Workd Cup squad barometer

Thee are still some ODI's  and T20I's coming up against Sri Lanka. but at this stage the following should be certainties for selection in the WC squad:-

De Kock

Van der Dussen

Du Plessis

Miller

Rabada

Tahir

The above is a very short list and there are 9 vacancies left in the squad and of those are 

*   Batsmen       -    3

*   Bowlers        -    4

*   All Rounders -    2

So who should be in the mix:-

Batsmen

I would say there is a problem  here and the selection is going to be seriously considered should be -

*   Hamza

*   Markram

Both Amla and Hendricks for carious reasons should be questioned selections,   From a fielding perspective I would prefer Hendricks to be in the squad,

Bowlers

I think that Ngidi and Nortje should be serious considerations and hope both are gien chances in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka .

The other bowlers to be considered are Steyn, Viljoen and Maharaj.

All Rounders

There is a lot of talk about Duminy, but he has not played since the Sri Lanka series in August 2018.\ and one should wait and see how he performs against the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.   If he is included as an all-rounder - the Proteas should go for more fast bowlers.

The other two players to be considered are -

*    Morrisl and

*    Phehlukwayo    

Dave

I thought you left out Van der Dussen - but I see Rassie - is that the same guy?

I would rather have Duminy or Hamza in the squad than Shamzi.  

Dave

In his first test Hamza hit 40 runs including 5 fours and a six.   He is also a leg break bowler - which could add value to both batting and bowling,

Ever heard of Nortje?   Steyn claimed Nortje will be his successor - near to impossible to face - he regularly bowl faster than 150.   He would have been in the ODI squad against Pakistan if he was not injured.

Is playing for the Colcutta Knight Riders in the IPL.          

My 15

Quintin de Kock/ Markram/ Rassie van der Dussen/Janneman Malan/ Faf/ JP Duminy/ Miller/ Phulukwayo/ Rabada/ Steyn/ Ngidi /Tahir/ Maharaj/ Morris / Nortje

Dave

I looked at Amla in recent ODI's.   He made good scores in 3 of the last 10 innings played - but the Proteas lost all three games because of run rate deficiency - largely because of Amla,   

The other problem with the recent Pakistan ODI series was  that the Proteas missed 8 catches  - of those 4 were missed by Amla.

There seems to be a serious eye-hand co-ordination problem coupled to slow reaction to balls coming to him for catches and he missed sitter after sitter.

That is why I agree with Denny - his age has caught up with him and I am afraid he would be a match-loser should he be in the WC series.

Bavuma had some very good recent test batting figures  - but he is not a shortened version of the game batter,  He was very poor in the recent Mzanzi series and not up to standard in local 50 over games,   He cannot really up his strike rate - a good test batsman, but not and ODI batsman of note.

Incidentally the players played in the Momentum Cup 50 over comp today.   Janneman Malan struggled badly - but his brother Pieter did much better with 57 runs from  65 balls.   Hamza made 49 runs from 54 balls - not bad at all. 

I hope Hamza gets a chance to play in the upcoming ODI's against Sri Lanka so we can then see whether he belongs in the side.  

Duminy is a gamble - he has not played for months.    For the first time in many years he was not contracted by any IPL team for this year,   Whether we like to or not the Indians really knows their cricket and if he was not contracted there must be a very good reason for it.    

The problem is that both Amla and Duminy are over 35 years of age and I really do not rtrust either of them in games anymore.             

There's so little to choose between some of these players, very few stake outright claims especially as Allrounder so on that basis exit Malan and bring in Reeza Hendricks....no problem. I won't have Wiaan Mulder(14.25 ODI batting ave.), don't see value although I see plenty of hype. 

Amla I believe is done, I hope I'm wrong. Only other choice they have as Allrounder is Philander but then like I say it's a flip of the coin between Phulekekwayo/ Morris...none of them are convincing.

I think between Markram/ Van Der Dussen/ de Kock and Miller there's a nucleus of players strong enough to win the WC if they get their act together. In Maharaj they have a competitor and the pace attack is second to none. My only wish is for Nortje to make the side......there's not many who bowl @ 150k/ph in regulation.

