The South African team’s fielding has been put firmly in the spotlight as they prepare for the three-match One-day International series with New Zealand, with skipper AB de Villiers continuing to point to that area as one that needs improving.
Just as he did upon returning from Sri Lanka in July, De Villiers highlighted the side’s shortcomings in the field as being a concern.
“We chatted at length about it (during the last tour) in Zimbabwe, it went better there. It’s not the basics, it’s turning games around, doing special stuff that I see other teams doing,” De Villiers said this week. “I don’t believe that we are in the top two fielding teams in the world. And we need to be in a World Cup. This tour is a good opportunity to test ourselves and to keep working hard at that aspect of our game.”
It’s a sentiment the former national selection convener Omar Henry shares.
Henry believes that when De Villiers went behind the stumps as the full time wicketkeeper, South Africa lost an edge in the field. “Our best fielder was behind the stumps wearing gloves. That energy he gave and the doubt he placed in opposition batsmen’s minds disappeared,” explained Henry.
“I’m glad he’s back, South Africa look a better fielding team with AB alongside JP (Duminy) and Faf (du Plessis). Faf is someone you would look to, to create a moment of magic, and that perhaps is what De Villiers is talking about.”
In New Zealand and Australia De Villiers’ side face two teams who place a premium on fielding.
New Zealand’s Martin Guptil is amongst the very best fielders in the world, capable of fine catching whether standing close in or charging around the boundary in the later overs of the innings.
The Australians have a handful of outstanding players including Glen Maxwell and George Bailey and this week Steve Smith gave a fine example of his awareness of the rules taking a much talked about catch in the final ODI against Pakistan in Abu-Dhabi.
The South African team completed their journey to Mt Manganui – situated in the Bay of Plenty region, three hours from Auckland – on Wednesday ahead of the first ODI next Tuesday at the Bay Oval. The second match will be played at the same ground next Friday before the series is completed in Hamilton on October 27.
The South Africans then head to Australia for three T20 Internationals followed by five ODIs. With Hashim Amla, De Villiers and Du Plessis all getting a break, the T20 team will be led by Duminy.
Although those three matches may appear to be nothing more than money-making productions for television, Duminy sees value, in terms of giving him leadership experience, and giving players exposure.
“The strength in our leadership group is that not one person is solely responsible for everything. The strength lies in helping each other; if you don’t have the answer seek the answer and so to add someone to that leadership is great. We can expand the leadership group, so it’s a very valuable experience for me,” said Duminy.
“I don’t see the T20 series being unimportant. It’s a great opportunity for guys to stake a claim within the Proteas set-up. It may be T20, but it’s still a short format and who knows – the performances you put forward in that series might raise a few eyebrows in terms of the One-Day set-up ahead of the World Cup.” - The Star