Finding the balance | South Africa vs Pakistan

The ODI series between South Africa and Pakistan, which starts on Friday 2nd April, should be about filling the gaps and finding the balance in the lineup, writes Khalid Mohidin.

As we already know, the players who are in the squad and will be going to the IPL – Quinton de Kock, David Miller Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje – will only be available for the first two ODIs. This means the third ODI will see a lot of the inexperienced guys in the squad unleashed.

This disruption in the series is slightly troublesome to me. It makes it difficult to identify a consistent approach in the three matches that will take place. If they play all the experienced guys in the first two matches, then it only gives the inexperienced guys one match to prove their worth.

The 50-over World Cup which takes place on 26 November 2023, will be hosted in India and it’s time that the Proteas start building towards that competition by finding continuity in their ODI selections.

The first two matches should be considered as a blueprint to find the missing pieces in the Proteas line-up. In order to do this, there needs to be an initial nucleus built in the team which will expose the open gaps within the lineup.

We can agree that based on the loyalty shown by the brains trust with the selections of certain players, we can pencil names in the lineup as certainties accordingly:

Quinton de Kock (wk)
Temba Bavuma (c)
Rassie van der Dussen
David Miller
Kagiso Rabada
Lungi Ngidi
Tabraiz Shamsi

The question now is which players will be in their prime by the World Cup, and which players will be declining in their career. This is something we can’t predict, but I do feel that the guys who have impressed internationally and domestically should be given an opportunity, especially if they will be reaching their “prime years” by the time 2023 comes around.

Kyle Verreynne and Janneman Malan are both players that I feel should definitely be given an opportunity on the ODI leg of this tour.

Let’s start with Janneman Malan. Not only has the 24-year-old shown his ability for South Africa particularly in the ODI format, he has flourished for the Cobras too. He has shown his ability as a destructive partner with Quinton de Kock, and will be able to insure that the Proteas dominate from ball one in the powerplay.

Kyle Verreynne has the perfect mentality for pressure situations. He has shown this on countless occasions for the Cobras and did the same in the few games we have seen him play in the green and gold. This ability to thrive under pressure is a quality that makes him a perfect fit in a team that has tended to struggle under pressure, particularly in World Cups. Verreynne is also versatile and can bat anywhere in the middle order.

With the the World Cup taking place in India, I feel that two spinners is a must, which surprises me that George Linde doesn’t find himself in the ODI squad. Nonetheless, Keshav Maharaj has been selected and for these matches deserves to show what he can do.

Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder are the two all-rounders in the side. In the Highveld, it would be fitting to have them both in the side, but in India, it is likely that one or both may sit out to accommodate extra spinners.

Whether Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen should be selected in the lineup is also a massive talking point. Markram has been miles better than Klaasen in domestic cricket, while Klaasen has been a lot better than Markram in Proteas colours. One player is pushing for a middle-order spot while the other is pushing for a top-four spot.

You could say that Markram and Malan are in competition for one spot, but I have put Klaasen and Markram’s stats side by side just so you can see how they have done in their careers. Malan’s stats have been shared further up.

For this series I would select the following lineup for the first two ODIs and then change things accordingly for the final ODI.

Aiden Markram
Janneman Malan
Temba Bavuma (c)
Rassie van der Dussen
Heinrich Klaasen
Kyle Verreynne (wk)
Wiaan Mulder
Andile Phehlukwayo
Keshav Maharaj
Lizaad Williams
Daryn Dupavillon

We know what we are getting from Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, David Miller and Lungi Ngidi. So it’s only fair that the newer guys get proper game time to show what they are capable of. Rassie van der Dussen is not going to the IPL so let’s see how he performs with the pressure of being the more senior guy in the team.

We have seen Tabraiz Shamsi, Beuran Hendricks, Junior Dala and Lutho Sipamla enough to know what they can do, so I think it’s time we see Keshav Maharaj, Lizaad Williams and Daryn Dupavillon in action.

However, I don’t think that the Proteas team management would let the IPL players enter the bubble and then not play them. I don’t think they will think like me and just risk playing such an inexperienced side. Winning is a priority. So this is how I think they will lineup.