The delicate balance of re-building the Proteas from World Cup ruins

South Africa’s first ODI action since the disastrous World Cup gets underway on Tuesday with the start of a three-match series against world champions England, and the 15-man squad originally announced gives an interesting peek into the thinking of the national team’s new management.

There are only seven survivors from the World Cup – Quinton de Kock, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi and Rassie van der Dussen.

And, mirroring the ascension of Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher into the top jobs in terms of overseeing the Proteas, the dramatic decision has been made to change direction in terms of the captaincy.

==========

Proteas squad

Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Jon-Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, Beuran Hendricks, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Bjorn Fortuin, Janneman Malan, Kyle Verreynne.

==========

De Kock is an unassuming person in stark contrast to the savvy, sophisticated Faf du Plessis, but an audacious batsman who has a sharp cricketing brain.

The hope is that he will flourish having been given the reins and will be able to lead the Proteas through to the 2023 World Cup.

That is clearly the end goal as South Africa begins a new era, a new cycle in ODI cricket.

But as Linda Zondi, the independent selector, and the convenor of the panel from 2015-2019, points out, while peeping ahead to the next World Cup, there is still an obligation to keep an eye on present results and ensure solid performances are still being produced.

Linda Zondi. (Photo by Bertram Malgas/Gallo Images)

It is a delicate balance.

“There’s a bit of both in the current squad, from the leadership where the Director of Cricket [Smith] made a call to change the captain and the opportunity to look at other players of potential to fit into the process, to the first priority which is winning. Winning adds a lot more to the process and if we lose then it just means there is more pressure.

“Yes, the World Cup is a long way away, but 2023 is definitely our goal and we are slowly getting into that process and this series is a guide to that. But we also need to be in the position that if we rest players like a Kagiso Rabada or if anything happens to him, what do we do next? If we’re not providing those opportunities then where will our young players come from and if we keep playing our seniors then they will just get more exhausted,” Zondi told The Citizen.

It may seem nuts to throw in such an inexperienced team against the world champions, but Zondi said the selectors learn more about the toughness and quality of players against top opposition than they would playing them against supposed ‘minnows’.

“I’ve been around a while now as a national selector [since 2013] and we’ve realised that when you give opportunity to players against weaker teams then they tend to get labelled. If they do perform then there are still question marks against them, what do you do next? Yes, England are the number one team in the world, but this is the best way to see new players and how Quinny does as captain.

“KG and Faf, depending on how his talks with Graeme go, are still there in the background. We haven’t had a long-term coach for a while, it’s always been two-year contracts, but Mark Boucher is now there for the next four years. We know the roles we are looking for and we can plan accordingly. The pressure is on guys to now deliver in the domestic One-day Cup,” Zondi said.

An inexperienced pace attack featuring Ngidi, Hendricks, Lutho Sipamla and Phehlukwayo, backed by the spin of Tabraiz Shamsi and Jon-Jon Smuts, is going to have a hard time cracking the powerful England batting unit.

Bjorn Fortuin. (Photo by Isuru Sameera Peris/Gallo Images)

It is also of concern that, in the absence of a Dwaine Pretorius or a Chris Morris, and with Sisanda Magala withdrawn from the squad due to a lack of fitness and Wiaan Mulder injured, South Africa will only bat to seven unless they weaken their pace attack by playing another spinner/batsman in Bjorn Fortuin.

It only increases the pressure on a faltering batting line-up that will lean heavily on the experience of De Kock and Miller, while hoping that Van der Dussen continues his crazy start to his ODI career that sees him averaging 73.77 at a strike-rate of 81.87 after 14 innings in the middle-order.

For more sport your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.