South Africa team selection

[GRAB]

The biggest thing against Muthusamy is competing directly with Maharaj as a left-arm orthodox...

 

[Bahseph]

That shoulder injury really set him back. But I don't think he will fair to badly as a second spinner. In my view Muthusamy is going to hindered because he is too similar to Keshav. He needs a couple of SS hundreds and then he simply has to play in my opinion. Him and Mulder in the same team is a tantalizing prospect.

 

[Bahseph]

I'm surprised you guys are still so positive about Steyn coming back. Guy has been injured virtually non-stop for 3 years now. Not sure I've ever seen a bowler come back and continue on successfully after such a long injury-riddled spell.

It's come to a stage where we will be perfectly fine without Dale. Rabada is our gun. Philander still has legs in him. Ngidi has loads of potential and tbh Olivier isn't the worst fourth seamer to have around. But if Dale has proven his fitness, I will set aside time to see him in a Test again.

 

[akilana]

My fear is SA picking wrong players and sticking with them like Bavuma/Duminy. When you see him play, you know he is not going to score a lot of runs consistently. SA afford to have players like that when Elgar, AB are in the runs but when one of these form players go in a form slump, the pressure will mount on the lesser players. Duminy had a free ride for long but when SA team were struggling, his non performance was highlighted and he got dropped.

 

[SeamUp]

Picking Muthusamy as the finger spinner with an attacking wrist spinner was an indication of how SA are thinking in the recent A game.

Without Harmer, Piedt is the only good ros in the country but how successful are ros (with lack of rough?) I suppose Swann, Ashwin and Lyon have been decent in recent times.

I do agree with a couple of things though. Muthusamy needs sunfoil series hundreds and being similar to Kesh may be a problem but if he nails down his batting then his bowling will be a bonus.

 

[Rasimione]

I see a lot of people are talking of Mulder debuting soon but question is, at who's expense? The fact that we gonna be playing in Sri Lanka means we need two spinners. Wouldn't it be better to have a Muthusamy/Von Berg debuting before Mulder?

 

[Rasimione]

The biggest thing against Muthusamy is competing directly with Maharaj as a left-arm orthodox...

Well he's more of a batting allrounder. I'm guessing he'd be Making the side as a batsmen who can bowl.

 

[StephenZA]

I see a lot of people are talking of Mulder debuting soon but question is, at who's expense? The fact that we gonna be playing in Sri Lanka means we need two spinners. Wouldn't it be better to have a Muthusamy/Von Berg debuting before Mulder?

Mulder will have to come in for Bavuma, Muthusamy will have to come in for a bowler. I've always thought of him as a bowling allrounder but unsure if that is correct ... still the A tour/ Indian spin camp will tell us a lot of where these players actually are.

 

[SeamUp]

Didn't hear the talk but those players, Breetzke, Pillay, van Tonder, looked good. Also G. Coetzee.

I think Ackerman still wants to play for SA but we shall see. Realistically we need 3 or 4 batsmen of those 8/10 to start coming good in the next 2 years and SA are fine for another 5/6 years after that.

Want to see him dominate for Leicestershire this season (I mean really dominate) and then come back and do the same for the Warriors because then he is putting a number of seasons together and knocking on the door for CSA to maybe think we need to get him in the system and invest in him (SA A). His build up of good seasons is far better than say P.Malan, R.Hendricks, Agathangelou, van der Dussen for example who are at a similar stage or age in their careers. Also a very handy right-arm off-spinner !

 

[SeamUp]

My fear is SA picking wrong players and sticking with them like Bavuma/Duminy. When you see him play, you know he is not going to score a lot of runs consistently. SA afford to have players like that when Elgar, AB are in the runs but when one of these form players go in a form slump, the pressure will mount on the lesser players. Duminy had a free ride for long but when SA team were struggling, his non performance was highlighted and he got dropped.

I also do think there was a genuine belief in Duminy's talents. Not denying that he probably kept his place for longer than he should have and possibly for other reasons.

Bavuma is under pressure. I think he knows that. SA were willing to leave out a fit Bavuma for India.

Right now though, I can't see him not playing the first test against Sri Lanka. We take things from there.

 

[Dendarii]

My fear is SA picking wrong players and sticking with them like Bavuma/Duminy. When you see him play, you know he is not going to score a lot of runs consistently. SA afford to have players like that when Elgar, AB are in the runs but when one of these form players go in a form slump, the pressure will mount on the lesser players. Duminy had a free ride for long but when SA team were struggling, his non performance was highlighted and he got dropped.

