Rudolph back as Proteas circle the wagons

The release of Cricket South Africa’s various squads last week showed where the selectors see “the future”. Rusty Theron, who should’ve already made his debut for the Proteas, was the big winner in the T20 squads while Loots Bosman should count himself lucky considering his very sketchy international record.

The big calls were made with the ODI side. Mark Boucher, a very important figure in the Test arena, has been usurped by Heino Kuhn in the T20 arena, a call which I applaud the selectors for. They might be saying that Boucher needs to improve his skills but such talk appears to be smoke and mirrors since Boucher, at 33, isn’t a long-term man for the T20 or for that matter the ODI XI. AB de Villiers is the man charged with the glove work for now, but it is Kuhn who the selectors have now anointed as Boucher’s Test successor. De Villiers might keep the gloves till the World Cup, but in any other circumstance he should be left to do what he does best, and that is to score runs. Why would we want to burden the world’s current no. 1 ODI batsman?

Colin Ingram’s inclusion is also an interesting punt. While his first-class record doesn’t look that amazing, with an average at a touch over 32, his limited overs stats are quite different. The Warriors left-hander averages 43.60 at a strike rate of 92.78 from 46 games. His selection also sends out a message to franchise cricketers that their deeds and toil at domestic level aren’t being ignored. If he does get a chance, let’s hope the selectors have backed the right horse. They haven’t been too wrong in the past, so I will watch Ingram with interest to see what he can add to the Proteas.

The rest of the squads is standard stuff, and with the selectors also making noise about prioritising Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn’s workloads, all systems are go for the Proteas to actually go to a limited overs tournament and actually win the damn thing. Compared to their rugby colleagues, SA’s relatively new selection panel, headed by Andrew ‘Prince Charles’ Hudson, are doing what they do best … quietly.

Another piece of news that should be noted is the return of forgotten man Jacques Rudolph to South Africa. The man who scored a double hundred on debut (against Bangladesh it must be said) has spent the last three years making over 1 000 runs a season for Yorkshire in country cricket. He and his family have decided to return to SA since they couldn’t lay firm roots, as according to this story.

His international record is nothing to write home about, averaging a touch of 36 in the Test format after 35 matches, with five centuries and eight 50s. In ODIs, he averages just above 35.5. While some might wonder what value the 29-year-old former Titans and Eagles batsman has to offer, what his return does do is add extra depth and experience to SA’s Test reserves. Ashwell Prince has rightfully usurped JP Duminy in the Test line-up, but with Rudolph now back on the scene, if a batsman needs to be replaced, Rudolph will be available. He is an excellent player, with his original debut being messed up by the late Percy Sonn. His career from that day, along with Justin Ontongs, was always going to be a little more difficult to start especially with Rudolph’s second appearance not counting as a Test match.

Maybe he could prove the Percy Montgomery of SA cricket. Great potential, but needed the grindstone of country cricket to make his watch truly tick. Matthew Hayden spent years in the international wilderness before returning bigger, stronger and a much improved batsman. Let’s hope Rudolph has the same luck.