The Proteas are in the land of the long white cloud, New Zealand certainly more famous for their rugby than their cricket.
One perhaps would agree based on the performance of the lacklustre black caps who just show no bite whatsoever on the cricket pitch.
How often it has fallen on my ears that to win a test match of cricket you have to take 20 wickets … to true!
I think South Africa paceman Vernon Philander has taken this saying to heart picking up five wicket haul after five wicket haul — most recently 10 wickets in the second test in Hamilton.
Why I bring this up is simply that if we are to really take this saying seriously why are we so passionate about the batsmen … well firstly the bowlers need something to defend when bowling, they need the space to be able to go for it, to express themselves.
What worries me is that the Proteas are there and thereabouts of the top of the game yet I still have absolutely no confidence in the South African batting line up.
I always tell myself that form is temporary and class is permanent and it is true but I just don’t believe in the batsmen like I do in the bowlers. Our batting is inconsistent to be kind and on the other hand I have been told that the fact that we seemingly having different batsmen getting “big” runs all the time, which is a good thing? Yes I can see the logic in that but still does not answer my lack of confidence in the unit.
Our coach was a world class batsman and yet I don’t see translation of this into the team.
Quite obviously one would be blind to not notice the impact of world class bowler Allan Donald’s impact on our performances.
The question I have is, is my opinion held by the players themselves as it would seem so. Our batsman need a good working over on the issue of self-belief and confidence in ability. Our bowlers must just get better and better — only when this equation comes together will the Proteas earn and deserve the number one ranking in world test cricket and usurp the England invitation XI from this place.
I am hoping that the off-field addressing of the mess in administration with the immediate suspension of Gerald Majola will cause ripples effects of accountability and expectation throughout cricket — I really do hope so.
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