Ryan McLaren believes it is not only a “fresh start” for the all-rounder, but also for the Proteas team as they navigate their way through the new One-Day International rules that will be implemented for the first time in tomorrow’s opening ODI against Bangladesh here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
McLaren has returned to Proteas fold after being snubbed for the World Cup in Australasia, but feels he is now better equipped to deal with the challenge of being the team’s crucial seam-bowling all-rounder.
“It will be interesting to see how the batting team structures their innings,” he said yesterday prior to training. “Maybe they will go slightly harder at the initial phase of the innings, we will wait and see, every team is going to have a different opinion on that. It will obviously be a bit of a trial and error method in the beginning.
“On a personal note, I’m really just looking forward to representing South Africa again. I have had a few months to work on a couple of things in my game. Its new conditions, it’s my first series in Bangladesh and it’s going to be a tough series,” McLaren added.
Although the 32-year-old was not at the World Cup, he kept a close eye on proceedings, particularly the harsh treatment batting units were handing out to the bowlers during the second “batting powerplay”- usually reserved for the 35th-40th overs – followed by the carnage that ensued in the final 10 overs when only four fielders were allowed on the boundary.
The ICC have since sympathised with the despairing bowlers and amended the playing conditions to bring a greater degree of balance to the ODI’S by abandoning the batting powerplay and now allowing the fielding side an extra boundary rider during those frenetic closing overs.
“If you look at the statistics from the World Cup it was quite clear to see that over the last 10 overs there were many occasions where more than 100 runs were scored,” he explained. “It shows that the batsmen were dominating the bowling in that facet of the game. There is no doubt that from a bowling point of view the new rules help but I don’t think it’s going to change the mindset of the batters.”
With bowlers being handed an olive branch at the death, the focus might shift back to middle period of ODI’S when the spinners usually operate. McLaren, though, believes South Africa are well equipped for this too as veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir is back in the green and gold after resting for the preceding Twenty20 series.
Tahir has a superb ODI career record, having claimed 70 wickets at 20.51 in his 38 ODI’S. Despite being an attacking leg-spinner that is always searching for wickets and those vital breakthroughs, Tahir also boasts an economy rate of just 4.35 per over.
These statistics have catapulted the Pakistani-born tweaker to No 2 on the official ICC ODI bowlers rankings, only a few points behind New Zealand seamer Trent Boult.
“Immy has obviously been our number one spinner in ODI cricket and has been particularly successful for a long period. He brings a lot of experience, especially experience in these conditions. I am sure he is a vital part for us in the middle phases, but with the conditions here we can basically use him at any time,” McLaren said.
South Africa are most likely to utilise both Tahir and left-armer Aaron Phangiso with the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch likely to offer the slower bowlers similar assistance to when it almost turned square during the T20 series.