SA’S batsman Du Plessis rested for ODI series against England
CAPE TOWN: Senior South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis has been rested for the upcoming threematch ODI series against England, Cricket South Africa confirmed on Thursday.
Along with du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada, Pite van Biljon, Bjorn Fortuin and Reeza Hendricks have also been released from the squad.
“The following players have been released from the squad to either join their franchise teams who continueplayinginthecsafour-daydomesticseries or for rest and/or recuperation; Faf du Plessis (rest), Kagiso Rabada (injury rehabilitation, recuperation and rest), Pite van Biljon, Bjorn Fortuin and Reeza Hendricks (all to return to 4-Day Domestic Series),” CSA said in a statement.
du Plessis played all the three T20IS for the Proteas which they lost to England. He scored 121 runs, with his highest score being 58 which came in the first T20I on Nov.27.
Meanwhile, Rabada, who had sustained a right adductor strain -- one that also kept him out of the dead-rubber final T20I at Newlands -- had already been ruled out of the ODI series which begins Friday in Cape Town.
“The player will be released from the squad and bio-secure environment tomorrow to begin recovery, rehabilitation and preparation for the Betway Test series against Sri Lanka beginning on December 26,” a CSA release stated on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, England one-day captain Eoin Morgan said on Thursday that he would continue to make use of signals from the team balcony.
Television coverage during the third Twenty20 international against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday captured images of numbers and leters being displayed by video analyst Nathan Leamon.
“There’s been no real signals,” said Morgan. “Therehasalwaysbeenconstantcommunication, verbal or physical, from the change room to us the field to help improve my decisions as captain and Jos Butler’s decisions as vice-captain,” said Morgan. He said the England team did its research before a game and any signals were intended to show how the data might have changed during the match.
“It’s something we’ve used a lot pre-game and are now experimenting with in the game to see if we can improve our performance on the field.”
Morgan revealed that signals had been used in all three T20 matches.
“There weren’t many decisions that varied from mine. I think there were three in the first game, two in the second and a couple in the third,” said Morgan ahead of a three-match one-day series against South Africa, starting at Newlands on Friday.
He said he believed the tactical innovation was “100 percent within the spirit of the game”.
It was previously reported that the England camp had cleared their plan to use signals with the match officials before the first match.
“We’re definitely going to continue with it to give it enough sample size to see whether it improves our decision-making on the field,” said Morgan.
South Africa squad: Quinton de Kock (captain), Temba Bavuma, Junior Dala, Beuran Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-jon Smuts, Glenton Stuurman, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne.