SA coach Gibson adjusts sights on 2019 World Cup
bloemfontein — With a 2-0 Test series victory over Bangladesh out of the way, new South Africa head coach Ottis Gibson has started planning for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
After winning the second Test with two days to spare, the first of three one-day internationals against Bangladesh is set for Kimberley on Sunday and it will mark the first stage on a long road to the showpiece in England. Former West Indies allrounder Gibson has been charged with ending South Africa’s failure to win a major global event. After South Africa’s innings win against Bangladesh, he said he and captain Faf du Plessis have already started working towards the tournament.
“We’ve got about 30 to 35 one-day games between now and 2019,” said Gibson. “The idea between Faf and myself and the selectors is to have a look at players, to give opportunities to players who might be on the fringes, so that in a year’s time we narrow that pool down. At the moment we need a wide pool of players to look at so we can start to see who we might need, also bearing in mind the conditions. We’ll be playing in England, so we’ll be looking at the type of players we might need for those conditions, to give them opportunities in the next year.”
Gibson said that in the year leading
We’ve got about 30 to 35 one-day games between now and 2019 Ottis Gibson
up to the World Cup, he hoped to have a good idea of which players to take.
Gibson has had talks with fast bowler Morne Morkel, who reportedly is thinking of accepting a county contract in England if he doesn’t get assurances that he will be part of the World Cup plans. “That’s not my understanding,” said Gibson. He is looking forward to meeting star batsman AB de Villiers, who was not available for the Tests, but is currently playing in a first-class match for his franchise, the Titans. De Villiers will also play for a South African Invitation XI in a warm-up match for Bangladesh in Bloemfontein on Thursday, ahead of the oneday internationals.—