Faf speaks on the return of AB
POTCHEFSTROOM: Last summer before AB de Villiers had made up his mind about playing Test cricket, his presence loomed over a fragile Proteas batting unit. Now that he’s committed to playing the fiveday game once more, his name again hovers over the team as it tries to re-establish itself following a poor series in England.
De Villiers won’t be available until the series against India next January. In the meanwhile, a batting unit that struggled in England and was inconsistent last summer, needs to build confidence ahead of more significant challenges that await later in the season.
That it is not to say Bangladesh, whom South Africa face in the first Test of the season starting today (10am start), are to be under-estimated.
Their away record may be poor – just four wins in 47 matches – and they’re without their best player, Shakib Al Hasan, but they’ve got some confidence following that historic win recently over the Australians.
The next step in their development is being more competitive away from home and SA offers the first chance to display whatever new approach skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and coach Chandika Hathurusingha have concocted.
SA still expect to win, but within its outlook for the series – being overseen by new coach Ottis Gibson – there is the vital task of the home team’s batsmen making runs – something which in difficult conditions in England, with the exception of Dean Elgar, they failed to do.
Into the mix has come a sixth new opening partner for Elgar in the last two years, Aiden Markram of whom an incredible amount is expected but who appears to have the temperament to cope. That combination will apparently be given time to bed-in and hopefully that stability will allow the rest of the batting order to flourish.
Hashim Amla, has the opportunity to show that his career is not on the wane, while skipper Faf du Plessis, who confirmed that Temba Bavuma will bat at No 4, also has to rekindle some form after a lean run in England.
It is over that middle order that De Villiers looms. Du Plessis acknowledged that it was hard to talk about his good mate right now, but he also couldn’t escape the fact that players were under pressure to perform with De Villiers set for a return.
“In an ideal world you want to give players the opportunity that they deserve in the current set up. It’s one of those things where we have to make a decision when the time comes,” said Du Plessis. “For now, it’s difficult to tell a player ‘you’re only playing two games, and then AB is coming back.’ But there is that expectation.
“AB’s only made himself available for the Indian series, so he understands if the guys are doing well and he doesn’t get an opportunity that will also be the case. It’s really difficult for me to speak about this now, I can only answer that when AB is officially back.”
Of course De Villiers, having last played Test cricket in January 2016 – a match in which he made a “pair” – himself has to prove his readiness for the longest format. He has given no indication about whether he will avail himself for the Titans for the first half of the Sunfoil Series which concludes at the end of October.
Du Plessis explained yesterday about the value he and the other batsmen got out of playing in the domestic fourday competition last week, with Amla, Theunis de Bruyn, Elgar and Markram all scoring centuries while Du Plessis scored 96. De Villiers, unless he avails himself for the Titans, won’t get that chance before the Indian series with the Sunfoil Series only resuming next February.
The two Tests against Bangladesh and the one-off daynight affair with Zimbabwe on Boxing Day provides the opportunity for those currently within the set-up to properly establish themselves and give the selectors a genuine headache by the time Virat Kohli’s team rolls into town.
“We are at home, we need to step up and make sure we score some runs,” said Du Plessis. Of the Senwes Park pitch he added: “It looks like a good batting wicket, and all the guys are in good touch.”
SA had requested a surface with pace and bounce, but both Du Plessis and his opposite number Mushfiqur admitted that the pitch looked dry with touring team’s captain believing his spinners could come into play if Bangladesh could push the match into day five.