Proteas: Will Faf’s return spell the end of JP Duminy?

As the Proteas look to regroup for the second Test against England starting on Friday in Nottingham, they have a couple of tough selection calls to make, one just for the short term, but the other could have long-term effects on the team.

Kagiso Rabada has been punished like a naughty schoolboy by the ICC with a one-game ban and so South Africa need to replace a frontline fast bowler, just for the match at Trent Bridge.

Also read: Kagiso Rabada a ‘loss to Test cricket, not just Proteas’

But the batting is the chief worry after the Lord’s capitulation and the return of Faf du Plessis should add some much-needed steel.

But who does the returning captain replace?

According to former selection convenor Andrew Hudson, it all depends on whether the captain and coach believe JP Duminy’s stint as a Test batsman has run its course.

The left-hander has scored just 65 runs in his last five innings, but more damaging than those returns has been how he has been getting out – two of his last four dismissals have been out caught taking on the short ball, while another was shouldering arms to a straight delivery.

“It’s between him and Theunis de Bruyn as to who makes way for Faf, and it depends on whether the captain and coach want to continue with JP for his experience. But JP hasn’t really impressed me, batting him at four is asking a lot, it looks a little brittle to me. He’s done well on occasion, but the consistency is not there. He’d probably be better off down the order.

“But he has tended to battle against off-spin and with all their right-arm over bowlers, England are creating beautiful footmarks for Moeen Ali. He’s going to bowl a lot and he’s getting nice drift and turn. Theunis de Bruyn, being a right-hander, would have a better chance against him,” Hudson said on Monday.

There are three possible replacements for Rabada: Duanne Olivier, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo, none of whom have really proven themselves in the tough environ of Test cricket.

Olivier has played just one Test, against the outmatched Sri Lankans on a helpful Wanderers pitch, Morris averages 63.25 with the ball in his two Tests.

Phehlukwayo would be making his debut and averages 35.97 with the ball in first-class cricket.

But the most like-for-like replacement in terms of a frontline strike bowler would be Olivier.

“I would go with Olivier, quick for quick, rather than a bowling all-rounder. They should just go with their next best fast bowler. It depends on what the Trent Bridge pitch will do, but England seems very dry this summer. Keshav Maharaj will still need to bowl a few overs. So my guess is it won’t be an all-seam attack, so it’s a straight swap of Duanne for Kagiso. If the batsmen can’t do the job, then you can’t expect Chris Morris to do it batting at number nine,” Hudson said.

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