Opening issue: Options start to emerge
The Proteas haven’t had a formidable opening pair since the days of the Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs combination. But options have become available …
Progression, continuity – tricky balance
The Mark Boucher era has started with clear indications that national selectors will look to grant greater rewards for franchise performers, but the Proteas must balance player progression with continuity.
Malan: It felt like a video game
Proteas opening batsman Pieter Malan has likened his Test debut last week to a video game and spoke glowingly of his first taste of cricket at the highest level.
Of ‘brain farts’ and ‘mental errors’…
Dean Elgar described his first innings dismissal as a ‘brain fart’. Faf du Plessis said the sweep that led to his wicket loss in the second innings was a product of a ‘mental error’, writes DANIEL GALLAN.
ICC needs stump-mic consistency
The sledging incident between Jos Buttler and Vernon Philander has demonstrated the need for the ICC to apply its rules with greater consistency.
Proteas beset with impatience
When Axl Rose sang, All we need is just a little patience, he wasn’t thinking about Test cricket, but it is sound advice for anyone with aspirations of success in the ultimate format.
26 opening batsmen since Smith, Strauss
Andrew Strauss and Graeme Smith retired from Test cricket in 2012 and 2014, respectively. England and South Africa have appreciated some consistency from Alastair Cook and Dean Elgar since Strauss and Smith’s exits, but more than two dozen other opening partners have been tried and tested.
Time for transformation rethink
The appointment of former Proteas Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher to prominent roles surrounding the national team has drawn criticism from politicians who feel the trio are emblematic of resistance to transformation in South African cricket.
New year’s wishes for the Proteas
The Proteas will head into 2020 determined to recover from the problems of 2019.
Pretorius a huge asset for Test XI
Dwaine Pretorius is not the most fashionable cricketer the Proteas have ever picked, but he could just be the player Mark Boucher’s team needs to tip the scales in their favour.
How Philander was more than good enough
Vernon Philander will call time on his career after the series against England and has proven to himself and his doubters that he was more than good enough to play Test cricket.
Five questions the Proteas must answer
A lot has happened around the Proteas set-up in the lead-up to the series against England, but very little on the field.
Morris’ Test career wasn’t a failure
It is easy to look back on the Test career of Chris Morris and label it a failed experiment, but doing so suggests that some thought was put into his respective call-ups.
Hamza – secret weapon or weakest link?
Zubayr Hamza’s 62 off 79 balls in the third Test against India in Ranchi offered a glimpse of what the Cape Cobras batsman has to offer, while also making it clear he still has progress to make as an international cricketer.
Smith judgement haunts De Bruyn
When Theunis de Bruyn got out cheaply on day five of the first Test against India earlier this year, Graeme Smith didn’t hold back in his criticism of the batsman. Now that Smith is the director of cricket, De Bruyn has been dropped from the Test team.
