The Proteas are back to their winning ways

I previously blogged how the South African cricket team found itself in a precarious position after losing the home Test series to England, and appearing to lack confidence. I can now safely say that the Proteas are back to their old ways (beating opponents comprehensively in all facets of the game, while playing with belief in their abilities).

Yes, the Test series losses to India and England prove that our Test squad is not what it used to be. But after winning our last five limited overs matches against England – three One Day Internationals, and two T20s, to win those series – things are definitely looking better. We will play against Australia next, in three T20s starting on 4 March. To be honest, I do not think we will win, as Australia look very good at the moment, but we must not let this get us down. We have done well to recover from where we were. After that, we will compete in the T20 World Cup.

Proteas fans can celebrate now that the team is winning again.

I took interest in a recent Graeme Pollock column. The SA batting legend said that room must be made available for Quinton de Kock in the T20 squad, event though we won the T20 series against England without him. I wholeheartedly agree with this. A slight injury kept de Kock out of the T20 series, and because of it, I felt nervous looking at our batting line up before each game. De Kock is a confident, talented and aggressive opening batsmen, with sublime timing and shot selection.

Pollock believes that de Kock is better than David Miller and Rilee Rossouw, and to fit de Kock in the side, one of those two would have to sit out. With this, I concur, although it would be a hard decision. Both have played well for South Africa in limited overs.

Another difficulty would be in deciding which opening pair to go with – with AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock all able and available. De Kock and AB are both explosive players who play extravagant shots. They have not opened together before, but there is a first time for everything. I think our management should try it out. Hashim appears to be more subdued, but can still score at a good rate with clever stroke play.

 I will end off with de Kock's batting statistics as of 23 February, courtesy of espncricinfo.com:

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	8	12	3	407	129*	45.22	615	66.17	1	2	38	5	31	2
ODIs	57	57	3	2319	138*	42.94	2530	91.66	10	5	270	31	80	3
T20Is	22	22	4	513	48*	28.50	422	121.56	0	0	57	15	20	7
First-class	34	57	7	2404	194	48.08	2956	81.32	7	14	286	42	120	7
List A	96	94	4	3601	138*	40.01	3848	93.58	13	11	402	57	115	9
Twenty20	100	94	9	2857	126*	33.61	2123	134.57	2	14	305	105	60	16

Proteas on a knife edge

After winning the T20 and ODI series in India late last year, the Proteas suffered one-sided Test series losses against India and then against England at home. This led to South Africa dropping to number two in the world Test cricket rankings behind India, after holding the number one spot for about a decade. Pundits and former players are saying that our time as the dominant team in Test cricket is over. Our best fast bowlers, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, who have spear-headed our success in the past, now suffer frequent injuries, and are growing old.

Kagiso Rabada is breaking records at the tender age of 20. CC Search image.

Furthermore, when AB de Villiers or Hashim Amla do not bat well, the rest of the team usually do not perform well, with senior batsmen Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy in very poor form of late. What is more, I have never seen South Africa drop as many catches as they did in the last two months – probably another side-affect of our lack of confidence. The resignation of Hashim Amla as Test captain stands as a stark indication that times are tough in the dressing room.

I believe that the Proteas are standing on a knife edge, close to falling into a dark place. We are number three in the world in One Day Internationals and sixth in T20 Internationals. Confidence is low. But all is not lost.

Our victory in the final Test match against England shows that our team still has fight left. Coming-of-age bowler Kagiso Rabada (20) finished with figures of 13–144, the second best by any South African in a Test match. This is more than just a glimmer of hope for our future. In addition, it appears that Hashim Amla is back in form. He struggled to score runs throughout 2015, but after relinquishing Test captaincy, the super-batsman is playing with more confidence and focus, which bodes immensely well for us. While AB took over the Test captaincy reins at a difficult time, I believe that he can turn the team around. As I said in my previous blog post, not many players can inspire his teammates like AB can, or put fear into the opposition.

In conclusion, the Proteas are not what they once were, especially in Test cricket. But signs are evident that we can improve, if the players and staff commit to working hard. We have a five-match ODI series against England starting on 3 February, followed two T20 matches. Perhaps we can turn our attention more towards limited overs cricket now – an area we have neglected in the past.

