neville cardus
International Debutant
If we get more surfaces like the present, there's a strong case to be made for dispensing with Maharaj's services.
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South Africa team selection
- Thread starter StephenZA
- Start date
SeamUp
International Coach
The stats show spinners become null and void on the highveld. Even last year when there was spin the reverse took over.
Interesting to see spinners stats for all our grounds. Durban actually spins with bounce and PE doesn't offer much to quicks. Just about the 2 you have to have a spinner with the nature of Newlands changed.
neville cardus
International Debutant
Looking forward to seeing Yasir in the flesh, though. I'm going tomorrow. Anyone want to meet up and have a drink?
GRAB
First Class Debutant
Hilarious to think you go back to ca. 1960 and sides played 3 spinners at Newlands!
SeamUp
International Coach
Late 50 and into the 60s think Western Province had Clive van Ryneveld, Peter van der Merwe, Harry Bromfield, Kelly Seymour all play for SA who bowled spin. Then Grahame Chevallier was the SA spinner just before isolation and Denys Hobson during isolation. Then Paul Adams and Claude Henderson always been a ground where a spinner is a must but this Newlands definitely isn't what it used to be. For better or worse ?
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SeamUp
International Coach
Oh yeah. They were pretty decent in Benson & Hedges limited overs stuff.
Loads and loads of spinners.
Have many spinners come from the highveld ? Eksteen for Transvaal/Gauteng & Paul Harris Northerns/Titans but did originate from Cape Town come to mind. But coastal venues definitely dominant.
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SeamUp
International Coach
Agree with Stephen. We pushed him after 1 season of dominance because they backed his ability. I really think he is the man for the job but needs some good people around him just to gather some thoughts. Maybe assess after this series and then see for Sri Lanka.
My personal opinion is that Janneman Malan may be a success but it will be despite his technique. And being that he likes to score and get bat on ball I do fear whether the jump at test level will be too much for him. The comparisons with Markram are chalk and cheese. Janneman maybe for the white ball. Would love to be proved wrong though but reckon we need to see him for SA A first.
My personal opinion is that Janneman Malan may be a success but it will be despite his technique. And being that he likes to score and get bat on ball I do fear whether the jump at test level will be too much for him. The comparisons with Markram are chalk and cheese. Janneman maybe for the white ball. Would love to be proved wrong though but reckon we need to see him for SA A first.
StephenZA
Hall of Fame Member
I wonder if Markram would be better at 4? He tends to score big once he gets in but seems to struggle against the ball that moves off the pitch into the pads early on in his innings, which is more difficult to deal with as an opener. He has always looked more a middle order player than opener, and we have extra top order batsmen but struggling with middle order batting? So I wonder if it just makes sense. Not anytime soon but if the other batsmen don't stand up and we start bringing in other batsmen? .
SeamUp
International Coach
I think it is a possibility. I think a few things will decide that. How his game against spin evolves and also which young players put their hands up moving forwards.
What I like about him is when he is at his best everything about him is positive including the leave and forward defence (he is compact) and naturally scores fast which is a good foil for Deano.
My concern with someone like Janneman Malan is his lack of compactness despite the runs he is scoring domestically. Scoring runs domestically for a future SA player is important but it still doesn't mean he will be a good SA player. But you right there seems to be a glut of them around... Janneman, Rickelton, Richards (even Malan/Moore/Cloete but I don't think they have enough about them to be SA crickters for any long period) and then another is where they see Breetzke (I see him as a 3-6 for red ball cricket personally) & de Zorzi. So all of a sudden there is a young batch of openers in SA cricket.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
He feels like a #3 to me. Good openers are hard to come by though, and will become moreso if the SA pitches continue to be as spicy as they have been the past couple of seasons, so as long as he keeps scoring runs there I wouldn't be in a rush to shift him.
akilana
International 12th Man
SeamUp
International Coach
From my side I am just concerned because I don't want him to stagnate. This has been coming. You could see it in MSL, One-dayers and his early 4-day games for Titans. His mind looks a bit scrambled and he never gave off that feel right from watching him lead us to winning the u19 CWC in UAE.
I think he needs someone to reaffirm a few things in his mind and just chat about his game and game plans. Because he is our future back bone in our batting. No doubt about it. I don't want him to go through prolonged struggle or averageness that Bavuma and QdK have experienced.
GRAB
First Class Debutant
Kind of a tangent, but Alan Kourie is the name that came most readily to mind other than Clive-y that you said...
More on topic, bringing in Janneman Malan after only six real first class games is a big call. Not sure he's that kind of talent... Reeza Hendricks has average to poor franchise 4-day numbers and a huge weakness to moving balls outside the off-stump. Markram hit over 1,000 runs in his first 10 franchise games to force himself into the team, and has done enough to show he should get a long run... Behind that are Moore and Erwee, who at best, look like stop-gap measures.