Australia call Sayers to replace Bird for South Africa tour

New Delhi: Cricket Australia drafted Chadd Sayers in the 15-member Test squad for the South Africa tour with pacer Jackson Bid set to miss the flight with a hamstring injury.

Bird pulled his hamstring while bowling in a domestic game last week and he is expected to be out of action for 3 weeks.

"It's disappointing for Jackson, but it is exciting for Chadd at the same time," Australian captain Steve Smith said.

"It's kind of a like for like sort of bowler, they're pretty similar. They both stand the seam up nicely and Chadd's been rewarded for what he has done in Shield cricket over the last couple of years, which is great."

Sayers was the leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield last season with 62 victims.

Sayers joins fellow quicks Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins and Jye Richardson for the four-Test South Africa series which kicks off on March 1.

Australia - Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.