Although Bavuma averages 42 in the past twelve months. Admittedly, that's helped a little by a few not outs and he hasn't made any big scores in that time, but he's done enough to keep his place for the time being and it's not as though there's anyone you can say should definitely be picked ahead of him.

 

[Dendarii]

I also do think there was a genuine belief in Duminy's talents.

He was dominating domestic cricket - didn't he get dropped from the test side and then score a double hundred for the Cobras? So his domestic form kept him there until they finally accepted that he wasn't going to be able to reproduce that form at a higher level.

Bavuma is under pressure. I think he knows that. SA were willing to leave out a fit Bavuma for India.

But didn't that have a lot to do with wanting to play the dream attack of Steyn, Rabada, Philander, and Morkel? As the junior middle order batsman, Bavuma would always have made way, no matter what his record was like.

 

[SeamUp]

He was dominating domestic cricket - didn't he get dropped from the test side and then score a double hundred for the Cobras? So his domestic form kept him there until they finally accepted that he wasn't going to be able to reproduce that form at a higher level.



But didn't that have a lot to do with wanting to play the dream attack of Steyn, Rabada, Philander, and Morkel? As the junior middle order batsman, Bavuma would always have made way, no matter what his record was like.

Nothing to argue with in the top part. I was a Duminy fan and I am not afraid to say that just like Rudolph. I was a Stiaan van Zyl and Rilee Rossouw fan too.

The more I think about that, the more I am confused. We decided to go with less batsmen on more friendly bowling pitches. I don't think Temba is not good enough to contribute but I do question if he can take his game to the next level to make us an even better team. Right now he plays the first test in Sri Lanka.

 

[Marius]

Will we play two spinners in Sri Lanka? Is an attack of KG, Vern, Maharaj, and Von Berg/Muthusamy/Piedt, for example, better than the first three and Ngidi or Olivier for example?

 

[Stefan9]

I see a lot of people are talking of Mulder debuting soon but question is, at who's expense? The fact that we gonna be playing in Sri Lanka means we need two spinners. Wouldn't it be better to have a Muthusamy/Von Berg debuting before Mulder?

Do we really need to play 2 spinners in the starting 11?? Isn't an attack of Steyn,KG,Vern and Keshav with some part time from aiden and Elgar enough?

SA for a long time where very successful on the subcontinent playing only the one spinner.

Not sure a sub standard spinner is better then a great reverse swing bowler.

 

[SeamUp]

Do we really need to play 2 spinners in the starting 11?? Isn't an attack of Steyn,KG,Vern and Keshav with some part time from aiden and Elgar enough?

SA for a long time where very successful on the subcontinent playing only the one spinner.

Not sure a sub standard spinner is better then a great reverse swing bowler.

I agree but when we go to India I do expect nothing but pure raggers now. Be interesting what Sri Lanka throw at us.

 

[Bahseph]

You know Shastri and Kohli are waiting to serve up some bunsens to us. I think we are in a better place as a team than 2015. Markram at the top instead of Van Zyl, QDK instead of Vilas, Kesh being so consistent, Rabada being streets ahead of where he was in 2015. And I'm not sure how many of you guys agree with me, but losing Big Vern was a massive blow. He is never as threatening on flatter pitches but he gives us control. And you can't understate how we missed that the last time. Harmer and Tahir served up too many four balls amongst their wicket-taking deliveries.

 

[SeamUp]

Sri Lanka schedule released this morning. Only two ****ing tests !

Sri Lanka tour itinerary:

July 4: SA arrive in Sri Lanka
July 7-8: Two-day practice match, P Sara Stadium, Colombo
July 12-16: 1st Test match, Galle
July 20-24: 2nd Test match, Colombo
July 26: One-day warm-up match, venue to be confirmed
July 29: 1st ODI, Dambulla (day match)
August 1: 2nd ODI, Dambulla (d/n)
August 5: 3rd ODI, Kandy (day match)
August 8: 4th ODI, Kandy (d/n)
August 12: 5th ODI, Colombo (d/n)
August 14: T20 International, Colombo (d/n)

 

[Stefan9]

Very disappointing...

 

[Marius]

So, who'll be the second spinner to go to Sri Lanka?

Shamsi, Von Berg, Muthusamy, Piedt?