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Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2018/19
- Thread starter Gomez656
- Start date
Dendarii
International Debutant
That's probably because a journalist asked about it and there wasn't another answer that he could give.
I fully accept the notion that you shouldn't necessarily write a player off after just one or two poor games, but Amla has averaged under 30 in both tests and ODIs this year, so for how much longer can they realistically back him?
Dendarii
International Debutant
Time to call up Josh Richards?
Gnske
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
SeamUp
International Coach
Slower start than expected but no shame in that. Maybe pressure & expectation. I think with him they need to stay #3 or #4 bat for him. Previously things may have come easily due to his talent but now he seems to get starts but not go on maybe due to the number of shots he has.
But like Dendarii says, we don't want it to be easy for him and guys like Josh Richards & Marques Ackerman showing the deep batting potential out there in SA at the moment.
Ken Borland at Benoni
Pakistan's bowlers seem to have a bit more zip after lunch & Tshepang Dithole is caught behind off Faeem Ashraf for 12. Josh Richards marching on & looking very solid on 76*, compact & well-organised. SA Invitation XI 128-2
Matthew Breetzke looked really good for his 24 but then rather a wild shot off the slow left-arm spin of Haris Sohail balloons off the top-edge to short third man. SA Invitation XI 165-3. Richards 89*
There are more than a hundred genuine spectators here at Willowmoore Park in Benoni ... augurs well for the first Test v Pakistan next week at Centurion.
Oh no! Josh Richards, who turns 20 tomorrow, has gone to 98 with barely a false stroke but then Azhar Ali comes on to bowl part-time leg-spin, 1st ball bit short & wide, but turns & bounces a bit, Richards cuts, edged & caught behind! Would have been his 5th hundred in 7 innings!
Hasan Ali has just rather comprehensively bowled Onke Nyaku for 1, reducing SA Invitation XI to 220-5. Marques Ackerman has scored a bright 45*
Marques Ackerman goes to 50 off 65 balls with 2 dazzling boundaries off Faeem Ashraf: Caribbean-style back-foot drive to a full ball, straight down the ground, & then a superb square-cut.
TheJammyTurtle
U19 Cricketer
Amla has got to go now.Pretty obvious hes on a rapid decline.Give him a tap on the shoulder and let him have a farewell during this home season.Any other player would have been dropped by now.
SeamUp
International Coach
A 100 for Marques Ackerman. A natural fast scorer from the moment he comes to the crease with a wide range of strokes. A great ability to have. You guessed it, another ex St Stithians pupil. They falling off trees. Rabada, Rickelton, Ackerman, Vasconcelos, Glover, Richards, Mulder, Makwetu etc
His 3 day SR is very similar to de Kock. They want to dominate. He is another in fine form this season. The type of player SA is looking out for in that #5/#6 role in ODI side too because he is always busy.
His 3 day SR is very similar to de Kock. They want to dominate. He is another in fine form this season. The type of player SA is looking out for in that #5/#6 role in ODI side too because he is always busy.
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Pup Clarke
Cricketer Of The Year
As much as I love Amla I agree. Don't know whether he can tough it out anymore against test class attacks
StephenZA
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Nobody denies Amla is not the player he was, but everybody wants to drop him for who? Not like we have a plethora of FC batsmen trying to get into the national setup. Hamza has been selected (after a excellent and now decent season), and the rest need time at FC level. Good young batsmen coming through, but need another season. To early to talk about dropping Amla.
Pup Clarke
Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah I personally wouldn't drop him now, as one innings could reignite him - and also pave the way for a late-career resurgence.
However he has had a shocking year. Averaging under 25 with a HS of 82 is extremely poor
The alternatives may not be ready, but that doesn't mean Amla should get a pass due to that.
However he has had a shocking year. Averaging under 25 with a HS of 82 is extremely poor
The alternatives may not be ready, but that doesn't mean Amla should get a pass due to that.
SeamUp
International Coach
This is my view too. Probably give him these Pakistan tests and assess afterwards.
But his form isn't just limited to tests. Its limited overs plus T20s in Carribean and here for MSL where he isn't even getting to 25
If our batting had more reliability we could maybe carry a legend like him but I don't think we can.
StephenZA
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
He is not getting a pass, but people hoped he would stay a rock while other new batsmen settled in; has not happened. However, Elgar has been indifferent after last years heroics, Markram has had a great start. Amla out of form, no deVillers. Bavuma staying at his 30 avg. QDK form terrible. Faf been great. de Bruyn has shown promise but been inconsistent. And the next batsmen in line has been selected. Amla is about 3rd in line to get dropped at the moment.
SA have 5 Tests, 3 Pak, 2 SL before the world cup. And SA are unlikely to remove Amla for those tests or as an opener with QDK in the LO's. After WC there is lots of chance for new batsmen and decision about Amla can be made, if he decides to even stay on.
Dendarii
International Debutant
With the World Cup not too far away I think that's where most of the concern lies. Given the length of the tail of our first choice ODI side it's essential that the top order delivers, and if Amla can't be relied on to make runs like he used to then his place does need to be questioned.
And there is a potential replacement for him there in the form of Hendricks, who has been in good form. Yes, it's a different format and the World Cup is a step up from the Mzansi Super League, but two 50s and two 100s in 9 innings is difficult to ignore.
Dendarii
International Debutant
Is Ackermann still Kolpak? If not then he would be a potential replacement.
You do make a valid point about our young batsmen ideally needing more time, and it can certainly be detrimental for a player to be elevated too early. But sometimes circumstances dictate that, and there may come a point where an inexperienced youngster is a better bet than a declining Amla. Not yet, as I'd still have him there for the Pakistan series, but after that, who knows?
SeamUp
International Coach
My thinking too but no disrespect to Sri Lanka but I would think debuting Hamza against Sri Lanka at home would be ideal.
If Mulder was fit I would definitely have hoped to give him a debut at some point. Supposedly he is back training with the Lions and targeting the T20 series v Pakistan for his return.
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