Proteas again fall short of fans’ expectations
I CONSIDERED simplifying this letter by saying to the Proteas and their “lack of brains” trust (that is, management team), bad luck, you tried your best (which obviously wasn’t nearly good enough), just come home and let’s move on . . . but no ways!
Like rabbits caught in headlights, they simply “choked” again.
Fear of failure, panic, confusion (three run-outs), freneticism, brainless decision-making (the selection of Wayne Parnell, batsmen playing across the line when the majority of spin bowlers were bowling wicket to wicket with very little turn, running to misfields, etc) and gutless performances by some batsmen.
The Proteas bowlers tried hard, but if your batsmen cannot create scoreboard pressure you negate the effect that Imran Tahir can have on a game.
All we heard before this tournament was how ready the squad was, being so well prepared, so many batsmen in the top 10 in the world, having the best bowler in the world and on top of this being rated the number one side.
They were playing in, in my humble opinion, a worthless but necessary one-on-one series where there was so little pressure, mini tournaments, etc – yet the Proteas failed dismally again.
How often have we seen “this movie”? Actually every second year in major tournaments!
These players earn exorbitant salaries, yet continue to fail in major events.
Maybe it’s time their salaries should be performance-based for major tournaments or would this mean they would become paupers?
JP Duminy and Parnell were included. I’d rather have had Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw, but our sports minister ruled that one out – so let’s don’t go there again!
AB de Villiers, thanks for the memories but move on and let’s have Faf du Plessis take over the reins.
Not quite sure how much you actually want to represent your country since that Vernon Philander conundrum landed in your lap a few years ago!
The brains trust (that is the “lack of management group”), do the honourable thing and resign. Enough said.
Ah well, the Bokke and Bafana won (with a new coach), so was it too much to expect that the Proteas would win as well?
Del Mangan, Port Elizabeth