Amla's resignation good for South Africa in the long run

The Proteas had worked hard to recover from being put to the sword by the England cricket team. After losing dismally in the first Test match in Durban, England added to the pressure by posting 629–6 declared in the first innings of the second Test in Cape Town. Something inspirational was needed to turn the four-Test series around. This came in the form of our Test captain, Hashim Amla, scoring 201 in reply. His innings revitalised our team, inspiring a comeback on the fourth and fifth days of the Test. We finished our innings on 627–7 declared, with Temba Bavuma scoring a maiden Test hundred. 

So encouraged were the Proteas by Amla's innings, that we declared two runs short of England's score, just so we would have more time to bowl them out. And, our bowlers did well. Wickets kept tumbling. England struggled to survive on the last day, only doing so thanks to wickets being disallowed due to no-balls, and missed chances by the South Africans. England finished the day on 159–6, having abandoned the game a few hours early due to bad light. Then came the shock of the series. Amla resigned as Proteas Test captain, saying that for the previous two weeks he had been thinking that someone else could be doing a better job than him as captain. He also wanted to work on his batting.

Hashim Amla has resigned as Test captain of the Proteas.

As One Day International captain, AB de Villiers brings his own captaincy style to the squad, and for T20 Internationals, Faf du Plessis does the same. While these two are different people, they grew up together, both playing cricket for their school – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool. They are both hard-working, high-intensity players who rely on skill and labour to do the job. Yes they are intelligent, and know how to be patient while batting, or place a field for certain batsmen for the situation in the game. But for Amla, it was all methodical.

Amla once compared captaincy to a game of chess, where every decision had to be comprehensively thought out before implementation. One could see early on in his captaincy that his field placements were very intentional, much like Graeme Smith's once were. South Africa is going to lose this aspect to its Test game. Yet, I believe that this action will probably turn out better for South Africa in the long run.

AB de Villiers, who was vice-captain in Tests, will replace Amla as captain in the remaining Tests in the series, and hopefully, for the foreseeable future. AB de Villiers inspires players more than Amla does, and through his tenacious batting puts fear into the opposition more than any other batsman in the world. AB has shown that he can be captain and still bat well in the ODIs. With Quinton de Kock ensuring that AB does not have to keep wickets anymore, I think AB can replicate his success in Tests as well. He just needs to learn a few things and he will make a phenomenal Test captain.

Was the India tour a triumph or disaster?

A crushing 3–0 loss against India in the recent Test series would have left many South African cricket fans distraught, shaking their heads at how such a powerful batting line up had been easily brought to its knees. It would be very easy to forget that the Proteas won the T20 series 2–0 and the One Day International series 3–2 just weeks before.

One thing is certain: The 72-day tour was highly competitive, with both SA and India being hurt by the other side on several occasions. While the shorter format matches were closely contested, the Test series was one-sided. Batsmen scored freely, as the T20 and ODI series turned into a run contest between AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis for SA against Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for India. The Test series dissolved into one-way traffic – South African batsmen toiling, struggling to survive as long as they could against lethal Indian spinners on pitches with nightmarish turn and bounce.

Proteas Test captain Hashim Amla will feel the heat after our Test series defeat to India.

But was the tour a victory or failure? I argue that it was both.

Before the tour, South Africa had not lost an overseas Test series since 2006. In this regard, the Test series loss was definitely a failure, especially as we fell so hard. Man of the series Ravichandran Ashwin was unplayable. The Indian spinner tore our batting line up apart with his intelligent bowling, and use of variety. Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra supported him well, ensuring that our batsmen had no room to breathe. The series showed that South African batsmen still do not know how to play great spinners on turning wickets. Our batsmen were bamboozled.

Having said this, the Test series did highlight a weak point for us. The Proteas coaching staff must identify it and correct it. India had not played a Test series at home in two years, so perhaps it was an honour to be selected to compete with them, whatever the result. Furthermore, how often does a team go to India and win two series? India is very strong at home, and several cricket captains such as Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith have alluded to this. Winning any series there is an accomplishment. Thus I feel that we also succeeded in India. Our T20 and ODI series wins showed the world that we have what it takes to also be successful in the limited overs format.

At the end of the day SA won five matches, and India won five matches. Both sides would have wanted more wins.

Bangladesh – If it had not rained

Who would have won? If both Test matches between South Africa and Bangladesh were not washed out in their recent series, what would the result be?

