can be like a final," he said.
He expected South Africa "to do well against New Zealand", which has already happened. The series there has been won with a game to play, leaving South Africa with room to experiment in the final match before the Australia trip. If all goes well there, Peterson is confident South Africa can break their ICC trophy drought.
"We've got more match-winners now than we did four years ago so I am expecting us to go the distance," he said. "I had a discussion with AB four years ago and I told him I think this one coming up is going to be the one for us to win." South Africans are used to talk like that but as Peterson has found out first-hand, sometimes things happen when you least expect them to.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent