Proteas tour to Zimbabwe: Aug-Sep 2014

[MickeyD]

My sole reason for not having Thami in the side was the same reason why I did not want Morne van Wyk in the side after Boucher retired .... AGE.

If you are looking to the future then a younger keeper had to be found. AB was a stop gap / temporary solution.

 

[Stefanmuller]

Devil&Stefan you're comparing an opener to middle order players. Apples&oranges, doesn't work that way. I've always said and it's been proven many times. Top 3 Test batsmen can adapt to batting 4-7 and have even bigger averages from there, but the same cannot be said of those batting 4-7 moving up the order. Think AB&Mike Hussey.

Alviro has a better record than AB&Rudolph as an opener, so it stands to reason that he will have a better record than AB if he's batting at #5. That is why AB continues to hide down the order despite no longer having the weight of the gloves (Chanderpaul can at least argue that he's "senile"). As things stand due to his cowardice - allround ODI&T20 aside - AB is in the same class as Mathews,Smith&Root Testwise, and probably less than Ballance right now. Anyone can thrive from 5/6. I've said it before - why allow AB&Rudolph the chance to bat lower, but not do the same for Alviro? If AB&Faf think they are better batsmen, then they can open. Just don't bet your house on them having better records than Alviro from that position. Alviro should not be dropped!

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CI tend to delete my comments when some guys(probably a few from here) start hurling expletives in my direction due to my comments but in case they don't post it this is what I think about the ODI Series:

Lol, you cant even mention Alviro in the same breath as AB (or any other current batsman for that matter). AB is in a class of his own. By that logic JP should also average more than AB because he has a lot more talent than Alviro. You dont put your best batsman to open the batting, you keep him at number 4 so that he can take advantage of the older ball, bat when the bowlers are not that fresh or when there is a bit of a foundation. The first role of the opener is to occupy the crease and get the team through the first session without loss of wickets and also have rhe ability to then bat for a long time.

With the openers currently being in poor form, FAF has basically performed there function as he came in early and batted for long periods. Hence why I think he is worth considering as opener. At the moment he bats at 3, Amla at 4 and AB only comes in at 5. By the time AB comes in there is not enough time for him to make big scores. If we lose early wickets you can send in Faf at 4 but if we have 100 on the board then AB should bat at 4. He scores quickly so he can take the game away from the opposition if allowed enough time.

If he decides to keep then I can understand the number 5 spot but he should still be moved up depending on the situation.

 

[ZCFOutkast]

My sole reason for not having Thami in the side was the same reason why I did not want Morne van Wyk in the side after Boucher retired .... AGE. If you are looking to the future then a younger keeper had to be found. AB was a stop gap / temporary solution.

At least you're being fair and putting age as the sole reason, which is understandable and you're entitled to that view. But of course at the end of the day no one should have had any reason to find fault with the selectors had they installed Thami as the #1 keeper either.

 

[Badprop_za]

At least you're being fair and putting age as the sole reason, which is understandable and you're entitled to that view. But of course at the end of the day no one should have had any reason to find fault with the selectors had they installed Thami as the #1 keeper either.

You cannot blame players for being picked or not picked. It will always be the opinion that this or that person must be picked over the other. Players picked are the ones that the coach / captain / etc trust that can do the job or fulfill that role.

My view is that Alviro and JP do not justify a top 6 test batting position as I feel that you must at least average 40+. BUT, with JP at 7 and becoming an "all-rounder" to possibly give balance to the team I 100% support.

Lets focus on Tsolekile vs Boucher. Tsolekile FC average is 29,78 vs Boucher average of 33,34. Based on that, you can argue that Boucher was the better batsmen. You can argue that Boucher faced better bowling due to playing tests for 60% of all innings and still have a better average. Yes, Thami averaged 45+ for a couple of season, but so did Boucher.

Does not matter which way you look at it, each person will find their own reasons to back player A over player B.

