****Official****Pakistan in South Africa

[sonnench]

Ajmal is not some average spinner that the tail can easily negotiate. England has a better tail than yours and they didn't manage it too often. I doubt your tail would have bailed you out twice and Hafeez would have taken care of Pieterson (check his stats against left-handers plus he got him in the first match). A couple more wickets and it would have been very tough. Obviously all this is assuming that we had 250+ on the board.

But there is no point in arguing over this. We can just wait for when you guys visit the UAE this summer and see how your tail performs against Ajmal and Rahman.

I couldn't disagree more, I think we have a better tail.

And as far as the whole debate, there is no way in saying what could of happened. 250 would of been very tough, but I think it's crazy to say it wouldn't of been possible. This S.A test team who just don't know how to lose at the moment, and up against constantly against Aussie, and some how came away with the series. With the way we have been playing, I honestly back us in any situation. How many would of thought Faf du Plessis would of batted the way he did to save the test? A guy not many new, who only averaged 35 odd in FC and was seen as an aggresive OD player, bat 2 days to save a test match?

I just think our team our currently in a place where we just find a way to win no matter the situation we find ourselves in. Don't get me wrong, we could of been skittled for 100 runs chasing 250, but I don't it's quite right to say we would of lost had we been chasing more.

And finally, I personally would like Abbott to get a crack in the last match, nothing to lose. Rory is ok, but i think we have a few better than him.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

I couldn't disagree more, I think we have a better tail.

And as far as the whole debate, there is no way in saying what could of happened. 250 would of been very tough, but I think it's crazy to say it wouldn't of been possible. This S.A test team who just don't know how to lose at the moment, and up against constantly against Aussie, and some how came away with the series. With the way we have been playing, I honestly back us in any situation. How many would of thought Faf du Plessis would of batted the way he did to save the test? A guy not many new, who only averaged 35 odd in FC and was seen as an aggresive OD player, bat 2 days to save a test match?

I just think our team our currently in a place where we just find a way to win no matter the situation we find ourselves in. Don't get me wrong, we could of been skittled for 100 runs chasing 250, but I don't it's quite right to say we would of lost had we been chasing more.

And finally, I personally would like Abbott to get a crack in the last match, nothing to lose. Rory is ok, but i think we have a few better than him.

No one is saying it would have been impossible. But the way people are just dismissing Ajmal as if he is some average spinner and can be negotiated easily is rubbish.

 

[sonnench]

No one is saying it would have been impossible. But the way people are just dismissing Ajmal as if he is some average spinner and can be negotiated easily is rubbish.

No one is dismissing him and saying he just average either. By saying we could of won regardless is no insult to him, the dude is still a magician, and the best spin bowler in the world hands down.

 

[SeamUp]

But there is no point in arguing over this. We can just wait for when you guys visit the UAE this summer and see how your tail performs against Ajmal and Rahman.

Weren't we there recently and weren't we on top in that drawn series. Certainly from a batting perspective we rattled up scores of 380, 318/2d , 584/9 d & 203/5 d .

It was mainly our spin bowling that let us down that series and was the nail in Harris' coffin.

So will be good to go there again from our perspective to test ourselves. Certainly won't be having sleepless nights.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Ajmal is not some average spinner that the tail can easily negotiate. England has a better tail than yours and they didn't manage it too often. I doubt your tail would have bailed you out twice and Hafeez would have taken care of Pieterson (check his stats against left-handers plus he got him in the first match). A couple more wickets and it would have been very tough. Obviously all this is assuming that we had 250+ on the board.

But there is no point in arguing over this. We can just wait for when you guys visit the UAE this summer and see how your tail performs against Ajmal and Rahman.

We played him in UAE and we drew, we didn't win but we didn't lose, but yes we'll see what happens. I'm sure we would take him on. We played Rahman in Pakistan and still won the series.

Ajmal looked average on day 3, or is it just because of how well our tail played him. Ajmal is clearly the best spin bowler in the world but you make it seem he is a sure 10 wicket haul vs SA.

 

[LegendaryProtea]

I don't know.

Kleinveldt is the man in possession and he is still something of an unknown quantity for the Pakistanis.

We should also not hand out Test caps willy nilly, Kleinveldt is the next man in the pecking order, and should play.

But maybe give Abbott a run in the ODIs and T20s.

I don't think Rory is in possession of anything. How does playing three Tests for a bowling average of 40 qualify as being in posession of the replacement seamer role? One could say the same about Tsotsobe before the home series against the Aussies when Vern played. If we had said Tsotsobe is the man in possession then we wouldn't be watching a man with a sub-17 bowling average and I dare say we wouldn't be number one. I think Kleinveldt is a pretty solid performer but he is nearly 30 and we should look towards the young crop of talented seamers.

Also, Abbott would be an unknown quantity for the Pakistanis too. Any debutant is something of an unknown quantity.

I wouldn't say awarding Abbott a debut is handing out a cap willy-nilly or desecrating Test cricket. He had the best first-class bowling average in the last season, the best SR and he took 7 wickets in the tour match against Pakistan. I don't see giving him a game as being that different from giving Philander a game ahead of Tsotsobe.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Indian cricket team got hold of your password?

I lend my account to Sehwag from time to time #Revenge.

 

[LegendaryProtea]

Weren't we there recently and weren't we on top in that drawn series. Certainly from a batting perspective we rattled up scores of 380, 318/2d , 584/9 d & 203/5 d .

It was mainly our spin bowling that let us down that series and was the nail in Harris' coffin.

So will be good to go there again from our perspective to test ourselves. Certainly won't be having sleepless nights.