The first match was subject to heavy, persistent rain and its final two days were rained out. If that was bad, only 88.1 overs were played in the second Test. Before this, the Proteas won the T20 series 2–0, while the Tigers won the ODI series 2–1. Yet I think South Africa would have won the Test series. Here is why:

Faf du Plessis probably would have liked to know how the Test series could have turned out.
Image from httpwww.mid-day.com

While the momentum was with Bangladesh, South Africa's Test team has learned how to make remarkeable comebacks. Yes, AB de Villiers was missing, while his wife was giving birth to his son (also named AB), but captain Hashim Amla has potential to inspire his team to success. A fiercely determined batsman, whilst very respectful and experienced, he would have led the team – particularly the batsmen – to perform well. Likewise, Dale Steyn would have led the bowling attack with ferocity, after taking his 400th Test wicket.

Yes Bangladesh have great quality in batting and bowling at the moment, but they would not have beaten South Africa over 10 days. South Africa are far more experienced in Test cricket. The tables would have turned on the home side eventually.

It is hard being a Proteas fan

The first thing a colleague said to me after the Proteas lost in the semi final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to New Zealand, was, "There they choke again. They are chokers." It is an opinion held by many South African cricket fans, and the issue is addressed by the Proteas players and staff themselves. The Proteas have never progressed past the semi final stage at a world cup, and are perceived to play below par in must-win world cup matches.

Proteas ODI Captain AB de Villiers will be distraught after losing in the world cup semi final to New Zealand.

Thus it is exasperating being a Proteas fan. Every time a world cup comes round, and even a T20 world cup, we all get excited that maybe this could be our time. Without fail, we are disappointed. Am I saying that the Proteas' chokers label is accurate? I do not know. All I can say is that, although New Zealand have a very skillful and hard working team this time round, we batted and bowled very well but our fielding in the last overs almost certainly cost us the match.

Du Plessis had called for a catch he could not reach, even when Hashim Amla was ready nearby. The ball landed between them. Then, Farhaan Behardien was poised for a catch when JP Duminy came out of nowhere and dived into him. It appeared that Behardien had already dropped the ball before Duminy arrived, but when a player is approaching like that it can distract you as a fielder. 

It was New Zealand who also ended our world cup dreams in 2011. For them, this is an opportunity to be rugby and cricket world champions at the same time. What a dream come true. With regards to the Proteas, foolish fans such as myself will have to wait another four years. We will wait, as time builds up our hope again.

AB – Nobody is better

There is no better batsman in the world right now than AB de Villiers. The guy is pure genius. His 162 not out off 66 balls demoralised the West Indies team on 27 February, allowing the Proteas to crush them by 257 runs in their World Cup group match. His innings included the world's fasted One Day International 150, and second fasted World Cup 100. What a privilege to have him in South Africa's team, and even better to have him as our ODI captain. 

AB de Villiers is without doubt the best batsman in the world.

As good as Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli are as batsmen (they are ranked second and third in the world in ODIs according to the ICC), they cannot contend with the brilliance of AB. His innings are characterised by indomitable determination, unbeatable (although uncanny) technique, and innovative stroke play. Furthermore, AB is probably the best fielder in the world. He is lightning quick and has enacted many run outs and great catches. 

I am glad that Quinton de Kock is currently our wicketkeeper. Not just because AB can captain without trying to keep wickets at the same time, but also so AB can be in the field. 2015 has been an incredible year for AB, with him also scoring the fastest ODI 100 of all time (off 31 balls). His statistics are actually improving, despite his age of  31 years. In conclusion, AB is the best batsman in the world and has done SA proud. If he cannot lead us to our first World Cup trophy, who can?

The Proteas and the World Cup

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is so close now (it starts on 14 February) it is impossible not to get excited. Every time the World Cup comes around, we as South Africans ask ourselves the same old questions: How will we do this time? Will the Proteas choke again? The Proteas have an average record in World Cups, reaching three semi-finals in seven tournaments. Our best finishing place was third, and our worst was eighth. For a team that has usually been ranked in the top four in the world, we perhaps have not done well enough in the World Cup.

Every four years we wonder if this will be the occasion when our players will show the world how good they are, and go all the way. But to win the World Cup is not easy. A team has to have performed consistently (for about a month and a half) with the bat, the ball and in the field. Proteas Coach Russell Domingo recently said in an interview that he hopes South Africa will do better at the end of the tournament. This is where we have failed in the past, with so many bad semi and quarter-final performances.

Proteas One Day International Captain AB de Villiers will want his team to go far in the World Cup.

But we are ranked third in the world in One Day Internationals at the moment. We also have AB de Villiers in first place as ODI batsman in the world, Hashim Amla in third and (a surprise to me when I saw) Quinton de Kock in seventh place. Recent centuries by Rilee Rossouw and David Miller, and the class we know that JP Duminy has, we can be happy with our batting. 

