Selectors missed a trick not resting Rabada

The Proteas seem to be getting back on a roll under new coach Ottis Gibson, but there is nevertheless one aspect of their selection that has been bugging me. The news that Hashim Amla will be rested from the third and final ODI against Bangladesh in East London tomorrow means nothing now deters them from also resting Kagiso Rabada if they play their cards right.

Cricket-followers from abroad, who are not acquainted with our unique team balance considerations, will think it bizarre that I am linking the selection of a premier fast bowler with that of a prolific opening batsman, but this is South Africa where the ghastly social engineering crime known as apartheid has left us trying to unravel the knotted mess that disadvantaged the majority of the population. Sometimes we have to use methods that are remarkably similar to apartheid.

In order to meet their transformation targets at the end of the season, the Proteas are expected to play two black Africans in every XI, as well as six players of colour in total.

This has led to an extraordinary workload for Rabada, who is arguably the only black African player absolutely assured of his place. The 22-year-old has bowled the most overs in international cricket in the last 18 months – 882.4 in 58 matches across all three formats.

For a young man of such high value to the team, this is worrying. I really hope the management put into practice all their talk about managing workloads and now give Rabada a break. This can be easily done because Temba Bavuma is in the ODI squad and is a ready-made replacement for Amla, having scored 113 opening the batting in the only ODI he has played, against Ireland last year.

What is concerning is that Aiden Markram – another opening batsman – has been called into the squad and, sensible as it is to get him into the ODI structure, the Proteas really don’t want to dig another transformation hole for themselves by choosing him to replace Amla and leapfrogging Bavuma. That smacks of the window-dressing disgrace that saw Aaron Phangiso traipse around the 2015 World Cup in Australasia without getting a game.

While redressing the wrongs of the past and ensuring greater black African representation in the national team are noble objectives, the method of achieving this is sometimes a bit like using a hammer for brain surgery. There are unintended consequences and one of those is the extra workload put on young Rabada’s shoulders.

There is already talk from within the Proteas camp of Rabada having lost a bit of pace, which can only be due to physical fatigue given how good his action is; it is imperative that Gibson and his coaching staff control the number of overs this national treasure is bowling.

Once Lungi Ngidi is over his back injury – the 21-year-old played a three-day match, bowling 17 overs for Northerns, last weekend and is in line to play for the Titans in their Sunfoil Series local derby against the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers from Monday – there will be less pressure on Rabada, but it will be a while before Ngidi is back in the international frame and Rabada needs to be protected now.

Otherwise it is only going to be a question of when rather than if he breaks down – which Test series would you prefer Rabada to miss: the one against India or the Australians?

Whoever he shares the new ball with (that depends on who recovers quickest and best between Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris and Dale Steyn), it is imperative that South Africa have their premier fast bowler fit and firing against those powerful batting line-ups.