Mills to miss South Africa tour with calf injury

Kyle Mills' long-awaited return from injury has been delayed again after he strained a calf during a pre-season tournament in Australia. Mills has been replaced in the Test squad to tour South Africa by Iain O'Brien, the Wellington fast bowler who played his only two Tests in 2005.

Mills has been out of international cricket since the CB Series in Australia in January as a serious knee injury kept him out of the World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20. He was warming up for the South Africa trip by touring with a New Zealand representative side playing practice matches against Australian states in Queensland last week when he hurt his calf.

"The selectors are not satisfied that Kyle will be fit enough to leave with Black Caps Test team next week and decided today to remove him from the Test section of the tour," the side's general manager Lindsay Crocker said. "It is hoped that when Kyle recovers from his injury and has some game time under his belt he will be considered for the one-day section of the tour."

O'Brien is the second late addition to the Test squad after Lou Vincent was called up last week to replace Peter Fulton, who requires knee surgery. The 15-man group departs on October 18 and has two warm-up matches before the two-Test series starts at Johannesburg on November 8. A Twenty20 international and three ODIs will follow the Tests.