Conclusions

In 1999 we had three bats in the ODI top 10, Kallis was second in 2004. In 2014 we had two batsmen, AB and Amla in the top 5 ranked batsmen in the world. Ten years later Klaasen, whose contributions aren’t even acknowledged by some on this Board, is our best bat ranked 13.

Great batsmen get into the top ten in global rankings. Many show promise, but while not every bat in the top 10 is a great, it’s safe to say that all great batsmen get into that group at some point in their careers. The conclusion is clear, for some reason we have stopped producing batting greats.

Perhaps it’s chance, perhaps it will change ….but it’s cause for concern.

For me, it's because there is too much of a difference between our limited overs and Teat sides.

We've just had a decade where the two teams mainly have bowlers in common.

Amla, Smith, Kallis, Ab...they played all the formats. I feel it kept them sharp.

We need a core batting unit that plays all the formats for us. They can be rested periodically, but this stuff of not seeing any international cricket for 8 months and then suddenly opening the batting in a Test...I think it's nonsense.

Kind of a chicken and the egg thing…perhaps we played them in both formats because they were great. But it’s a very plausible argument. I can think of no other reason except chance

Good point Plum - I do think Stubbs, Verreyene and Rickleton have the potential to be good multi format players. I know Brevis has expressed a lot of enthusiasm about not being pigeon holed as a T20 specialist and playing test cricket for the proteas.

All these years later it still stings to know I'll never again see Kallis and Amla walking to the crease after lunch.

We really never knew how good we had it.

We really never knew how good we had it.

True. We really never knew how good it was until..........

If there's any solace it happens to most sides...Lara, McGrath, Warne, Tendulkar, Ponting, Sangakkara.....the list just goes on.