Langeveldt balances present and future attack

WHILE preparations for South Africa’s lengthy tour of India take priority right now, bowling coach Charl Langeveldt’s is also to manage the inevitable transition that the South African attack will undergo in the coming years.

In one sense that process has already started with the new spinners in the Test side, and, of course, the elevation of Kagiso Rabada into the limitedteams.

But over the next few years the much-heralded seam bowling trio who propelled South Africa to the No 1 Test spot will slowly leave the scene, and it will be one of Langeveldt’s major tasks to build a new attack.

“I want the competition from the new guys,” said Langeveldt, who was appointed as Allan Donald’s successor in June.

“Everyone lifts their game in such a case. It’s important to have that competition. What I don’t want is that ‘so-and-so is going to play’. You still have to earn the right to play for South Africa.”

In the short term, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel will be crucial to the team’s success. Nevertheless Rabada, Kyle Abbott, Marchant de Lange and a refreshed Chris Morris will provide the kind of depth needed to keep those at the top on their toes.

It’s clear, given his presence in all three teams, that Rabada is at the front of the queue should injury or a serious lack of form hit the top three.

However, Langeveldt was loath to outline a timeline for his possible inclusion in the Test starting line-up.

“We are winning Test matches, so it will be hard for him to get in the side. India may be even harder for him because we might play two frontline spinners.

“We have three seamers who have done well for a number of years, but if an injury comes along, you never know.

“What I want to do is to make sure that he is prepared to play. I can’t control when he plays, and neither can he, but what we can do is to be ready to play.”

Langeveldt, who was working with Morris, De Lange and Rabada in Centurion yesterday, is on a short tour around the country to ensure the bowlers picked for the Indian tour are up to speed before the team’s departure in two weeks.

“We have just one warm-up game, two practices and then we play the internationals, so I feel like we have to start building it up here.

“Our fast bowlers are still the key in India. Steyn bowls well in India, he gets it to reverse, and his extra pace, he’s a skiddy bowler, helps him get that lbw or bowled.”

South Africa head to India on September 26 for a 72-day tour that includes three T20s, five ODIs and four Tests.