Published: Nov 22, 2013, 08:18 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 22, 2013, 08:18 PM (IST)
Faf du Plessis has been in the South African national side since 2011, and having played 47 One-Day Internationals, he has certainly cemented his place in the side © AFP
South Africa’s limited-overs team has been on a successful run even though it can be said that they have more often faced the same opposition recently — Pakistan. Abhijit Banare looks at the relatively newer players in the South African side who can play a key role in their limited-overs team in the run-up to the ICC 2015 World Cup.
Quinton de Kock
The wicketkeeper-batsman had an erratic outing in Sri Lanka, but has regained his confidence on tour of UAE where they faced Pakistan. Though he loves to go after the bowling, the 20-year-old’s place in the side depends on how well he can restrain himself under different conditions. Along with Hashim Amla, the duo can make for one of the finest opening pairs in limited-overs cricket. While de Kock is aggressive, Amla anchors the innings. It would be interesting to watch if they manage to stick together until the World Cup.
Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis has been in the South African national side since 2011, and having played 47 One-Day Internationals, he has certainly cemented his place as one of the key members of their batting firepower. He leads the Proteas team in Twenty20 Internationals as limited-overs format is certainly his domain. In the build-up to the World Cup, du Plessis will be required to perform more consistently as veteran Jacques Kallis is set to make a comeback and could occupy his place.
Henry Davids
Having made his mark with an enviable record in the Champions League T20 2013, Davids is one of the backup candidates for South Africa’s opening slot. His ability to keep the score-board ticking is similar to that of de Kock’s role with Amla. As a flashy player who loves to hit the ball, it is difficult to keep him subdued for long. At 33, Davids has enough experience and fitness to last till the premier tournament.
David Miller
Yet another player who has made his name in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the left-handed Miller. After blasting the bowlers in India, Miller has been a part of South Africa’s T20 side, before moving into the 50-over format. His present batting position at No 5 or No 6 is perfect to launch an onslaught whenever needed. Moreover, the role of an aggressor isn’t something he has to learn from scratch, but a role that comes naturally to him. In crunch matches, Miller can make valuable contributions along with another reliable batsman JP Duminy in the middle-order.
Ryan McLaren
South Africa already have a formidable pace attack with Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. To add to it, tag Ryan McLaren, as an all-rounder. He too can be equally threatening with the ball. In fact, South Africa are blessed to have a series of fast bowling all-rounders at their disposal. McLaren is another addition to the list. His presence gives the captain enough opportunities to shuffle around the team combination by adding one more batsman. The Proteas, though, have usually gone in with five bowlers including a spinner.
Overall, it’s an aggressive batting line-up with a mix of stability provided by Amla, Duminy and Kallis. Most of the above mentioned players are experienced, but fresh enough to induce energy into the limited overs side and if needed, overcome the absence of seniors.
One of South Africa’s finest players — Kallis has not featured in the ODIs since February 2012, yet the team isn’t missing him. This shows that South Africa have managed to settle into a balanced limited overs side. More the options they have, the better it will be to keep the players at their disposal in build-up to the ICC 2015 World Cup .
(Abhijit Banare is a reporter at CricketCountry. He is an avid quizzer and loves to analyse and dig out interesting facts which allows him to learn something new every day. Apart from cricket he also likes to keep a sharp eye on Indian politics, and can be followed on Twitter and blog)