Tbf the ball hardly spun in that series. Those were some of the flattest surfaces I've seen. Ajmal only played one match and had figures of 3/197. I don't know how the pitches will play this time around but I can see us struggling if they start taking turn. Also, if we get bowled out cheaply we don't have a gun spinner to throw the ball too, unlike in South African conditions where we can recover after a batting collapse via Steyn and Vern. The UAE will pose a massive challenge imo.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Weren't we there recently and weren't we on top in that drawn series. Certainly from a batting perspective we rattled up scores of 380, 318/2d , 584/9 d & 203/5 d .

It was mainly our spin bowling that let us down that series and was the nail in Harris' coffin.

So will be good to go there again from our perspective to test ourselves. Certainly won't be having sleepless nights.

We played him in UAE and we drew, we didn't win but we didn't lose, but yes we'll see what happens. I'm sure we would take him on. We played Rahman in Pakistan and still won the series.

Ajmal looked average on day 3, or is it just because of how well our tail played him. Ajmal is clearly the best spin bowler in the world but you make it seem he is a sure 10 wicket haul vs SA.

it wasn't your tail that racked up those big scores in UAE.

 

[SeamUp]

it wasn't your tail that racked up those big scores in UAE.

In 2nd test - Botha 12, Steyn 27, Harris 19 & Morkel 35 not out isn't too bad.

But I certainly don't think SA would ever under-estimate Ajmal or our fans.

I think he was overly bowled in the1st innings and his contribution slowly diminished combined with positive cricket from AB & Robbie. Not necessarily one-day shots just good positive cricket so I don't reckon Hafeez was necessarily the answer either.

In any case its mute point. No one can say for sure SA would have made 300 or whether they wouldn't have. All would have played out differently.

 

[Xuhaib]

]Why not? Why can't 8-11 bail us out again? They played Ajmal with ease on day 3. [/B]Amla and AB would never have gotten out like if we needed 300. After we got to 100 we basically approached it like a T20 with easy wickets when there was no doubt in the result. Game set and match. 182 was game on at the start maybe but we got to 182 fairly comfortably.

Like I'm not saying we would have won without a doubt, just by going how our team has played these situations in test matches the last 2 years, I'm very confident they could have chased 300.

Broad and Swann did it couple of times in UAE however they were never able to do it twice in a row especially in the 2nd innings with the pressure of the chase yes RP might have got going again but there is even a greater chance that he might have been rolled over in the pressure of the chase as for Amla and AB agree about AB but Amla got done by a good ball despite going for their shots against other bowlers they were still tackling Ajmal with care so that wicket was on even if 100 more were needed.

 

[Xuhaib]

In 2nd test - Botha 12, Steyn 27, Harris 19 & Morkel 35 not out isn't too bad.

But I certainly don't think SA would ever under-estimate Ajmal or our fans.

I think he was overly bowled in the1st innings and his contribution slowly diminished combined with positive cricket from AB & Robbie. Not necessarily one-day shots just good positive cricket so I don't reckon Hafeez was necessarily the answer either.

In any case its mute point. No one can say for sure SA would have made 300 or whether they wouldn't have. All would have played out differently.

Agree wit you thats why I said a score of 250 + Ajmal and support from atleast one fast bowler could have yielded a different result.

 

[BeardofAmla]

Next time send us a better Pakistani spinner please. The last one is still seeing Michael Clarke batting with a garage door in his dreams and is damage goods. You can take him with when you go back home

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Next time send us a better Pakistani spinner please. The last one is still seeing Michael Clarke batting with a garage door in his dreams and is damage goods. You can take him with when you go back home

If you expect a good spinner, we want a good batsman in return. Someone who knows how to play swing and seam. You keep sending them to the wrong country.

Tahir might actually be useful in India.

 

[BeardofAmla]

If you expect a good spinner, we want a good batsman in return. Someone who knows how to play swing and seam. You keep sending them to the wrong country.

Tahir might actually be useful in India.

I think somehow we have pleased most of the Gods out there.
Tendulkar reincarnated = Amla
Sobers reincarnated = Kallis
McGrath reincarnated = Philander
Akram Younis reincarnated = Steyn

You guys can have Levi.........

 

[TT Boy]

Abbott is a poor man's McLaren, isn't he?

Slower and just as hittable in the limited overs stuff. No indication on how he bowls in FC cricket but he is a bit of an ordinary selection. Morris would have been far more exciting or Hendricks.

 

[Cabinet96]

Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed they didn't give Morris a go.

 

[Marius]

SA seems to have a pretty full fast bowling cupboard at the moment.

We have Abbott, who has just been called up. Then there's Morris and Birch who would probably be next in line for a Test call-up.

And then we still Gqamane, Hendricks, Viljoen, and even Ethy Mbhalathi. And Marchant de Lange still needs to make his come back at some point.

As is usual with South African cricket, it is the spinning stocks that are kinda bare. After Tahir - who probably would play if Peterson was unavailable - there is only really Simon Harmer.

 

[SeamUp]

Faf du Plessis, the South Africa batsman, has been appointed full-time Twenty20 captain, beginning with the matches against Pakistan, after AB de Villiers requested to stand down from the role. The development means South Africa will have a different captain for each format, with Graeme Smith leading the Test side, de Villiers the ODI team and du Plessis the T20 side.


Du Plessis had filled in for de Villiers during the T20 series against New Zealand at home as well, after de Villiers cited the need for rest because of his workload, which includes wicketkeeping.

ODI squad: AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Twenty20 squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Henry Davids, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Chris Morris, Justin Ontong, Robbie Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

 

[benchmark00]

I'm glad the article cleared it up by telling us they were talking about Faf Du Plessis the South African batsman. For a second I was thinking of all the other Faf Du Plessis' I know.