What about Mrkram

A while ago one of our members asked whether the replacement of Cook by Markram was questionable and one wonders what he thinks about it now.

One must admit that the question should never even have arisen.   After 6 test and a non-completed innings Markham  average is over 50 runs per test and he has a way to go in this test.  This must be seen against the average of Kallis who after 10 tests had an average of 15.   What can be expected from Markram in future.    One of the commentators said we have the best young fast bowler in the world and in Markram we have the best young batsman in the world.

There were two guys who played in the Under 19 WC this year who will also be going places in future.   One of them was he U19WC player of the tournament as a batsman and the other was a top class all-rounder bowling at 140 kms (he is 17) and a very hard-hitting batsman.

There are other youngsters coming through as well and  the future is not as d im as some of our members seems to think,     

The youngster got  152 runs today  that is indicative how really good a batsman he actually is.   The Aussie commentators can only express their very high opinion of him – he is definitely top class.

As to Amla and Elgar – I still have reservations about Amla  in particular - - he managed to make 27 runs facing 81 balls.   Elgar failed today – but he had a century earlier in the series,   Thus far in all tests he scored  256 runs  – but the bothersome factor is that in the 7 innings  he batted in he failed 5 times

The other player who was most disappointing thus far is Faf du Plessis – out for a duck today.    I doubnt whether in this series he scored 40 runs.   When it came to Amla one of the visiting  Aussie commentators said that it is clear he is due to age struggling with eye-hand co=ordination - something I have been saying for a while now.   I think that is the case of Du Plessis as well.   AB does not appear to have the same problem = but he is an exception to the rule.

I am afraid the time is nearing when we will have to replace some of the elders in the team and Amla and Du Plessis are prime candidates.