South Africa's captain Faf du Plessis reacts after missing a ball during the second day of the fourth Test cricket match between South Africa and England at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on January 25, 2020. (Photo by Christiaan Kotze/AFP)
With the embattled Proteas teetering on 88/6 at the end of the second day of the final test against England at the Wanderers – still 312 behind – much of the outrage has been directed at Faf du Plessis.
The South African captain has had a tough week with a heap of questions being asked over his international future and whether he really still carries the proverbial #ProteaFire within.
And Du Plessis hardly helped his cause with a stinker of a day, where his catching, captaincy and batting all combined to culminate in one dismal failure.
South African cricket fans on Twitter were quick to pounce.
Indeed, one can’t exactly argue about his form with the bat…
Yet while there was a sense of inevitability over his dismissal for just three, his biggest failing was some strange captaincy during England’s last-wicket stand, which fetched 82 runs as the Proteas threw away the possibility of keeping the tourists’ first innings total in reasonable check.
Not only was he criticised for not using his best bowlers, but also some bizarrely defensive fields for a No 10 and 11…
To just add a bit of insult to injury, Du Plessis also dropped his direct opponent, Joe Root, in the slips…
Though there was some small redemption in the field at least…
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