Delhi - "We haven't played our best cricket throughout. We haven't had a game where our batting and our bowling has clicked in the same game." That was Hashim Amla’s simplistic analysis of why the Proteas are arriving at OR Tambo on Tuesday instead of preparing for a World T20 semi-final in Mumbai or here at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
In many ways Amla speaks the ugly truth. Against England in the opener at the Wankhede Stadium the batsmen rattled up 229/4. Amla and Co. certainly can’t be at fault there.
Tick for the batsmen.
But then calamity struck. Joe Root played a "Virat Kohli-like” innings (that’s what they call it in these parts when a batsman plays a brilliant knock in a run chase) to propel England into the record books for hauling in the highest target in World T20 history. South Africa were "shell-shocked" and it showed in the amount of wides they delivered. Twenty extras was the difference between winning and losing.
Fail for the bowlers.
The batsmen recovered from the "Mumbai Mauling" to post another score in excess of 200 against Afghanistan two days later at the same venue. But even though the victory was achieved, the Afghani batsman manhandled the Proteas bowlers yet again as the Associate nation posted 172, with 64 of those runs coming in the Powerplay again. Tick for the batsmen. Fail for the bowlers. Again!
And then onwards to Nagpur where the mighty West Indies lay in wait. Coach Russell Domingo said prior to the all-important tie that it was here that the batsmen "need to earn their money" after feasting on the friendly surfaces of Mumbai. They limped to 122/8. Game Over! New Zealand and even Afghanistan may have defended similar scores on that spiteful VCA Stadium surface, but South Africa’s bowling unit required a further "10 runs", according to captain Du Plessis. He was spot on as the Windies limped home with three wickets in the bank and two balls remaining.
Batsmen fail. Bowlers tick.
The final report card: Batsmen two ticks. Bowlers one tick. Batsmen one fail. Bowlers two fails.
Examiners verdict: FAIL! You may not proceed to the next stage.
But like with every pupil that fails the teacher does not just hand over the report. There are lessons to be learnt and the explanation behind why the desired results were not achieved.
Lesson No 1: "You want your big players to stand up".
These are not my words. They are in fact captain Du Plessis’s. The skipper knows what it takes to win big T20 tournaments. He played out of the Chennai Super Kings franchise long enough, where he stood on the podium collecting IPL and Champions League T20 winners medals before. Like at CSK, India have showed this countless times at this World T20. Their top-order may be floundering, but Virat Kohli has almost single-handedly taken the entire country on his back and hauled them into the semi-finals with supreme innings against arch-rivals Pakistan and Australia in the group innings. There is simply no bigger pressure level to encounter than in run-chases against nations of such calibre. Where was AB de Villiers against the West Indies when it really mattered? Coming at No 5 after youngster Rilee Rossouw had to shield him because the statistics prove De Villiers is not successful coming in before the 10th over, he still could not soak up the pressure to play the type of innings his team desperately required. Regardless of whether De Villiers got the Delhi crowd to chant "AB, AB" it means nothing. When South Africa needed their biggest player, he was found wanting.
Lesson No 2: Don’t be afraid!
South Africa have come a long way from the rigid formulaic style of previous captains and management, but when it comes to the crunch they still retreat before they advance. At last year’s World Cup the Proteas feared picking Aaron Phangiso in place of Imran Tahir against the UAE. "What if things go wrong? We might just need Immy to haul it back" were some of the whispers around the camp at the time. C’mon, this was the UAE we talking about! A group of amateurs. Likewise, South Africa’s decision to select all-rounder David Wiese for the Afghanistan game here ahead of Dale Steyn due to the "batting depth" Wiese provides is simply foolhardy. Afghanistan may have defeated the Windies in their final match, but that was after the Caribbean side had already qualified for the semis and played without any intensity. Wiese’s selection indicates the Proteas were fearful of a batting collapse against Afghanistan. No team should ever be taken for granted, but Steyn and left-arm Aaron Phangiso needed valuable time in the middle to get ready for Nagpur.
Lesson No 3: Embrace tournament cricket
The success the Proteas achieved in both Bangladesh and India in T20 series leading up this World T20 was perfect for their preparation. They played with freedom and expressed their talents in varying conditions and showed calmness in pressure situations. However, come tournament time, the smiles that were so prevalent during the bilateral series seem to disappear. Again, Du Plessis knew this was important - that’s why he was so insistent on all the players being involved in the Proteas "Fireball" advert - as he believed it would take them into a mental space where they could "loosen up" a little. South Africa simply seem to tense up during major tournaments, which confuses the decision-making at crucial junctures. Cue the early De Kock-Amla run out in Nagpur. The weight of an 18-year trophy absence may not physically weigh on the players’ shoulders, but knowing that another exit - like this one - further fuels the antagonistic attitude towards the Proteas back from supporters home certainly does get the players to lose their natural sense of humour.
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