*** Official *** Pakistan all format tour of South Africa 10 December to 7 January

[Bahseph]

Well done Pakistan. Shah, Afridi and Rauf are arguably at their best in the ODI format. Salman did well enough as the fifth bowler across the two games as well. Deserved winners.

For SA I don't know how you can complain much when you make the changes they did. For me I'd much rather have Rickelton at the top with Bavuma. No disrespect to Tony de Zorzi but Rickelton is the better LO batter for me. I feel the same with Rassie and Stubbs at the moment. Rassie has been a brilliant servant in ODI games and has given us two really good World Cups (19 and 23) but Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rassie is way too one dimensional. It's almost like Walter forgot that QDK was reeling off hundreds on the way to that last semi final. If this was a Shukri team you feel Stubbs is in at 3.

I don't know if Markram will ever be that guy for as at 4. I rate Verreynne as a LO batter, perhaps he can get a look? Miller and Klaasen are locks. I tend to agree with @Prince EWS regarding Mulder. If Linde isn't the answer at 7 then perhaps Mulder at 5 before Klaasen and Miller is. Mulder is the best batsman out of Jansen, Linde , Phelukwayo etc but he is not a hitter.

The bowling is fine. Rabada, Nortje, Coetzee and Ngidi being out really dilutes the quality but Maphaka has a bright future. No more Phelukwayo please. He has been the same player for the last 5 years imo. Shamsi also veers from sublime to leaky in one game. I almost feel he needs Maharaj around as the number one spinner to thrive as a back up.

 

[SeamUp]

Rob Walter needs sacking. There are rumours of players not wanting to play for him. For a guy who was a once a fitness and fielding coach our bowling and fielding discipline is atrocious.

But I still think this 50-over team had their chance to win the last WC but if we didn't it needed freshening up naturally before the next WC.

We need x-factor up top in the batting to replace QdK & an AR position as @Bahseph mentions above. Bavuma, Vd Dussen, Markram are looking meh for me to make 2027. Would it be surprising if Miller retires before? I don't think so.

I would also boot Shamsi. Another player good at medium to minnow bashing but when it really counts against the level of opponent that really matters he has rarely ever stood up.

Phehlukwayo can do one.

 

[trundler]

Shamsi is a one dimensional cricketer, can't bat or field so has to be world class in bowling to justify his selection which he isn't, don't understand how he keeps getting games in ODI cricket.

He's a limited bowler too. Only troubles tailenders who can't pick him out of the hand.

 

[WpGuy]

You have to question South Africa's recision to bowl first. Results at Newlands in day/night matches are so heavily stacked in favour of the team batting first that it's foolish not to bat first.

Maybe testing before champs trophy chasing game.

 

[Dendarii]

Maybe testing before champs trophy chasing game.

But why test it at a ground where chasing is notoriously difficult? Of the 34 day/night matches at Newlands, 25 were won by the team batting first and 9 by the team batting second (and that goes down to 6 if you don't count three matches where Zimbabwe, Canada, and Kenya were the losing team). They really shouldn't schedule day/night matches at Newlands, but when they do the team who wins the toss needs to bat first.

 

[Stefan9]

Well done Pakistan. Shah, Afridi and Rauf are arguably at their best in the ODI format. Salman did well enough as the fifth bowler across the two games as well. Deserved winners.

For SA I don't know how you can complain much when you make the changes they did. For me I'd much rather have Rickelton at the top with Bavuma. No disrespect to Tony de Zorzi but Rickelton is the better LO batter for me. I feel the same with Rassie and Stubbs at the moment. Rassie has been a brilliant servant in ODI games and has given us two really good World Cups (19 and 23) but Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rassie is way too one dimensional. It's almost like Walter forgot that QDK was reeling off hundreds on the way to that last semi final. If this was a Shukri team you feel Stubbs is in at 3.

I don't know if Markram will ever be that guy for as at 4. I rate Verreynne as a LO batter, perhaps he can get a look? Miller and Klaasen are locks. I tend to agree with @Prince EWS regarding Mulder. If Linde isn't the answer at 7 then perhaps Mulder at 5 before Klaasen and Miller is. Mulder is the best batsman out of Jansen, Linde , Phelukwayo etc but he is not a hitter.

