Why Faf du Plessis is an ideal Proteas captain
People have marvelled over how quickly he changed South Africa's fortunes in the Test series against England. It shouldn't surprise anyone.
Faf du Plessis: a perfect leader for a representative Proteas team. Photo: Anthony Devlin/AFP.
It’s easy to believe Faf du Plessis has created a bit of cult within the Proteas team.
Various observers are still in awe over how the South African side was transformed after thrashing England by 340 runs in the second Test in Nottingham, less than a week after they were hammered at Lord’s.
Also read: Vernon Philander is becoming the new Jacques Kallis, says Faf
Was it all down to Du Plessis?
Well, probably not wholly but he’s certainly established himself as the best man to lead this side.
Here’s why.
He’s embraced transformation
You can’t be an effective captain if you can’t deal with the reality that the national team is subject to official targets.
The irony about that is Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma have become such integral parts of the Test line-up, you sometimes forget that.
Last week, a storm of words erupted over Graeme Pollock’s comments over transformation.
Du Plessis handled the fall-out brilliantly.
“Within the team it has never been a challenge. We understand what to do and what to expect and what is best for our country. We’ve been getting on with it,” he said.
He enjoys extra leadership responsibilities
One thing a lot of people didn’t mention after the win at Trent Bridge was that the Proteas actually won without a coach.
Mentor Russell Domingo hasn’t been in England for the past week after flying back to South Africa following the death of his mother.
Given how vulnerable the Proteas looked before the second Test, there was concern over that disruption.
But Du Plessis wasn’t flustered.
“It’s felt like a normal week for me,” he said before the match.
“I said nothing new to the guys. All I wanted them to know is that they need to trust the process we’ve been following. I just needed to step up and be reassuring to the players.”
He contributes with the bat
This sounds obvious but it’s not.
When a team is performing well under a player’s leadership, you’ll sometimes find that his own indifferent form is “excused”.
Not Du Plessis.
He scored a magnificent 118 when him and his team were under pressure following a ball-tampering saga last year in Australia.
And in Nottingham, he scored a solid 63 in the second innings to anchor the Proteas’ eventual declaration.
His tactics inspire his teammates because of its clarity
During the second day at Trent Bridge, Du Plessis had a problem.
Both his backup seamers Chris Morris and Duanne Olivier were going for over six per over in their first spells.
As a result, his frontline men had to do more work to limit the damage.
At tea, Du Plessis chatted to Morris and told him he was going to be the man to strike in the final session of the day.
Other captains would’ve been too cautious.
“Faf is solid and quite clear with his plans and speaks a very good language with the team,” said Morris.
“The message was clear: be aggressive and bowl fast. For me that cleared any doubt on what I needed to do.”
Morris took 3/18 in that spell, leading to a lead that became match-winning.
For more sport your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.
