Port Elizabeth: Selection is likely to be South Africa’s biggest challenge ahead of their one-off day-night Test against Zimbabwe, starting at St George’s Park here, Tuesday.
Zimbabwe are unlikely to stretch the home side but South Africa, ranked second in Test cricket, will want to establish their best XI in this four-day Test ahead of a three-match series against India, starting in Cape Town, January 5.
With the return of AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn after long absences from Test cricket, and with all South Africa’s frontline fast bowlers fit for the first time in more than a year, coach Ottis Gibson described Monday the selection issue as ‘a good nightmare’.
“India are the No.1 team in the world at the moment and we know we need to be at our best if we are going to compete with them and beat them, which is our ultimate goal,” said Gibson. “To do that we have the best 11 ready, but then we have more than the best.”
Six or seven batsmen? Three or four fast bowlers? A spinner? An all-rounder? These are all questions that will be troubling Gibson and his fellow selectors.
The situation is complicated by South Africa’s unique racial balancing act, with Cricket South Africa (CSA) committed to having an average of six players of colour, including two black Africans, in their starting teams.
Three black Africans – batsman Temba Bavuma, all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada – played in South Africa’s most recent Test matches, two one-sided encounters against Bangladesh.
But with batsman De Villiers and fast bowlers Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel back in the mix, only Rabada of the three seems guaranteed to start against Zimbabwe.
Assuming captain Faf du Plessis is passed fit after recovering from shoulder surgery, it will be difficult to fit Bavuma into the batting line-up, while Phehlukwayo’s medium-pace is unlikely to be required when there are four world class fast bowlers in the squad.
The focus will no doubt be on De Villiers and Steyn. While Steyn has remained a bit pensive ahead of the game, De Villiers said Monday that he is looking at the match to prepare for the series against India. “I haven’t played Tests against India in the recent past. So would like to be at my best when they come around,” he stated.
Agence France-Presse
