‘Spin-shy South Africa headed for another World Cup failure’
I don’t think they’ll ever win the World Cup. Teams winning the World Cup have had quality spinners and have been able to play spin well.
FANIE DE VILLIERS, On South Africa
CAPE TOWN: South Africa struggling against spin in ODIS isn’t unusual. But the way they capitulated in Sunday’s game shocked everyone.
Quite strangely, the Proteas have been publicly claiming they are preparing for the 2019 World Cup and blooding in youngsters in this series even though most of the batsmen in current XI are seniors. In the second ODI, barring Aiden Markram and Khaya Zondo, who replaced injured AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, all are first team players and seniors -- Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, David Miller and Chris Morris.
Unfortunately, none of them, barring Morris, have shown the determination and skill to stay on, especially against spin.
The abysmal show prompted former South Africa paceman Fanie de Villiers to question their chances at the World Cup. “If this is the best the South Africans have, I don’t think they’ll ever win the World Cup. Because teams winning the World Cup have had quality spinners and also have been able to play spin well. Teams like Pakistan and Sri Lanka have won the Cup but not South Africa. Why? Because of the difference spin makes,” said De Villiers, whose tight and smart bowling on placid surfaces of Sharjah and India in the 90s made him one of the best ODI bowlers SA has produced.
De Villiers has a point. In its modern avatar, with coloured clothing and white ball, the World Cup has seen most champion teams rely on spinners. In 1992, Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed was joint second highest wicket-taker. In 1996, the quartet of Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Dharmasena and Aravinda de Silva took Sri Lanka to title and in 1999, Aussie leggie Shane Warne took 20 wickets to be joint highest wicket-taker. Saqlain Mushtaq, who ended as runner-up with Pakistan was his team’s top wicket-taker with 17. In 2007 too, Australia’s Chinaman Brad Hogg featured high on the list while Yuvraj Singh’s golden arm played a role in India’s win in 2011.
And all of these teams, including Australia of 2003 and 2015 who didn’t rely much on spinners, had shown the ability to play spinners well. In fact, the Aussies beat the subcontinental teams quite convincingly in all the editions they won.
South Africa’s bane in World Cups, in contrast, has been spin.
“It has been that way. In the 1996 quarter-finals, they were cruising but crashed against spin,” says De Villiers referring to the match where SA folded for 245 against West Indies after being 186/3 to lose by 19 runs. They lost eight wickets to spinners. Off-break bowler Roger Harper took four but part-time spinners Keith Arthurton and Jimmy Adams shared four wickets.
In the 1999 semi-finals, legspinner Shane Warne ran through them picking four as they struggled to chase 213 while in the 2003 Cup game against Sri Lanka where they messed up on D/L method to crash out, spinners shared five out of their six wickets to fall.
One reason why the Proteas are struggling to find players who can put pressure on established stars is because a lot of talent has moved out. Players like Rilee Roussow – part of 2015 World Cup team, Stiaan Van Zyl, the children of former cricketers Ray Jennings and Kepler Wessels, Colin Ingram, Richard Levi, Hardus Viljoen and Kyle Abbott have all moved abroad. There are others like Colin Munro and Grant Elliott who moved to New Zealand.