Zimbabwe series could be a good time to look at younger quicks
JOHANNESBURG: An extreme hunger and deep passion to represent the country underscores the resilience in this Proteas team and even a change in captaincy didn’t lead to a lessening of those attributes.
A loud cheer greeted Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and a few other members of the playing and management staff as they strode into the arrivals hall at OR Tambo last night. The gathering of fans was increased by those who’d come to welcome back the successful ‘Blitzbokke’ Sevens team who were on the same flight from Dubai as some of the cricket squad.
Like their rugby compatriots, the cricketers too had some significant reasons to celebrate, achieving a first Test series win in Sri Lanka in 21 years and a first One-Day International series win ever in that country.
“The last time South Africa won there, (bowling coach) Allan Donald was still bowling at 150km/h … it’s a very difficult place to tour and have success,” said coach Russell Domingo. “To win a Test series over there is something the players can feel very proud of.”
The two-match Test series was won 1-0 off the back of a historic victory in Galle, where new skipper Amla’s second innings declaration caught many by surprise and wasn’t universally popular in his own dressingroom.
“I wasn’t very comfortable with it, with giving them a sniff,” De Villiers admitted yesterday.
The second Test was drawn in thrilling fashion with South Africa hanging on with two wickets in hand on a viciously turning track in Colombo.
It was the third time in less than two years that South Africa had managed a draw when everything appeared to be against them.
“It’s an extreme hunger and deep passion that the team has to represent the country as best as it can,” Amla said yesterday.
“To put (thoughts about your) averages aside, to put the ego aside for the accolade of maybe getting a fifty or a hundred, that kind of stuff was immaterial. The best example was JP (Duminy) who got six off (123 balls) in the match and it’s not an easy thing to do as a batsman.
“We’ve got a very good team culture and in certain situations it’s about what you need to be successful. The efficiency with which the batsmen operate has been a feature.”
South Africa’s next Test assignment is a one-off match against Zimbabwe in Harare next month, and the selectors named an unchanged squad for that encounter yesterday.
Though there were questions marks about Imran Tahir (four wickets at an average of 84) and Alviro Petersen (68 runs at an average of 17) in particular, Domingo said he would be loath to make changes.
Adding to the triumphant nature of the month-long tour was the 2-1 win in the One-Day series, which further suggested that the structures being put in place ahead of next year’s World Cup were working.
South Africa will play a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe next month, which will be followed by a triangular series involving Zimbabwe and Australia. Domingo and the selectors meet next week to pick that squad with frontline bowlers Dale Steyn, Morné Morkel and Vernon Philander to be rested for the ODIs against Zimbabwe.
“It might be an ideal time to look at some of our younger fast bowlers in those three matches.
“Guys like Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell, who have not had a lot of game time, it might be a great opportunity for AB to see what they can do,” he said.