South Africa team selection

[SeamUp]

6 Tests next year is a travesty. All away as well. I suppose their argument is building for the T20 WC. But still its pretty pathetic. Hopefully we start seeing calendars more like 2026 going forward.

Couldn't have said it better.

Find it bizarre we have no tests next summer.

When last did New Zealand play tests in SA? You probably would have to look at them and West Indies with Pakistan/Sri Lanka here 24/25 & Australia/England/Bangladesh 26/27

 

[SeamUp]

As we were speaking about it.

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[StephenZA]

As we were speaking about it.

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Long term it will be better for everybody. Because it also forces Aus/Eng/Ind to give 3 match series to the smaller nations.

But practically will this happen? Will it just get vetoed? Or will this mean more series between the money makers and them just not having series against the smaller nations?

 

[Dendarii]

When last did New Zealand play tests in SA?

2016. That's quite a long time ago.

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[Bahseph]

I don't think we can get away with just three bowlers plus Mulder if the next pitch is a tad flatter. Bavuma for Breetzke seems almost a forgone conclusion if he is fit right? Then do we switch Piedt for Ngidi/Paterson? Does Rickelton get dropped for the extra bowler? Decisions, decisions...

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't think we can get away with just three bowlers plus Mulder if the next pitch is a tad flatter. Bavuma for Breetzke seems almost a forgone conclusion if he is fit right? Then do we switch Piedt for Ngidi/Paterson? Does Rickelton get dropped for the extra bowler? Decisions, decisions...

Would be easier to balance if Muthusamy bowled right arm I think - bring him and Ngidi in for Rickelton and Piedt. Still gives batting down to eight but with five bowlers.

I don't think they're that keen on playing two SLAs unless they think it's gonna rag so much that they're playing three spinners though.

 

[Bahseph]

Small sample sizes but both Muthusamy and Piedt go at +4 runs an over in Asia. I'd rather they get a seamer in and Muthusamy could in theory shore up the batting if they want an allrounder at 8. I just think in that situation he would be favored to bowl less than Mulder.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think Ngidi in particular might be deemed a bit of a risk in a four man attack because he's rocked up for Tests a bit unfit a few times and his pace drops very quickly. You'd probably want the insurance of the fifth bowler to use him in short stints if he was going to play and I'm not sure you actually have the luxury to do it.

Paterson doesn't bowl spells of the quality of peak Ngidi but seems generally fitter to function in a four man attack.

It's definitely a shame Brand isn't quite good enough to force his way in as a batsman besause his part-time spin is in a different class to Markram or Stubbs. Closer to Muthusamy standard than those two from what I've seen.

 

[Bahseph]

Agreed on Ngidi. Genuinely one of the more skillful bowlers SA have but his fitness has seen him fall behind Jansen, Nortje, Burger and Coetzee in the pecking order. Heck he might be behind Paterson as well.

On Brand I agree. Markram is a decent LO option but bowls way too many four balls to be even a passable FC bowler. Conrad rates Muthusamy enough to play him at 7 as the sole spinner last year against the Windies.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

I think Bavuma for Breetzke is fine. Piedt was poor with the ball but there is nobody with his skillset as a specialist right arm offie and he also did decently with the bat , more than decently in fact.

 

[Dendarii]

Conrad rates Muthusamy enough to play him at 7 as the sole spinner last year against the Windies.

That was at Centurion though, a ground where Maharaj has only taken 3 wickets in 5 matches. So I think it may have been expecting the quicks to do the job, and just in case a spinner might be needed going for one who's the best batsman.

 

[Prince EWS]

That was at Centurion though, a ground where Maharaj has only taken 3 wickets in 5 matches. So I think it may have been expecting the quicks to do the job, and just in case a spinner might be needed going for one who's the best batsman.

I wonder if batting Brand out of position at 7 in that role there is something they'd consider in future.

 

[Bahseph]

I think Bavuma for Breetzke is fine. Piedt was poor with the ball but there is nobody with his skillset as a specialist right arm offie and he also did decently with the bat , more than decently in fact.

Still don't think we can regularly go in with 3 bowlers + Mulder. One injury and the game is gone.

 

[SeamUp]

Bavuma not fit enough for the 2nd test.

 

[SeamUp]

Still don't think we can regularly go in with 3 bowlers + Mulder. One injury and the game is gone.

I guess we can get away with it Vs Bangladesh in the sub. If it was Ngidi over Piedt the greater concern would be fitness than reliability in bowling overs and we would get that with Piedt.

Will Paterson and anything but peak Ngidi be a threat at Chittagong either? So I guess with concerns with the batting, I can understand suring it up for now.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

I guess we can get away with it Vs Bangladesh in the sub. If it was Ngidi over Piedt the greater concern would be fitness than reliability in bowling overs and we would get that with Piedt.

Will Paterson and anything but peak Ngidi be a threat at Chittagong either? So I guess with concerns with the batting, I can understand suring it up for now.

Really don't understand why Subrayen wasn't called up , would have made a lot more sense than Paterson seeing that Subrayen turned up for SA A recently and took 12 wickets in 2 4 day games

 

[andruid]

I think Bavuma for Breetzke is fine. Piedt was poor with the ball but there is nobody with his skillset as a specialist right arm offie and he also did decently with the bat , more than decently in fact.

Picking an office because of the bonus runs he scores with the bat? Is this the England Test selection thread?

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Picking an office because of the bonus runs he scores with the bat? Is this the England Test selection thread?

We were doing it way before England made it popular , think Symcox , Nicky Boje , Robin Peterson ..Average spinners who offered batting depth plus this is comfortably the worst batting unit since readmission so every help counts !

 

[SeamUp]

Really don't understand why Subrayen wasn't called up , would have made a lot more sense than Paterson seeing that Subrayen turned up for SA A recently and took 12 wickets in 2 4 day games

Our SAA bowling performances weren't great recently. Subrayen conceded over 7 RPO in their chase over 200 in the last innings.

Much like @Bahseph I thought he was a better white-ball spinner but he doesn't seem to pick up wickets in the format but tends to do okay in red-ball on a helpful Durban-pitch?

SA A top 3 bowlers by average v Sri Lanka

 

[SeamUp]

I think we back the same team. In a way it's good to see all these batsmen get another go.

Should also add. Not been impressed by Bedingham's dismissals in the Windies and here. But we got to remember how few tests he has played along with Stubbs, Rickelton & Breetzke. Even De Zorzi but has played a few more than them.