Johannesburg, Nov 10 (IANS): South Africa have suffered a setback ahead of their three-Test tour of Australia with batter Keegan Petersen pulling out after suffering a hamstring team over the weekend.

Petersen hurt his hamstring during the CSA T20 Challenge final and had to be stretchered off the field. He will need between six to eight weeks to recover from the injury and thus will miss the Australia tour, which starts on December 17.

This is the second tour Petersen will miss since making his international debut in 2021; he contracted Covid-19 last year and was left out of the touring party to New Zealand, said a report in ESPNCricinfo on Thursday.

The report said the CSA is also waiting for an all-clear on the fitness of spinner Keshav Maharaj, who suffered a groin injury at the men's T20 World Cup 2022 and was unable to run while batting against the Netherlands in South Africa's last match. South Africa lost that match and crashed out of the T20 World Cup.

The report said Keshav Maharaj's fitness will be assessed in the next couple of days before the squad for the Australia tour is announced at the end of the week.

In Petersen's absence, the selectors could choose the experienced Rassie van der Dussen, who has recovered from the fracture in his finger suffered during a match against England in August due to which he missed the T20 World Cup.