Joe Root: England captain misses training in South Africa through illness

England captain Joe Root missed practice for the third Test against South Africa with a stomach upset.

Root, 29, stayed at the team hotel while players trained on Sunday but he is expected to be fit for the match, which starts on Thursday.

England's tour has been badly affected with 11 players suffering with illness, while Rory Burns and James Anderson have been ruled out with injuries.

The four-match series is 1-1 after England's 189-run victory in Cape Town.

Ollie Pope, Chris Woakes and Jack Leach were ruled out of the 107-run first-Test defeat in Centurion, while Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes spent time off the field.

All-rounder Woakes has been declared fit for the third Test at Port Elizabeth, but there are still doubts over pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.

Archer missed the second Test with a right elbow injury, while Wood has long-standing knee and side injuries.

Both Archer and Wood bowled in Sunday's practice, with Archer doing so at a reduced pace.

Leach has recovered from illness but his Somerset team-mate Dom Bess, who took two wickets in the second Test, is expected to keep his place ahead of him.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has apologised for swearing at South Africa pace bowler Vernon Philander during the last Test.

Buttler was fined 15% of his match fee after he was heard on the stump microphone using an obscenity during England's thrilling 189-run win.

"As role models we have a duty to behave in a certain way," Buttler told Test Match Special.

"It's just one of those things, the heat of the moment and a bit of red mist.

"In Test cricket there are lots of high emotions at times and things can be said that don't necessarily mean anything."

Source: BBC News

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