Australia, Pakistan and South Africa to play in Abu Dhabi

South Africa, Australia and Pakistan will play in a triangular mini-tournament at Abu Dhabi in September as preparation for the Champions Trophy to be played in India the following month.

The tournament, which will have the teams play one match against each other, will fall into South Africa's schedule just after two one-day matches against Zimbabwe at home.

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, is happy that his team will have the additional practice and he hopes that it will be an opportunity for injured players - Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp - to get back into action.

"We faced having a month of inactivity after the Sri Lanka tour, ahead of the Champions Trophy," Arthur told South African website iol.co.za. "Now we'll have just two weeks rest after Sri Lanka, and the benefit of games in sub-continent conditions in Abu Dhabi (UAE) leading into the Champions Trophy."

While Smith injured his ankle and is out for 12 weeks, Kallis underwent surgery on his elbow that has been troubling him since last November and Kemp is recovering from an operation on a joint between his collar-bone and shoulder. But they are all expected to recover in time for the tournament.