Ngidi hopeful Proteas 'should be alright' without Bavuma, Quinny available for England ODIs

Lungi Ngidi believes the Proteas "should be alright" in the absence of regular skipper Temba Bavuma when their three-match ODI series against England commences on Tuesday.

The diminutive right-hander fractured his elbow during the recent T20 series against India, an assignment from which the South Africans emerged with a 2-2 stalemate, and is now in a race against time to be ready for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

Bavuma is a divisive figure in the shortest form of the game, where detractors point to his apparent lack of a power game, but has proved his mettle in the 50-over stuff, averaging over 45 at a good strike rate of 82.

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"It's very unfortunate that he got injured," said Ngidi, who'll be a crucial presence in a Proteas attack missing the rested Kagiso Rabada for the English skirmish.

"As a top-order batter, Temba leaves a big void. He had some good momentum going [during the home summer], so he's a big miss. Obviously, it's an opportunity for someone else to get a run in the series. We have full confidence in those guys, so I think we should be alright.

"But it would've been nice to have Temba's leadership and stature in the team."

One of the beneficiaries in this regard - despite being an incumbent member of the 50-over squad - is former Durham man Aiden Markram, whose knowledge of conditions at the Riverside in Chester-le-Street, where the opening ODI takes place, could prove useful.

"Yeah, any information we can get about conditions will be important," said Ngidi.

"I believe we actually played a World Cup game here as well, so a few guys are familiar with how the wicket plays. But extra info is