New Delhi, Sept. 1 -- At just 20, Kwena Maphaka could be poised to step into the shoes of South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada when the defending ICC World Test Championship champions host Australia later this year.

"I really hope that KG [Rabada] is back in time. But if that doesn't happen, it's one of those things where somebody has to step up, and if that's me, I'm really confident in my abilities," Maphaka told Cricinfo, as per ICC.

Rabada injured his right hamstring during training a few days ago and was subsequently ruled out of the ODIs against Australia. While there is currently no confirmed timeline for his recovery, South Africa will be hoping their star pacer returns in time for the three-match Test series against Austr...