Proteas work in progress

Wayne Parnell and Rusty Theron scored 64 runs off 27 balls at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Sunday to spare the hosts the blushes and propel them to a remarkable come-from-behind victory against Australia in a Pro20 International allowing South Africa to share the two-game Pro20 International series 1-1, having succumbed to Australia at Newlands on Thursday. There are however some selection concerns.

The selection committee have lacked focus and clear vision the past 18 months. At various times, they have played musical chairs with players and have chopped and changed in ways that would undermine the confidence of even the strongest individuals.

Take Mark Boucher for example: He was dropped nine months prior to the Cricket World Cup, and replaced by Morné van Wyk and AB de Villiers as wicketkeeper-options for the tournament.

Now he is back in favour. Van Wyk, who was so convincing in the previous Pro20 International, scoring a run-a-ball half-century, was replaced by Heino Kuhn for the Pro20 International series against Australia.

The selectors also erred before the World Cup by suddenly introducing Faf du Plessis, David Miller and Colin Ingram. Sure, they are extremely talented, but why do you select players for an all-important tournament like that nine months before the event, and why not 24 months before the World Cup?

South Africa is also at fault for selecting One-Day International players for a specialised format like Pro20 cricket. Is Hashim Amla truly a Pro20 player, or a One-day and test specialist?

Is Kuhn the right option for the shortest format of the game?

The answers to both these questions are no, they might not be your best options in Pro20 Internationals.

And, why did they pick Graeme Smith when he had just played in two club games after an extensive lay-off due to injury?

Sentiment has no place in Pro20 Internationals, and this format should also not be used to fine-tune promising players for the bigger scene, like Kuhn as a possible successor to Boucher.

You have to make clinical decisions in selecting your best team in this format.

South Africa have only four Pro20 games left before the Pro20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, and it is hardly the time to lose focus.

South Africa’s top-order battled in both games against Australia, and it was left to JP Duminy in Cape Town, and Parnell and Theron in the second game to catapult South Africa to respectable scores.

In Cape Town, for example, South Africa was struggling on 69 for three after 12 overs. Australia reached that score after 7.5 overs.

It is interesting that South Africa’s conservative batting approach during the first 10 overs was also to blame for their ultimate defeats to Pakistan in both the World Cups of 2009 and 2010. In both cases, South Africa failed to chase down a target of less than 150.

Although Gary Kirsten’s tenure as South African coach has started with a stutter in the first game at Newlands and almost produced the same unconvincing result at the Wanderers, one should not underestimate his potential influence.

If he receives the right support from the selection committee, and the unsatisfactory aftermath of the Cricket South Africa bonus scandal that will now be investigated by the minister of sport, Fikile Mbalula, does not undermine the climate in the team, he is sure to make an impact.

When Kirsten once asked the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar what he wants from him as coach, Tendulkar’s answer was: “I want you to be my friend.”

Prior to Kirsten’s appointment, Tendulkar’s career was in decline, he was on his way to 35 and in the twilight of his career,and he was booed by his home crowd at Mumbai after a poor display against England.

In the 37 months with Kirsten at the helm, Tendulkar scored 12 test centuries and averaged 63.26 in this format of the game. He averaged 59.33 in One-Day Internationals and slammed seven tons in this period, including a double century against South Africa.

Tendulkar was also named International Cricket Council’s player of the year and was short-listed for the same award the season before, both in the Kirsten-era.

Sure, Tendulkar had fewer injury lay-offs during the Kirsten era, but he was also completely focused and Gazza contributed in assisting Tendulkar to fulfil his maximum potential.

Kirsten is a gifted motivator and with the right support structures he can add value to the South African camp.

The One-Day Internationals starting on Wednesday 19 October, won’t be easy for South Africa. They have selected 12 of the 15 players that were in action at the World Cup, and have dropped Van Wyk and Colin Ingram, to be replaced by Boucher and Miller.

But although there is some experience, this is still a team in progress going through a transitional period.

Kirsten and his compatriot Jonty Rhodes once remarked that if you want to win a World Cup, you need a group of nine or 10 players who have played as a unit for between 30 and 50 games.

South Africa do not exactly have this unit, and will be without AB de Villiers, who is arguably one of the best three batsmen in the world in One-Day Internationals at present.

Furthermore, the bowling attack will be severely pressurised by a composed and experienced Australian top-order.

With Shane Watson at the helm and with the support of Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting, it will be a very challenging period for the SA bowling attack.

Yet, there is depth and experience in the bowling attack and one can expect Dale Steyn, Morné Morkel, Johan Botha, Parnell, Robin Peterson and Imran Tahir to rise to the occasion.

South Africa boasts a proud home-record in ODI’s, having lost only two home-series the past eight years, against Australia and England.

Furthermore, the Proteas have beaten the Baggy Greens in their three past successive One-Day Tournaments, in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

There will be enormous pressure on South Africa. Hopefully the Gazza-factor will be on display, and the selection committee won’t spoil the party with some inconsistency when South Africa need a steady hand from them.

Fanie Heyns