Of course our fielding is very good at the moment. Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Rilee Rossouw, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy are very quick on the ball, and make batsman pause before trying to sneak a single.

Our bowling department is the problem. I would like to go into this at more depth another time, but although Dale Steyn is third in the world, and Morne Morkel in ninth (somehow!), our bowling has been bad lately. In my opinion Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander are our only good seam bowlers. Imran Tahir is an on-and-off spinner, but usually reliable. The rest are mediocre. 

Having said that, I can barely wait for the World Cup to start, and for the Proteas to throw that monkey off their shoulders.

Tide turns against the Caribbean

I blogged in December that South Africa would beat the West Indies in their Test series, but the Caribbean side would win the T20 International series. I was correct. I also said that the One Day International series could go either way. I've changed my mind.

The return of AB de Villiers and other key players will likely help the Proteas win the current ODI series against the West Indies.

When the Proteas won the Test series 2–0 it was no surprise, although the West Indies pushed us hard in the second Test. Losing the T20I International series 2–1 was expected. But the Proteas showed determination to make our highest T20I score (231) in the second match, and put in a good all-round performance in the third match to win back some pride. After our victory in the third T20I, I think that momentum has shifted towards us, and with the return of some of our best cricketers, I am 70% certain we will win the ODI series.

AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn, JP Duminy and Vernon Philander come back to the playing 11. This will bolster the Proteas, while I think the West Indies squad will be pretty tired after a long tour. The five ODIs will be played in a short space of time (16, 18, 21, 25 and 28 January). This will demand a lot from the players.

With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to start in less than one month, both sides will see this series as preparation, and want to make sure they know what their strengths and weaknesses are. A win would also boost their confidence. But I think SA will take it. We are better rested and have our best players back.

De Villiers and Amla are LEGENDS

De Villiers and Amla both just made half-centuries against England in the final ODI. The game's not over though. I hope they can finish it for us.

AB & Amla Awesome



Familiar sight? AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla each make a century against
West Indies with a 129 run partnership between them. Taken
on 22 May 2010.
http://www.itsonlycricket.com/entry/2009/

These two are fighting it out as two of the best batsmen in the world. According to Reliance ICC Player Rankings (www.relianceiccrankings.com/) Amla is the number one batsmen in ODIs in the world with 887 points and AB is number two with 804 points. In tests de Villiers is number 10 and Amla is number 12. The same source predicts both to improve their test rankings.

Indeed both exhibit a great deal of aggression and confidence in their batting. Amla plays more with his wrists, which must be ridiculously strong, and AB plays more with an orthodox, text book technique. Both are instrumental to the Proteas and highly efficient run-makers.

Their stats show why they are ranked so highly. Yahoo!cricket shows that In ODIs Amla has 2,462 runs at an average of 57.25. AB has 4,523 runs at 45.68. What's even more impressive than their averages is their strike rates. Amla has an ODI strike rate of 92.73. de Villiers has one of 91.3. Their averages and strike rates are two of the highest to ever appear in ODI cricket.

What surprises me the most about these two is that, if you remember, neither of them started their proteas careers very well. AB came into the 2007 World Cup with an average of a little more than 15. Between you and me I wanted him dropped from the team. But he silenced me in our game against West Indies in that competition making 146 off 130 balls.

Amla also started out as the most defensive player in our team. He was only picked for test matches and at first he did not make a great deal of runs. The combination of this and his poor strike rate made me question him. But he too has become a new batsmen since then. I now regard him as probably the most aggressive middle-order batsmen we possess.

Both of these players have shown tremendous consistency, the likes of which I have not seen before in the Proteas. AB de Villiers is now the ODI and T20 captain for the Proteas. Amla is his vice-captain.



de Villiers and Amla after their record third wicket
partnership against the Netherlands in this year's world cup.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/image/503992.html

It just shows you can't quickly judge someone's capabilities. People need time to reach their potential. It's a good thing Mickey Arthur did not give up on these two, like I did for a while.

Please comment below. One random person who comments will receive a free pair of Gunn & Moore cricket gloves.

http://www.abdevilliersfan.com/wordpress/2011/06/ab-de-villiers-relishes-captaincy-challenge/ This is a good blog about AB de Villiers attaining the captaincy of the ODI and T20 squad.

© Nicholas Zaal 08 September 2011.