South Africa has suffered a huge blow with skipper AB de Villiers ruled out of home one-day internationals and away Test series against Australia due to an elbow injury.

The Proteas’ best batsman failed a fitness test on Tuesday, Cricket South Africa announced, and he will have an elbow operation next week.

De Villiers is to have surgery on his left elbow after failing a fitness test on Tuesdayhttps://t.co/DcbeWsA6Xg

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) September 27, 2016

Australia’s five-match ODI series against South Africa starts in Centurion on Friday while they will host the Proteas in three Tests in November.

AB de Villiers is still symptomatic and has not recovered from his elbow impingement injury which makes surgery the only long-term solution,” team manager Mohammed Moosajee said in a statement.

“We have tried the conservative management of rest, physio, rehab and cortisone infiltration into the elbow, but that has not yielded the results that we would have liked.

“He will have surgery to the elbow early next week and the target is to hopefully have him back for the Sri Lankan home series over the Christmas period.”

Rilee Rossouw will replace De Villiers for the ODI series.