 

[stefan9]

Phangiso is a defensive limited overs bowler. At best all that he would offer is the ability to rest the seamers. He is not the answer and has never been for the test team. The fact that he hasn't always made the lions 4 day side is telling. Piedt has far more ability and variations, Tahir didn't work out doesn't mean we should have gone for a defensive bowler.

Thami has 5 100's in 152 first class matches, QDK has 4 in 24 and boucher had 10 in 212. Modern keepers need to be able to contribute hundreds which AB also did while he was keeping. Thami isn't and has never been able to contribute 100's. He may be the best gloveman but that isn't enough anymore. Go and Blame mister Gilchrist for it, if you like ;P

 

[OGroteKoning]

Fantastic! Freeloader Tahir is playing. He better take some sticks today!

 

[ZCFOutkast]

I thought the Test match ended 6 days ago?

 

[ZCFOutkast]

Freeloader Tahir is playing.

He's a much better LOI bowler than Tests, but the proteas can afford to have him as just a specialist fielder today, albeit a poor one at that. My knowledge of ZIM batsmen is that they have a huge weakness against left-arm spin. Throw in Phangiso in the first 10 overs and they might just collapse in a heap and be all out long before the 30th over.

 

[OGroteKoning]

I thought the Test match ended 6 days ago?

Er... What be your point?

EDIT: Oh, I think these threads are created with the whole tour in mind and not only the tests. So it is fine continuing even the ODIs here

 

[SaiyanZ]

If De Kock makes 100 today he will be the fastest player in history to reach 1000 ODI runs, just 20 innings. Beating Viv Richards who did it in 21 innings.

To think that he had such a poor start to his ODI career that I thought he had enough chances. After his first 8 ODI innings he had no scores of note and averaged about 20.

 

[OGroteKoning]

If De Kock makes 100 today he will be the fastest player in history to reach 1000 ODI runs, just 20 innings. Beating Viv Richards who did it in 21 innings.

To think that he had such a poor start to his ODI career that I thought he had enough chances. After his first 8 ODI innings he had no scores of note and averaged about 20.

He is in great form. Hope he does it!

 

[ZCFOutkast]

To think that he had such a poor start to his ODI career that I thought he had enough chances. After his first 8 ODI innings he had no scores of note and averaged about 20.

What I love about QdK is the precendent he set. Never again will another batsman be ditched early after this kind of a start: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/379143.html?class=11;spanmax2=06+Nov+2013;spanval2=span;template=results;type=batting;view=innings. Lots of batsmen like Bavuma or Reeza Hendricks can now sit easy knowing they will never again be messed around once they get one foot in. QdK instituted the "15 innings rule" in LOIs!

 

[OGroteKoning]

Oh no... QdK out. No record for him

 

[SaiyanZ]

Oh no... QdK out. No record for him

He can still get the record in his next innings. Just 37 more runs to tie for fastest to 1000 ODI runs.

 

[MickeyD]

I hope Faf remembers that this is an ODI and not the Timeless Test!!!!

 

[OGroteKoning]

He can still get the record in his next innings. Just 37 more runs to tie for fastest to 1000 ODI runs.

True, but that just ties the record. I would have loved him holding it outright

 

[OGroteKoning]

Dear Faf
Would you kindly lose your wicket or declare. I am falling asleep here
Regards
OGroteKoning

 

[ZCFOutkast]

Faf must be feeling as Yuvraj did in the T20 final earlier this year. Except this is not Malinga&Herath!

 

[dabbler]

Dear Faf
Would you kindly lose your wicket or declare. I am falling asleep here
Regards
OGroteKoning

Would declaring in a ODI make cricketing history?

 

[OGroteKoning]

Would declaring in a ODI make cricketing history?

Sorry, I didn't mean the team should declare, only Faf; or retired hurt (arm, leg, feelings, anything really). And yes, imagine a declaration - would really be an insult to Zim