The bowling is fine. Rabada, Nortje, Coetzee and Ngidi being out really dilutes the quality but Maphaka has a bright future. No more Phelukwayo please. He has been the same player for the last 5 years imo. Shamsi also veers from sublime to leaky in one game. I almost feel he needs Maharaj around as the number one spinner to thrive as a back up.

Difficult with dropping markram is no one else of the batsmen offer anything with the ball. Sides are very loath to go into ODI's or t20's with only 5 bowling options.

Regarding Mulder . While not a natural hitter I have seen him do it for the lions and DSG on a few occasions.

 

[SeamUp]

Corbin Bosch in the ODI squad for Baartman.

 

[Bahseph]

Difficult with dropping markram is no one else of the batsmen offer anything with the ball. Sides are very loath to go into ODI's or t20's with only 5 bowling options.

Regarding Mulder . While not a natural hitter I have seen him do it for the lions and DSG on a few occasions.

This is a good point with Markram. I guess you could sneak a couple of overs from Stubbs but other than that the cupboard is empty. Bevis needs to accelerate his development!

 

[nightprowler10]

Just saw that klaassen was implying something about a shocking presence of reverse swing after the 1st ODI, where spinners took almost all of the wickets.

Upcoming drama in the Test series? Gosh I hope so.

 

[Gnske]

Basically said outright they were ball tampering. Maybe he saw a little molar stuck in the seam as he was flogging it.

 

[Bahseph]

Supersport are going to go into full investigative mode like the Sandpaper series again aren't they? I can't find his comments anywhere. What did he say?

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Difficult with dropping markram is no one else of the batsmen offer anything with the ball. Sides are very loath to go into ODI's or t20's with only 5 bowling options.

Regarding Mulder . While not a natural hitter I have seen him do it for the lions and DSG on a few occasions.

That's why we needed to test out depth options for that kinda role, I think Mulder is good enough to bat in the top 6 and include a second all rounder at No.7 ..

We made the same mistake with JP Duminy a decade back who became undroppable for the same reasons and Markram has sort of continued that trend ..

We need to become a team with balance and variety, we have the pace and power to overwhelm teams it's just about getting that balance right which England did with their white ball cricket..

That's the model we should be aspiring too, 6/7 handy bowling options + a long batting line up ..

Of course that would mean a few specialists might be out the team but that's the risk you have to take to be successful

 

[SeamUp]

Hoping the SA20 can keep highlighting performance of players at a high level for our white-ball cricket.

 

[Dendarii]

Supersport are going to go into full investigative mode like the Sandpaper series again aren't they? I can't find his comments anywhere. What did he say?

Proteas’ Heinrich Klaasen has ‘never seen the ball reverse like that in 20 overs’ against Pakistan

Heinrich Klaasen was visibly animated after having his middle stump uprooted by Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi in the first ODI, which the Proteas lost by three wickets in Paarl on Tuesday.

www.iol.co.za

“I’ve played here for 10 years, 13 years. With rain here last night, a green outfield like we had, I have never seen the ball reverse like that in 20 overs,” Klaasen said.

“Balls are only 25 overs old in a one-day game, so in 20 overs, that ball was shaping like a four-day game in quite proper heat.
“So, yeah, other than that, I’m not going to comment on anything.”

 

[Bahseph]

Proteas’ Heinrich Klaasen has ‘never seen the ball reverse like that in 20 overs’ against Pakistan

Heinrich Klaasen was visibly animated after having his middle stump uprooted by Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi in the first ODI, which the Proteas lost by three wickets in Paarl on Tuesday.

www.iol.co.za

Subtle.

 

[nightprowler10]

Reminder that this is about the 1st ODI where Klaassen's wicket was the only one not taken by a spinner.

 

[Bahseph]

Reminder that this is about the 1st ODI where Klaassen's wicket was the only one not taken by a spinner.

Salman was reversing it with those straight breaks bro!

 

[SeamUp]

Weather supposedly not too good.