Boucher has a pleasant selection headache
AUSTRALIA would have departed South Africa yesterday incredulous about just who had beaten them 3-0 in the one-day international series.
It’s not the fact that it was the Proteas who won, rather the players wearing the SA outfit. If you would have told the Australian players a year ago that Kyle Verreynne, Janneman Malan, Heinrich Klaasen and Anrich Nortje would sweep them in a series, many of them would have scrunched up their faces and gone: “Huh!”
And it’s Verreynne, Klaasen, Nortje and Malan – the latter added to the squad on Saturday as cover for Temba Bavuma – who will be part of a 16-player party headed to India for three ODIs looking to continue to build on the confidence gained from thumping Australia at the end of a home international summer, that has had more downs than ups for SA cricket.
“What’s impressed me is that the guys have responded to the messages that we have been sending out from a batting and a bowling perspective,” said Proteas coach Mark Boucher “They were prepared to change their mindsets a bit and (we) also (had) a lot of different players, stepping up.”
Since the administrative changes at Cricket SA late last year, Boucher and interim director of cricket, Graeme Smith, have stressed the importance of players taking the opportunities being given to them and in that respect, Klaasen – who struggled last year when trying to crack a spot in the World Cup squad, Malan, Nortje and Verreynne have certainly utilised the opportunities granted to them.
Boucher has been left with a pleasant selection headache for the Indian series. Bavuma is still struggling with his hamstring strain and is a doubt for Thursday’s opening match in Dharamsala. Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen also need to be accommodated.
“Temba owns that spot, and if he can get back in, he gets back in. It’s good to see that Janneman has put his hand up, he’s one of those youngsters who’ve come through and played great cricket and taken his chance. I’d love to play 20 guys, but you can’t do that, you must select the best players for the conditions we are playing in and that is what we have to do,” said Boucher.
How to squeeze Du Plessis into a starting team will be another difficult call for Boucher and captain Quinton de Kock. “Faf has done really well for SA in one-day cricket, he’s got a hundred in his last knock, he knows Indian conditions really well,” Boucher said.
Boucher said the SA players would follow the lead of the England players, who are on tour in Sri Lanka and forego handshakes over concerns about the coronavirus. The SA team will be accompanied by CSA’s chief medical officer Dr Shuaib Manjra, to keep them informed about the latest developments concerning the virus.
SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (capt), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Kyle Verreynne, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Jon-Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lundi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Anrich Nortje, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj.