The eight ODIs South Africa play in Australasia in the next five weeks, will be an important marker for the World Cup next year. Stuart Hess looks at five areas that AB de Villiers’ side will want to polish up while they’re here.
Toughness and composure
The Antipodeans are a chatty lot. South Africa and Australia have recent history – the Newlands Test where Michael Clarke and Dale Steyn got into it verbally – and New Zealand’s players are never shy of sharing their opinions either – as South Africa can recall from Dhaka in 2011. The tourists will certainly be tested, and the mental forttude needed to overcome that will be crucial in laying down a marker for next year.
Fielding
The skipper has been on about this for the past few months. The basics, according to De Villiers, are fine. It’s the ability to coax something exceptional in the field that he is looking for. He wants opposing batsmen to think twice about taking quick singles, would like to see the stumps thrown down more often and his fielders to make game changing plays.
Big Hitting
Dave Miller, Ryan McLaren, Vernon Philander, and JP Duminy, will be charged with marshalling and causing mayhem in the last 10 overs (if everything goes according to plan up top of course). They create a lovely mixture of power and creativity and for Miller in particular this trip is important in order for him to build confidence at international level.
Death bowling
It’s a bugbear for the South Africans. It’s not – as Steyn said recently – as simple as bowling six yorkers an over. However, South Africa should be executing their yorkers more consistently – something they haven’t been doing.
And then there’s the fact that batsmen these days are more creative and field restrictions – just four boundary fielders are allowed – have made defending harder.
Opening up
Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock have shared five century stands in the last year, and their impact is enhanced in this part of the world where two new balls will be a major factor. It’s unusual to be playing international cricket this early in the season in New Zealand and Australia, and against Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mitchell Johnson and whoever else the Australians select, the South African openers may have to adopt a Test attitude initially, before asserting their authority. - The Star