Fresh faces in Proteas Test squad
Heino Kuhn’s impressive displays for SA ‘A’ team earn him a call-up
SOUTH AFRICA’S selectors have seemingly run out of patience with Wayne Parnell, while Stephen Cook’s lack of run-scoring output at Durham has cost him his spot in the 16-man squad named yesterday for the four Tests against England.
In their stead, Aiden Markram, Heino Kuhn and Andile Phehlukwayo will all be given an opportunity for a series which will likely start with Dean Elgar captaining the team at Lord’s in the first Test starting next Thursday. Faf du Plessis looks like he’ll miss that match as his wife Imari, awaits the birth of the couple’s first child.
For Cook, it appears his Test career may be over after just 11 games. It was always likely to be a bit of a ‘stopgap’ pick, as the selectors waited for Markram (pictured) to mature, but it’s still been a shorter stint than either the player or the selection panel would have wanted.
Last summer Cook wasn’t at his best – although he made two centuries – and his struggles in New Zealand accelerated calls for his axing. In an attempt to restore some confidence – and to please the selectors – he decided on a stint at Durham in the English County competition, but an average of 26.76 in 14 innings with just two half-centuries was never going to be enough, particularly with Kuhn drawing attention his way with some sparkling performances for the SA “A” side, which concluded its tour of England at the weekend.
The 33-year-old right hander, who’s played seven T20 Internationals, scored a century and a double century in a couple of 4-day games for the A-side, while there was also an unbeaten 81 in a one-day game against the England Lions as well.
Kuhn’s selection reflects more than just what he achieved on the “A” tour however. He also covers the reserve wicket-keeper spot and can bat anywhere in the top 6.
The Proteas will face the England Lions in a four-day game starting on Thursday, with Kuhn likely to partner Elgar at the top of the order, while Theunis de Bruyn will probably slot in at no.5 in Du Plessis’ absence – for now Markram is on a sort of internship with the squad.
Kuhn’s arguably been the most consistent player on the domestic scene in the past two seasons. In the 2015/16 summer he scored 1126 runs when the Titans won the Sunfoil Series, while last season his return of 527 runs came at an average of 43.91.
Parnell’s inconsistency has cost him his place, and his confidence took a battering in the Champions Trophy, and in the only T20 match he played in the recent series he conceded 26 runs in 2 overs.
Parnell’s potential and his productivity differ drastically – when he’s good, the 27-year-old is very good but when he’s bad, he’s awful – and captains cannot afford such a dramatic differential in the Test arena.
Parnell has now dropped below Chris Morris and 21-year-old Phehlukwayo in South Africa’s all-rounders ranks, and even though Parnell’s bowling, when he’s on song, is maybe more dynamic than the other two, whoever captains the Proteas will trust that Morris and Phehlukwayo can stick to a plan for a reasonable amount of time.
In Phehlukwayo’s case he certainly seems to have grown as an international since making his debut last summer.
How he fares in the first class arena is something of a mystery, given he’s had very little exposure to long form cricket, having only played 24 first class matches. Last season he represented the Dolphins five times in the Sunfoil Series, but his statistics from those matches didn’t set the competition alight.
For now he, along with Morris, is being viewed as cover for Vernon Philander, who damaged his ankle and last played for Sussex two weeks ago.
Before then Philander had had a lengthy period on the sidelines with a groin injury – and there will be concerns about whether he can make it through a four Test series scheduled to be played over four weeks.
On paper at least South Africa, even in Dale Steyn’s absence, have a strong attack, with Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada a potent triumvirate, backed up by the control of Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin.
If Philander does sit out at Lord’s, or at any other point in the series, then Morris, who showed some good energy in the T20s, will most likely earn a third Test cap – his last having come also against England in that dreadful defeat at the Wanderers in January last year.