Rampant Proteas now want a whitewash

The Proteas have a perfect 4/4 report card so far under new coach Ottis Gibson and they will be looking to make that 5/5 with a 3-0 clean sweep in the ODI series when they play the last 50-over match against Bangladesh in East London on Sunday.

While much has been said about the weakness of the Bangladesh outfit, Proteas batting coach Neil McKenzie said the home team are pleased with their performances.

“The opposition can only play as well as you allow them to and our bowlers have come hard at Bangladesh and done well. Imran Tahir and Kagiso Rabada have thrived on the foundation laid by the batsmen and they’ve always had a lot of runs to play with.

“No matter who we play, we have the same blueprint, all the players know their roles. We want to try and win 3-0, Bangladesh have played good cricket at times and we’re not going to underestimate them, they have beaten us a couple of times before. So there’s no such thing as a dead rubber game, we’re not taking it lightly,” McKenzie said in East London.

Nevertheless, the match does present an opportunity for the Proteas to give some fringe players a run.

Opening batsman Hashim Amla is being rested so that could allow Temba Bavuma to play his second ODI, having scored 113 on debut at the top of the order against Ireland last year, or they could give Aiden Markram his ODI cap.

If Bavuma does play, then South Africa can give Rabada a well-earned rest, but that would leave them with a very inexperienced bowling attack, barring ever-reliable spinner Imran Tahir.

The balance of the side will depend to a great deal on whether David Miller is fit, because then they could play seven specialist batsmen, with JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien sharing the fifth-bowler ration.

All-rounder Wiaan Mulder could also make his debut if the management decide to rest Dwaine Pretorius after a job well done in the first two ODIs.