Team SA has been hit by withdrawals ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with high-profile casualties including cricketer Marizanne Kapp and mountain-biker Alan Hatherly, who took bronze four years ago. 

Team management said on Wednesday morning Kapp had pulled out for personal reasons while Trisha Chetty was injured. 

Hatherly had a conflict with race schedules while Mariska Strauss, who was supposed to compete in the women’s mountain bike cross-country race, had contracted Covid-19. 

Road cyclist Nicholas Dlamini was injured and had been replaced by Callum Ormiston. 

There were further injuries to para-athlete star Ernst van Dyk and triathlete Nicholas Quenet, who are being replaced by Tiaan Bosch and Dylan Nortje. 

Luxolo Adams, SA’s 200m track sprinter, has pulled out because of fatigue, but hammer-thrower Allan Cumming has been included in the squad. 

The Games start on Friday.