South Africa team selection

[StephenZA]

Maharaj is great. Shamsi sucks. Linde is the man SA needs.

You are right on Linde... but unfortunately he is also slow left arm, same as Maharaj!

For me the biggest concern in the odi team is the spinners ..Next World cup is in India but Maharaj and Shamsi have not been great , Shamsi especially since he's a liability in the field and can't bat so really does need to be doing better with the ball..What steps are we taking to groom the next white ball legspinner ? Shamsi has been the only leggie we've used in the last 6 years bar Tahir, Caleb Seleka has shown potential in white ball cricket and Brevis is a decent 6th bowler option batting in the top 6 , the only youngster we have really thrown in the deep end recently was Marco Jansen and look how that has turned out , current spinning options just not good enough , Rashid embarrassed Shamsi last game .

You have Brevis as a leg spinning option. Also Brand as an extra spin bowling option, but unlikely to go that way with Markram in the team. Parsons as a 1 in a million shot! Else you have Muthusamy, been pretty good, Phangiso and maybe Subrayen. Subrayen has not been great recently, and Phangiso has his own issues.

Might have been worth playing the WC qualifying just for the extra games in dry and dusty Zim!

 

[StephenZA]

And must not forget Harmer...

 

[Dendarii]

Shamsi has been the only leggie we've used in the last 6 years bar Tahir,

Just because I'm in a pedantic mood right now, Shamsi isn't a leg spinner. Left-arm wrist spinners turn the ball in the same direction as off spinners.

But regardless of what Shamsi is, he does appear to have gone off the boil and it's not like he offers anything with the bat.

Another spin option is Bjorn Fortuin, who's been decent in the internationals he's played, although also a left arm spinner and is a step down from Linde with both bat and ball.

 

[Bahseph]

I think Shamsi has been found out. His bowling hasn't carried the same threat it once did. Maharaj is a lock for the WC, and they clearly are backing Markram who adds a couple (or a good few) overs on a good day. I hope we see Linde back in the mix. Fortuin is a good T20 spinner but Linde has that batting edge. They could go Muthusamy but he needs to bat 5/6 for me. And there is not enough place for him. I really rate Subrayen as a LO package. Can hold a bat,decent in the field and a crafty bowler....but that action will get him in trouble imo. I suppose they could pick him and see how it goes. Best LO offie we have.

 

[StephenZA]

Current squad against Eng:
Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie van der Dussen, Keshav Maharaj, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.

Based on current squad of 16 Magala likely gets dropped. That leaves maybe 3 spots max available that of J. Malan, Parnell and Shamsi. I can't see them dropping anybody else. And even those three seem unlikely.

 

[trundler]

You are right on Linde... but unfortunately he is also slow left arm, same as Maharaj!

You guys have explained why he's missing of late but I've been a big fan since he toured over here and did very well. Quick look at Statsguru suggests he's done well in SAT20.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

You guys have explained why he's missing of late but I've been a big fan since he toured over here and did very well. Quick look at Statsguru suggests he's done well in SAT20.

Linde is one of those players who has suffered because of transformation policies , look at his record in the handful of games he has played for SA and then add his explosive batting and fielding capabilities..there's no valid reason why he isn't in any of the current teams

 

[Socerer 01]

its weird here im seeing rightful backlash against Dane’s exclusion but over on r/cricket they think its justified and right to not pick her

 

[honestbharani]

its weird here im seeing rightful backlash against Dane’s exclusion but over on r/cricket they think its justified and right to not pick her

I dont see how it can be justified when the reason itself is non-cricketing.

 

[Nintendo]

Is a time of lower than 9.30 on a 2km sprint really that much to expect from female athletes (specifics of how relevant that is to cricketing performance aside)? I'm a male tbf but last time I timed myself I could do 2km in ~8 min and I'm not anywhere close to being a top level athlete, and it seems like male cricketers like stokes can do sub 7 minute on a regular basis.

 

[Socerer 01]

I dont see how it can be justified when the reason itself is non-cricketing.

reasoning i saw was that she didn’t play in 18 months+failing a fitness test means she isn’t fit enough for playing

 

[StephenZA]

reasoning i saw was that she didn’t play in 18 months+failing a fitness test means she isn’t fit enough for playing

Showing they are clearly ignorant of what is going on…

 

[honestbharani]

reasoning i saw was that she didn’t play in 18 months+failing a fitness test means she isn’t fit enough for playing

The + is the issue. One has nothing to do with the other.

 

[Dendarii]

If you just took the topline facts - long-term injury and a failed fitness test - then her exclusion wouldn't seem unreasonable. It's when you dig down into the details that a different picture emerges.

 

[Heboric]

Uh Oh, although shouldnt change anything unless something bizarre happens:

South Africa's chances of direct World Cup qualification hit by over-rate penalty

Qualification scenarios: What Sri Lanka, Ireland and South Africa need to do to gain direct entry to the 2023 World Cup

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Uh Oh, although shouldnt change anything unless something bizarre happens:

South Africa's chances of direct World Cup qualification hit by over-rate penalty

Qualification scenarios: What Sri Lanka, Ireland and South Africa need to do to gain direct entry to the 2023 World Cup

www.espncricinfo.com

This whole qualification format sucks, Ireland ,Zimbabwe ,Sri Lanka (****ing former WC champs) , they all deserve to be at the WC we aren't a big cricketing family as it is.

 

[Dendarii]

Uh Oh, although shouldnt change anything unless something bizarre happens:

South Africa's chances of direct World Cup qualification hit by over-rate penalty

Qualification scenarios: What Sri Lanka, Ireland and South Africa need to do to gain direct entry to the 2023 World Cup

www.espncricinfo.com

Overly dramatic headline. The only scenario where it has an impact (assuming no further penalties) is if Ireland win all three matches against Bangladesh, and that was leaning towards the unlikely side anyway.

 

[Socerer 01]

Showing they are clearly ignorant of what is going on…

i wouldn’t be surprised as afaik most of the dudes there acting as fans of South Africa are just Indians who liked de Villiers or someone else from the 2000s team

 

[Dendarii]

I only discovered this today (because I pay absolutely no attention to the IPL), but the remaining matches against the Netherlands clash with the IPL, meaning that we'll be missing a lot of our first-choice players. I'm hoping that means that the selectors will use this as an opportunity to bring some fresh blood into the side, but my fear is that they might just roll out all the has-beens yet again...

 

[Nintendo]

I only discovered this today (because I pay absolutely no attention to the IPL), but the remaining matches against the Netherlands clash with the IPL, meaning that we'll be missing a lot of our first-choice players. I'm hoping that means that the selectors will use this as an opportunity to bring some fresh blood into the side, but my fear is that they might just roll out all the has-beens yet again...

Any 33 yo, mid 30 career average journeyman averaging 60+ this year you reckon they'll pick?