South African air of invincibility stripped away (30 May 1999)
South Africa have justifiably been given plenty of praise - they have earned it by their professional approach - but that should not mean there is no self-examination, especially after they were put under such pressure by Zimbabwe
30-May-1999
30 May 1999
South African air of invincibility stripped away
Barry Richards
South Africa have justifiably been given plenty of praise - they have
earned it by their professional approach - but that should not mean
there is no self-examination, especially after they were put under
such pressure by Zimbabwe. Are there chinks in their armour - maybe.
There are hints of a problem or two in some crucial areas that will
affect their success.
Gary Kirsten is not in great touch and he is a linchpin. It gives the
stroke players freedom when they know that the anchorman is solid.
For the moment he is out of sorts and filled with self-doubt after a
run of indifferent scores.
Luck plays a part at times like these and he has been short of that.
Every inside edge seems to deflect on to the stumps. The Super Sixes
will be when things come to the crunch, and Kirsten's ability to
clear the mind and focus on his important task will be a test of his
temperament.
Another area to be looked at is the taking of the new ball. Jacques
Kallis and Shaun Pollock have that responsibility, but in the two
most recent games versus Kenya and Zimbabwe the lack of inroads made
into the opposition's top order must have caused concern. Containment
is important, but nothing applies pressure like getting wickets and
they have been in short supply during the first 10 overs. One senses
that Pollock, like Allan Donald, would prefer to bowl with the white
ball when it is a few overs old.
Donald, Lance Klusener and Jonty Rhodes are the public face of South
Africa in this competition, but for me Steve Elworthy is an unsung
hero. Considered a journeyman by many punters, he has formed a good
partnership with Donald in the middle overs. He has appreciated
English conditions in May. Winning competitions is about consistency
and he has been one of the best, witness a run-rate of around three
per over. He has also chipped in with six wickets.
Total cricket is South Africa's way and interchanging players
(Klusener can bat three or nine!) is a method strongly promoted by
the captain and his coach, so do not be surprised if Elworthy has the
new ball at some stage just to put a different slant on things. The
big occasion will not faze him, while it is something lesser-known
members of other sides find hard to overcome.
Pollock, by his very high standards, has been quiet. Nothing worries
other teams more than a great player going through a lean patch,
especially if that player is adept with both bat and ball. The best
is still yet to come from Pollock, but confidence is a funny thing
and when you are used to success regularly, a period of play below
that leads to many mind games.
Boucher, too, has not been a success as pinch-hitter, or indeed as a
No 3. Pinch-hitting these days is much harder, especially with the
white ball, and captains and coaches are well aware of how and where
to bowl to exponents of the art. It may well work against lesser and
inexperienced sides, but is less effective against the best. Time
will tell whether a "floating" or a settled batting order works best.
South Africa had to have a bad game over six weeks - everybody was
expecting it - but the demise of the top order was puzzling, almost
bizarre. For a side who have played so well it was an indifferent
performance. By keeping the side together (there has not been one
change since game two) there might be an element of staleness - the
pressure to keep winning is hard to cope with.
South Africa have adhered to the old adage of not changing a winning
side, but I am not sure whether this has been right. The support
players have had no cricket and therefore have no form to speak of,
and another game like the one against Zimbabwe will create a problem.
One bad game is acceptable, two and the worries set in. South Africa
will be a little less comfortable in their next fixture. They have
still qualified, but the ego will have been bruised by a Zimbabwe
side who played with passion and purpose.
This is a timely wake-up call for South Africa, as the batting will
need to improve dramatically if they are to cope with Shoaib Akhtar
and Wasim Akram in days to come. Make no mistake South Africa are
still on track, but the invincibility of the first stage has now been
put to bed and there should be no room for complacency next time
around.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)