There's an added bonus with Faf as Kapitan.....the best ever since re-admission in my book.

Dave

I am sorry about Rossouw as well.   Apparently he is NOT renewing his Kolpak contract and may be back in the fold next year,

However, you apparently are not up to date with the performance of Amla.   Denny definitely is - Amla was a disaster in his last 11 ODI's - even in those he did make good scores the Proteas lost the games due to serious strike deficiencies by Amla.   His fielding was pathetically poor.   

The further away Amla is from the side - the nearer the Poteas will be to a successful campaign.    . 

Dave

I am sorry about Rossouw as well.   Apparently he is NOT renewing his Kolpak contract and may be back in the fold next year,

However, you apparently are not up to date with the performance of Amla.   Denny definitely is - Amla was a disaster in his last 11 ODI's - even in those he did make good scores the Proteas lost the games due to serious strike deficiencies by Amla.   His fielding was pathetically poor.   

The further away Amla is from the side - the nearer the Poteas will be to a successful campaign.    . 

Dave

If Amla is in that squad the proteas will not be in the play-offs.    We can discuss  this issue again after the WC  

Dave

Nobody would disagree with you that the retirement of AB was the biggest loss suffered by SA cricket  the past 26 years..   

However, AB decided on his retirement because he realized that h was developing the same problem  Amla showed even more pertinently namely eye=hand co-ordination essential in batting.  He felt that his continuation for another year would even show further decline in batting performance. and that he would let down the team in the WC.

In a way he was correct in his assessment,   Both he and Amla played in the Mzanzi series and both failed badly in that series,   Before the WC AB is playing in the IPL and we will see whether he will do as well as he did in the IPL in the past.

My problem remains with Amla.   In the past 10 ODI's  he made good runs in only 3.   All three ODI's he made good runs in the Proteas lost the game because of strike rate deficiency.   He is at 36 years of age just not the player he was 2 years ago.   Amla  has a serious fielding problem as well.    In the Pakistan series the Proteas missed 8 crucial catches - of those 4 were missed by Amla.   His reaction time seems to be just too slow.

Despite AB's absence  the Proteas are not doing all that badly insofar as worlkd rankings are concerned.   At his stage the team is ranked -

*   2nd in test cricket;'

*   3rd  in ODI's; and

*   3rd  in T20I's

England is ranked the top ODI team  - but it may be a false ranking as they played at least 14 more ODI's than the other countries played,    In the process they collected many points against weaker opposition.   I doubt whether they will beat SA imn the group stage of the competition.           

Dave

Sorry to differ, but Amla did not win any ODI  matches for SA.   He was severely criticized by Nicholas for reducing his personal run rate in the last 10  overs of the ODI in which he made 108 runs - which despite his century he Proteas lost.

His poor fielding cost them at least one of the two ODI's the Proteas lost against Pakistan.  

If what he produced against Pakistan  is "back to his best" heaven helps the Proteas imn the WC - he won't.  

I said that we can discuss the case during and after the WC and I am pretty sure you will regret your comments then.         

In the 2nd ODI there were 17 dead balls......close to 3 overs where no runs were scored.

At the end of over 39   the scores were as follows:-

Amla     -    78  (92 balls)

Rassie   -     59 (75 balls)

Erasmus was out the first ball of over 47 when the score was as follows:-

Amla      -    93 (109 balls)

Rassie    -     93 (100 balls)

In the said period Van der Dussen made 34 runs from 25 balls - while Amla made 15 runs from 18 balls.   

During that crucial period a target is always to make 80 to 90 runs from the available 66 balls.  Amla (15 runs - 18 balls faced) and  Rassie (34 runs - 25 balls faced) made a total of 49 runs  from 43 balls faced.    In the said period Amla was scoring at 5 rpo and Rassie at 8,01 rpo

In that period the ideal run rate is between 8 and 10 rpo and in some cases even more.   Rassie was near to the ideal situation - Amla not anywhere near it.   The latter is what caused the loss by the Proteas of that game.    

Ngidi is back - he played in a 50 over game between the Titans and the Highveld Lions yesterday and bowled 9 overs for he Titans giving away 36 runs.. Very good return 

Is likely to be in the ODI squad against in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka/