Proteas want to settle the all-rounder debate in Tests

Proteas captain Faf du Plessis said on Wednesday that they are hoping to settle once and for all the debate over whether to play seven specialist batsmen or a second bowling all-rounder during the series against Bangladesh which starts with the first Test in Potchefstroom on Thursday.

The skipper confirmed that Wayne Parnell – although fit – will not be in the XI, leaving the choice for the number seven spot between in-form batsman Theunis de Bruyn and promising all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo, both of whom produced superb performances in last weekend’s round of Sunfoil Series matches.

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“Our options are to have seven batsmen or play an all-rounder, which is the same challenge we’ve had during the last little while. We want to find out what our best combination is and we will possibly try both Theunis and Andile out during these two Tests. Hopefully then that will be decided for the rest of the season.

“Both Theunis, who comes off a big score for the Knights, and Andile, who did well with bat and ball for the Dolphins, are in good form, so we will try and give both a go. But it will mostly be the conditions that decide,” Du Plessis said.

The Proteas have now consigned the disappointment of the England series to the past and are looking forward to the new era under incoming coach Ottis Gibson.

“We’ve drawn a line in the sand under the England tour now, we’ve played some really good cricket in the last year and one tough conditions tour does not change that. We’re starting fresh, it’s a new season and a new coach. Ottis is just going to observe for the time being and, as time goes on, he will make a few decisions. So there’s not going to be too much change although he has come up with a few very good, fresh ideas for the bowling unit. We’ve just asked for the pitch to have some pace and bounce, that’s what we hope for,” Du Plessis said.

The focus will mostly be on the faltering South African batting though and Du Plessis said the batsmen have to lay the platform.

“As a batting unit we haven’t scored the amount of runs we would have liked. The conditions were really tough in England, but we’re now in home conditions and the batting unit needs to step up. Everyone is in good touch, but we’re not taking the Bangladeshis lightly.

“The absence of Shakib al-Hasan is a big loss for them and we want to take them out of their comfort zone, make sure we test them in conditions they’re not used to, whether that be through sideways movement or pace and bounce,” Du Plessis said.