South Africa Team Discussion

[Till Valhalla]

Agree with most of your points except your view on Dussen. South Africa really arent a team to drop a good player for his age, and I rate him quite highly.
Also, i think you are rushing the new players in the side. Imo, one of verreynne or van tonder should be given a debut in place of faf and of bavuma or dussen are substandard, the other should get an oppportunity too.
I also think that it wont be the worst idea to make markram bat 3 and get someone like pieter malan back to open.
Agree with you putting de kock at 7, the stats clearly show that he bats well at that position

New players need the chances to be ready for the future.

 

[Bevab]

Agree with most of your points except your view on Dussen. South Africa really arent a team to drop a good player for his age, and I rate him quite highly.
Also, i think you are rushing the new players in the side. Imo, one of verreynne or van tonder should be given a debut in place of faf and of bavuma or dussen are substandard, the other should get an oppportunity too.
I also think that it wont be the worst idea to make markram bat 3 and get someone like pieter malan back to open.
Agree with you putting de kock at 7, the stats clearly show that he bats well at that position

But RvD isn't that good in red ball cricket though. He's made an unspectacular start to his test career, hasn't shown anything special and doesn't have much of a ceiling either. Younger players with more potential are not only matching his performances but exceeding them too. I think he is a fantastic option for ODIs (number four in particular) and could do a decent job in T20Is (it's the young 'un format and he doesn't have the flair that a lot of modern batsmen do but in the absence of other quality options, he should be a name on the team sheet) but there isn't much to profit from playing him in tests.

The youngsters have been kept out of the team for nearly two years on the basis of "experience and slow integration/rebuilding". Not sure how long they will have to play domestic cricket when they're clearly showing that they can bat at the highest levels.

There was an idea over Markram batting at four given his obvious skill but the biggest question mark was and still remains how he will fare against spin. Malan isn't that good a player to merit moving Markram from his natural position and deny one of RvT/Hamza/Petersen a place in their position. I would rather have RvD instead at three in such a scenario. Malan's always struggled in A games and he has a glaring flaw in his technique that leaves him prone to LBWs. Signs of a domestic bully IMO. I wouldn't mind him being the backup but Erwee has put forth a good case for him to be there and there's always the other younger Malan in contention too.

 

[Khan Sahab54]

ABD!

 

[abhi_jacko]

ABD!

YES PLEASE

 

[Khan Sahab54]

:/

 

[Bevab]

Good old AB doing the same thing again. Pretty sure a lot of South Africans are getting sick at this point of his antics.

 

[Till Valhalla]

I think Afridi has a big influence on Ab De with his fearless batting.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Good old AB doing the same thing again. Pretty sure a lot of South Africans are getting sick at this point of his antics.

I think the board should've tried to meet his demands at first. He has done a lot for South Africa Cricket in his career. It isn't AB's loss but the loss of South Africa Cricket.

 

[Bevab]

I think the board should've tried to meet his demands at first. He has done a lot for South Africa Cricket in his career. It isn't AB's loss but the loss of South Africa Cricket.

What were his demands precisely though? It's all been vague smokes and mirrors from him post-retirement. And as much as he's done for South African cricket, they've also done an important job in making him who he is (A player like AbD would have been neutered in our country given that a top order player should never play with such flamboyance). Remember that he had a rough start to his career and was still backed very well.

As for the current side, you inevitably would have to create space for such a talent but you would be upsetting the balance of what appears to be a fairly solid side in the making.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

@Bevab I don't disagree that de Villiers was backed early in his career. Neither I am saying that it would be fair of de Villiers to take complete control over the board regarding himself. But what I am trying to say is they should give him enough rest as well and not force things on him. BCCI were very open to giving Tendulkar the rest for bilateral series to be able to play in 2011 WC. AB did not have the same privilege of that of Tendulkar provided the fact that he is as important for South Africa as Tendulkar was to India if not more.

There should be equal importance given to the mental space of a player as much as it is about looking after the fitness of players.

 

[Bevab]

Some of the stuff that has come out of the SJN hearings is outright nasty and racist. And to the surprise of no one, one of the people primarily involved happens to be the current men’s team coach. Oh and the director of cricket and the man supposed to usher in a new era for this side had his lawyer working actively to stop the hearings.

You can’t make this shite up. And then you have people call South Africa a beautiful country in this day and age that has only minor problems with racism and that the cricket team is racism free.

 

[Jack7]

I think Afridi has a big influence on Ab De with his fearless batting.

Afridi was fearless. He is very good.

 

[icyman]

Some of the stuff that has come out of the SJN hearings is outright nasty and racist. And to the surprise of no one, one of the people primarily involved happens to be the current men’s team coach. Oh and the director of cricket and the man supposed to usher in a new era for this side had his lawyer working actively to stop the hearings.

And again, the Blacks raise the issue of racism. I know we've had this discussion previously, but what stopped them from coming to the fore during their playing careers?

The SJN hearings would only strengthen the country's resolve to add in black quotas and soon cricket will go downhill. As I've said before, play your best XI and then choose the captain from among that XI. Unfortunately, this simple tactic has never been employed by SA.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Just watched the matches of South Africa and Sri Lanka ODI series and once again Markram at the top proved to be a disappointment barring the 1st ODI. Tbh he doesn't look cut for LOIs.

 

[Bevab]

Bedingham has now opted to be eligible for SA instead of England like he originally planned. Massive news for SA, he averages close to fifty overall in FC cricket and has been solid in the last county season too. Could be the immediate, Conway like solution to their batting woes in test cricket.