Zaahier Adams
“WHAT more must they do?” That is the question former South African spin bowler Paul Harris has posed to the national selection panel after veteran opening batsmen Stephen Cook and Andrew Puttick were yesterday overlooked for the Proteas tour to Bangladesh in July.
Cook (32) and Puttick (34) have both been prolific run accumulators for the Highveld Lions and Cape Cobras respectively for a number of years on the South African domestic first-class circuit, with the Lions right-hander specifically enjoying a bountiful season last time out as he topped the national run-scoring charts with 889 runs at an average of 63.50.
Both have dutifully gone about their business while former Test openers Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen formed a strong foundation at the top of the order for the Proteas over the past few seasons, but with both retiring soon after each other within a couple of years, there is an opening berth vacant alongside the now-established Dean Elgar.
However, Andrew Hudson – a former Proteas opener himself – and his selection team opted for the uncapped potential of the exciting Kimberley-born Reeza Hendricks with Cobras top-order batsman Stiaan van Zyl also providing a possible option to open the batting in Chittagong and Dhaka.
Considering the Proteas will also be without the experience of the World’s No 2 Test batsman AB de Villiers for the two-match Test series due to paternal leave granted by Cricket South Africa, Harris believes Cook or Puttick should have been on the selectors’ radar.
“I mean no disrespect to Reeza, for he is really talented kid, but that really is the biggest disappointment (the selection of the openers). I mean, they have been among the leading run-scorers for the last 10 years in the SuperSport/Sunfoil Series,” Harris, who played 37 Tests for the Proteas, told Independent Newspapers.
“What more must they do? A guy like Stephen Cook led his team, the Lions, to the Sunfoil title, and scored the most runs in the competition.
“Somewhere they have to get a look in. These are guys that have done the hard yards for years.”
Harris was also cautious on Van Zyl being converted into an opening batsman from his regular No 3 or middle-order position, while he believed Proteas ODI opener Quinton de Kock remains best suited to No 7 and could be hugely destructive lower down the order in the longest format of the game.
“I feel a bit sorry for a guy like Stiaan. He has done superbly well in domestic cricket batting where he has, and now they asking him to do a different job. That’s a bit unfair. Opening the batting in Test cricket is the hardest thing to do apart from bowling leg-spin. It’s like asking a spinner to start bowling fast!
“Likewise Quinny should be left down the order. He has the potential to be ‘our Adam Gilchrist’ with the ability to take the game away from the opposition.
“Also batting at No 7 in Test cricket, you often face the second new ball anyways, so his experience of opening the batting would be beneficial there.”
Having played the role of supporting act to the all-star cast of the Proteas pace bowling trio for the majority of his Test career, Harris also knows what can be expected of the inexperienced spin bowling contingent consisting of Simon Harmer (one cap) and the uncapped Aaron Phangiso on the slow pitches of Bangladesh.
“Phangi’s selection is a bit of a surprise considering he hasn’t played much four-day cricket of late, with the Lions utilising Eddie Leie, who has done a pretty good job.
“I am not sure how much game time they will both get, but I do like Harmer as he is pretty in-your face type of character, nice and aggressive, and also knows his role having played a lot of four-day cricket and knows his game,” he said.
“I would have liked to see Phangi play a bit more four-day cricket, he has shown he is a quality one-day spinner and is very much a part of the national team’s one-day plans, but I feel for guy like Dane Piedt who has injured himself at the wrong time after such an impressive debut last season.”