Will Morne be a champion reinforcer for the Proteas?
RUSSELL DOMINGO will surely be keeping one eye on the domestic One-Day Cup, and in particular Morne Morkel’s fitness, despite being thousands of miles away in New Zealand from next week.
South Africa may currently be comfortably 4-0 up in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, and preparing to secure a second consecutive ODI whitewash against the islanders, but after Tuesday’s fourth ODI at Newlands it is clear that the Proteas’ fast bowling division will need to be reinforced before the Champions Trophy in England and Wales in June.
The national selectors yesterday retained the 14-man squad that are on duty in the Sri Lanka series for the single T20 and five ODIs against the Black Caps starting next Friday in Auckland. The only addition is Cape Cobras paceman Dane Paterson providing cover for Dwaine Pretorius who will remain at home for the first week of the tour due to his wife giving birth to their first child.
“Dane will travel with the squad when they leave on Saturday and will return to South Africa once Dwaine joins the squad,” said national selection chief, Linda Zondi. “We, as selectors are very happy with the way the squad has gelled over the past six months and consistency in selection is very important as we continue our build-up towards the ICC Champions Trophy tournament (in England in July).
“New Zealand are playing very good cricket at the moment and as always will provide very tough opposition, particularly under their home conditions.”
The selectors were, however, hamstrung due to the non-availability of Titans rookie fast bowler Lungi Ngidi. The 20-year-old Tukkies student made a big impression in his first couple of T20 International appearances against Sri Lanka and would have been expected to continue his progress in the one-dayers were it not for a hip injury stalling his momentum. Ngidi has yet to fully recover and might only return in the latter stages of the One-Day Cup.
This situation therefore places the focus squarely on Morkel and his recovery after South Africa’s bowling unit came under intense pressure on Tuesday evening for the first time. Morkel has been battling with a back injury since last July.
With captain AB de Villiers keeping Kagiso Rabada away from the new ball at Newlands, the responsibility was handed to Wayne Parnell and Pretorius. Although both all-rounders came back superbly in their second spells with Parnell finishing with 4/58 and Pretorius with 2/55, the way they started would have been concerning as the Sri Lankan openers Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella lashed 100 runs without in just 10 overs.
Proteas Test and T20 captain Faf du Plessis, who stroked a marvellous 185 to power South Africa to 367/5 at Newlands, believes South Africa’s inexperienced bowlers would have benefited a great deal from almost failing to defend the highest ODI score ever at the ground.
“It was a pressure situation, we know that they are very topheavy and score runs up front, and the bowlers possibly didn’t start as well as they would have liked, but they came back,” Du Plessis said after the Sri Lankans were eventually dismissed for 327.
“It’s important that we get pushed. Especially with a young bowling unit, we want to get those bowlers in some pressurised moments because that’s what big games are all about. That’s the difference between winning tournaments and not - the pressure.”
Morkel, along with the injured Dale Steyn, was seen at the nets in the build-up to the Newlands ODI and even loosened up to send down a few deliveries. Considering the lanky fast bowler has not made himself available for the IPL this year, it is clear that the 32-year-old remains committed to playing for South Africa and is doing everything possible to be fit for the Champions Trophy.
While it would be ideal if Morkel found some sort of form during the One-Day Cup playing for the Titans, the primary goal should rather be that the 108-cap ODI veteran gets through the tournament injury-free and at least has some sort of rhythm leading up to the global showpiece in the United Kingdom.