Hansie Cronje's team whitewashed West Indies 5-0 in a recent series before beating Sri Lanka 2-0. Then they continued their winning ways in steamroller fashion by beating Zimbabwe by an innings in Bloemfontein 10 days ago.

The Test in Zimbabwe is to start tomorrow.

Zimbabwe's hopes of halting the South Africans, or even providing them with serious opposition in the return fixture, are therefore seen as extremely slim, especially because Zimbabwe was thrashed 3-0 by Australia in an international series last month and by 10 wickets in a one-off Test.

The home side has further problems. Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell resigned yesterday after taking what he saw as too much public and private criticism over Zimbabwe's and his own recent poor performances.

Campbell's once formidable batting averages have slumped to 27. Campbell, 27, had pledged to make himself available to play ``without the pressures of captaincy.''

Perhaps Campbell's batting will improve without the responsibility. He has made few runs recently. The job has been handed back until the end of the year to Andy Flower, who himself decided three years ago he could not handle captaincy, wicket-keeping and batting at the same time. Neil Johnson will act as vice-captain.

South Africa fields the same team that won in Bloemfontein but Zimbabwe will have to do without bowlers Heath Streak, Paul Strang and Adam Huckle.

TEAMS

Zimbabwe (from): Andy Flower (captain), Grant Flower, Murray Goodwin, Alistair Campbell, Neil Johnson, Trevor Gripper, Stuart Carlisle, Guy Whittall, Henry Olonga, Bryan Strang, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Raymond Price, Everton Matambanadzo.

South Africa: Adam Bacher, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje (captain), Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Allan Donald, Paul Adams. 12th man: Nicky Boje. Umpires: Darren Hare (Australia), Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe), Third umpire Graeme Evans.