The tour to England.
My analysis of the squads for the tour to England. P2, A look at the One Day squad.
On Part 1 of The Tour to England, I had a look at the test squad, our test side’s performances in the Test Championship till date, Temba’s absence and I finished off by picking my test XI from the selected squad. Part 2 will have a similar structure but slightly different content since the two teams (Test team and One day team) are also slightly different. There’s no confirmation as to whether the One Day Series against England will count towards the Super League or not. However, that does not make it any less important. Of all 3 Proteas sides, the One Day side is the worst when it comes to results and when considering the possibility that the team might not qualify directly for the next One Day World Cup. On Will The Proteas One Day Side Swing or Swim, I went deeper into the ODI’s side performances and the possibility of the team not qualifying for the World Cup directly. I will only be looking at the One Day series, what it means for the Proteas and then pick my ODI XI to take on England.
The One Day series against England, may or may not be part of the super league but it remains crucial for the Proteas. If the series forms part of the Super League, that would make it even more important because the Proteas would have no choice but to win it. However, even if it is not part of the Super League, it is still important and could aid the Proteas’ chances in the Super League in terms of preparing for the remaining matches of the super league. This would then provide the whole team with the opportunity to find the right playing style and combinations that can help the Proteas win the next coming One Day matches. The Proteas have a serious problem in the batting department where there is a lack of big match winning scores. A few players with high averages but not enough big scores. So far, in the Super League, the Proteas have scored 300 or more just twice and this a major concern. Scoring 300 in One Day cricket is mandatory these days. This series could then be used to fix such problems.
The ODI series against England will be a daunting task for the Proteas but promises to be a mouth-watering encounter as most encounters between the two sides. England, one of the most aggressive big scoring sides in the world right now will be taking on a side that has been struggling to score big runs but has a very potent bowling attack. The Protea’s bowling attack will be very crucial and may need to tame the English batting line up.
The Proteas will be without Captain Temba Bavuma who is out due to injury and fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada(rested). The side, however, sees the return of Anrich Nortje from injury. It will be interesting to see who makes the playing XI and how the balance of the team will look like. Will the Proteas go in with two spinners or will Keshav Maharaj, who will be standing in as captain, be the lone spinner? Keshav Maharaj (18) and Tabraiz Shamsi (19) are South Africa’s 2nd leading wicket taker and leading wicket taker respectively, in the Super League. Keshav being captain already affects the balance of the side with regards to the bowling attack, but it may not be affecting the side negatively since Kesh has been taking wickets. However, it does mean that, when selectors want to play one spinner, the best spinner in the side might have to miss out. This will be a good opportunity for the selectors to look at other combinations should the series not form part of the super league.
The other fact, however, is that we can talk about combinations and selection every day, but unless there is a change in how the Proteas play white ball cricket, we will always struggle to win matches. The biggest issue with our One and T20 sides is not lack of talent nor lack of quality but lack of a proper modern approach to One Day cricket. We will be coming up against a fearless English side that will come out guns blazing and our conservative, anchor approach could see us lose the series. The Proteas need to adopt a positive and aggressive brand of cricket. This is where modern cricket is going. Scoring 200 and expecting your bowlers to win you matches will not work all the time. Modern cricket favours batters more than bowlers so it is crucial that our batters do their job. Our bowlers have managed to defend some low totals which is exceptional but against England, defending 210 could be a bridge too far.
Considering the brand of cricket, I would like to see us play, I have picked my ODI XI below.
1.      Quinton de Kock (wk.)
-Easily our best batter in the Super League even though he is 3rd on the list of most runs having played fewer matches than number 1 and 2. 523 runs at 65.37 average and a SR of 108.73, Quinton remains a crucial part of this One Day side and his match winning capabilities also remain a key factor the team’s success.
2.      JN Malan Â
Malan has had a fantastic start to his ODI career, and one will hope that he carries on with his form. Many have witnessed what he, together with Quinton can do at the top of the innings. He leads the batting charts with 676 runs at average of 56.33 at a SR of 86.33.
3.      HE van der Dussen
This could be Rassie’s best format at the moment and one that suits his playing style. He is someone who likes taking his time, but some may feel he needs to work harder on trying to rotate strike while he plays himself in. He is 2nd after Malan, with 658 runs in the Super League at 73.11 average and 97.77. The top 3 of Quinny, Janneman and Rassie will play a crucial role in seeing that we are able to score big totals. They are part of only 4 guys to score hundreds and the only 3 to score more than 1 hundred, each scoring 2.
4.      DA Miller
Senior player and one of our best players. Dave is 5th after Temba Bavuma in the run scoring charts for the Proteas. He is someone who can take the game away from opposition very quickly. The plan is however to have him come in with a proper platform set for him to tee off. He has scored 272 runs at 45.33 average and 106.25 SR. The team will need him to do much better and I believe he is more than capable.
5.      AK Markram
This is probably a controversial selection, and I could understand why. For someone with his talent, Aiden Markram has failed to live up to it in this format, but I am one of the few that believe that it is only a matter of time. I know this would be harsh on someone like Verreynne, but I believe, Having Aiden at 5 is better for the balance of the team because Kyle would have to bat 3 or 4 if he played and having David Miller at 5 is not ideal. This would obviously be a gamble considering Aiden’s numbers, but he is someone who is currently in some good form.
6.      D Pretorius
Picked solely based on the potential harm he can cause at the back end of an innings and a possible bowling option. Dwaine has not done much in the Super League but that could also be due to the lack of game time. I would have him and Heinrich Klaasen vying for the number 6 spot.
7.      A Phehlukwayo
I know a lot of people will be questioning his selection, but he is the 3rd leading wicket taker for the Proteas in the Super League and even though lacks consistency with the bat, has shown glimpses of what he can do. He is also a good middle over bowling option.
8.      K Maharaj
Captain of the side in the absence of Temba and 2nd leading wicket taker for SA in the Super League, Keshav is a guaranteed starter. Also, can bowl well in the middle overs and takes wickets.
9.      L Ngidi
Lungi is a quality white ball bowler and showed that on his return into the T20 side. Has played 9 matches in the Super League so far and has taken 8 wickets. He will partner with Anrich Nortje in the absence of Kagiso Rabada.
10.  A Nortje
Looked a bit shaky in the T20 series and will be looking to try and find his rhythm. Anrich has taken 8 wickets in 5 matches in the Super League and will be looking to announce his return from injury with a bang. I would be looking to rotate him with Marco Jansen just to keep him fresh for the test series.
11.  T Shamsi
SA’s leading wicket taker in the Super League. Tabraiz has played a vital role in the one-day side since Imran Tahir’s retirement. He also comes into play very well in the middle overs and is a natural wicket taker.
This would be my side for the One Day Series against England.
How the Proteas approach this series could determine how far the team goes in the One Day Super League.