Former Proteas coach Eric Simons believes South Africa may have interpreted the match and strip conditions erroneously in their opening T20 World Cup loss to Australia in Abu Dhabi at the weekend.
Simons, who coached the Proteas between 2002 and 2004 and had served as a bowling consultant for India from 2010 till 2012, said it is paramount that teams are able to sufficiently “read the pitch conditions” in the dry and arid settings of the UAE.
With the Proteas having batted first and posted a modest total of 118 runs – which led to their eventual demise – these viewpoints may have some grounds to stand on.
“I think that’s where South Africa got it wrong; they maybe thought they needed more runs and I think they read the pitch incorrectly and they realised they needed to score 150 to 155 and not 170, or whatever that figure was,” Simons told Cricket Fanatics Magazine.
“It looked like they perhaps didn’t read the pitches well and they probably thought they needed more than they’d actually like to defend.
“That was probably the biggest mistake they made and the same would have applied for the next match,” he said of the West Indies’ implosion of having been bowled out for a meagre 55 runs against England.
“To me, one of the most important things in the region – Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi – is to read the pitch conditions, and not just the venue, but the actual wicket you’re playing on.
“For example, in Sharjah, there are relaid wickets which are low-scoring and the old wickets are higher-scoring. It’s not just about the venue, but the actual pitch on that particular day.”
Simons however acknowledged that the Proteas show much fight and bite in their approach to their opening game, especially since Australia only reached their target with two balls to spare.
“I don’t think there was anything dramatically bad or wrong about the way they went about it,” he said. “There weren’t any reckless shots or things they need to change dramatically for the West Indies.
“I thought they bowled well, but to me, the key moment was reading the pitch conditions and [discovering] what the score was to defend. That’s one of the most important things in all those venues and on those respective pitches.”
The Proteas would look to right their wrongs as they’re set to face West Indies in Dubai today. As a result of their opening defeat, the side may be tasked with having to win the remainder of their Group 1 encounters in order to qualify for the semi-finals.
PHOTO: EPA/DAVID GRAY
