AB de Villiers has won the toss and has decided to bowl first in their must-win clash against West Indies in Barbados.
It’s do-or-die at the Kensington Oval, as the winner of this clash goes through to the final to play Australia on Sunday.
The Proteas haven’t bowled a ball since they last played the Windies last week, thanks to the washed-out match against Australia on Sunday. Because of that, it also means that the hosts can join the Proteas on 12 points if they beat them, and go through at their expense due to winning more matches in the series.
As expected, the Proteas named an unchanged side to the XI that faced Australia, with Morne Morkel patiently waiting for his first game. He’s in there instead of Tabraiz Shamsi due to the pacier, bouncier track that the conditions promise.
‘The wicket does not change much,’ said De Villiers. ‘The ball will come on in the night. It is always a bit easier to know the target. By the looks of it, not too much spin is on offer. But the spinners will be a force to reckon with. It’s always good to be part of knock-out games.’
West Indies: Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite, Jason Holder (capt), Sunil Narine, Sulieman Benn, Shannon Gabriel.
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers (capt), JP Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.
Picture: AFP
