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Cape Town - Chris Morris is still part of South Africa's plans for next year's World Cup in England despite being overlooked for the upcoming Zimbabwe series.
The 31-year-old has been struggling with a back injury since the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April, but he is now back to full fitness and is expected to hit the ground running when the Titans start their Sunfoil Series against the Dolphins on September 26.
There was no temptation to throw him straight back onto the international stage, though, says Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief of selectors Linda Zondi.
"We didn't consider including him at all. We want him to get through some games and find some form," Zondi told Sport24 on Monday.
"His fitness is back on track and I'm so pleased about that.
"He is still very much part of our plans going into the World Cup."
The bowling allrounder positions in the Proteas ODI side are very much up for grabs.
Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder were given the No 7 and No 8 slots in the most recent five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, and while both players showed encouraging signs with the ball, the batting remains a concern.
What Morris offers South Africa down the order is a big hitter who is capable of clearing the ropes with ease while he can also bowl with serious pace.
He is a genuine allrounder, and he is beginning to look increasingly key to South Africa's World Cup chances.
By getting back into four day cricket while the Proteas are going through three ODIs and three T20Is against Zimbabwe, Morris will be given the opportunity to prove his fitness by bowling long spells and spending significant time at the crease.
Temba Bavuma, meanwhile, looks to be completely out of favour and not part of the World Cup plans.
The 28-year-old has played in just two ODIs and would have been an enticing option given the middle order struggles of Heinrich Klaassen, David Miller and Aiden Markram in Sri Lanka.
"You never know ... there can be injuries," Zondi said.
"We just felt that there were other players and different combinations we wanted to try in the Zimbabwe series."
