Faf on SA’s strategy: all-out bowling attack

THE PITCHES in England may be serving the batsmen well, but the Proteas won’t budge from their strategy for this year’s World Cup of blasting opposing teams with their arsenal of wicket-taking bowlers.

“We have made it clear that with the resources we have, with (Kagiso) Rabada, (Dale) Steyn, (Lungi) Ngidi, (Imran) Tahir and even to a degree (Tabraiz) Shamsi, we believe that is what will win us the tournament, so we won’t compromise that,” said captain Faf du Plessis.

“Runs will be irrelevant if you have the strongest bowling attack at the World Cup,” he said.

It’s a sentiment shared by Indian great Rahul Dravid, who at the weekend told Indian media that bowling teams out would be central to success at the tournament.

“In a high-scoring World Cup, having bowlers who can take wickets in the middle will be very important. Teams that are taking wickets through those middle overs in those high-scoring games have a better chance of restricting the opposition,” said Dravid.

South Africa came to that conclusion just before the tour of Australia last year, when the side’s strategy changed. It most affected the number of all-rounders South Africa were going to take in their 15-man squad.

At one stage, it looked like they would take four seam bowling allrounders, playing two in the starting 11, thereby giving Du Plessis more options with the ball, and also lengthening the batting order.

Injuries have already reared their ugly head with Dale Steyn a doubt for the tournament opener against England on May30, owing to a shoulder injury.

Both Rabada (back) and Ngidi (side strain) have battled ailments recently and if one or more of that trio miss matches, South Africa will be compromised.

It is one of the reasons that Chris Morris, a late replacement for the injured Anrich Nortje, has been told that in the context of this World Cup he needs to think of himself as a bowler first, so that South Africa maintain that wicket-taking mindset.

England showed again yesterday what a potent batting line-up they have, scoring more than 300 for the fourth consecutive game against Pakistan.