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21 September 2024 - 13:45
Proteas batting coach JP Duminy says coaches and players need to do a lot of reflecting as SA seek to overcome their batting woes
Image: Mahlatse Mphahlele
In the wake of a second hammering by Afghanistan in Sharjah, Proteas batting coach JP Duminy admitted the batters were indecisive.
“There is no running from this situation, we were well below par in both games,” said Duminy. South Africa were beaten by 177 runs in the second ODI on Friday, to give the Afghans an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series that concludes on Sunday.
In both matches SA failed to bat beyond 35 overs.
In Wednesday’s first match they were flummoxed by left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi and off-spinner Allah Ghazanfar, and on Friday it was Rashid Khan and left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who claimed eight wickets between them.
“We found ourselves in the position where we came up against one of the best spinners in the world. Guys didn’t pick him. When you are indecisive, you can be caught off guard. That is unfortunately where we find ourselves,” Duminy added.
The excuses are starting to wear thin. The Proteas lost back-to-back T20 series against the West Indies, a home ODI series against India last summer and have now suffered this historic defeat, with the majority of the problem being the team’s batting.
That those losses have also occurred while the side is seeking to give opportunities to some new players has also put the spotlight on the quality of the domestic game, the number of matches being played and the overall absence of a game plan.
Fourteen of the 20 South African wickets that fell in the first two matches were taken by Afghanistan’s spinners, though Duminy claimed the Proteas had improved from the first to the second game.
“We made strides in the power play, in that we were 36/7 in the first game, and did better (on Friday),” he said.
That was indeed the case, with Temba Bavuma, who missed the first match with illness and Tony de Zorzi, sharing an opening stand of 73.
But once Bavuma got out, the batting crumbled alarmingly, with an absence of conviction illustrating the lack of a game plan.
“We have to learn the hard way. Guys have to be exposed to these kind of conditions. We need to adapt, find options that allow us to be successful in conditions like this,” said Duminy.
Though experience is an understandable excuse given the absence of so many big name players including David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock, the experienced players who are in the current squad haven’t been reliable.
Aiden Markram’s last notable contribution was the 91 he made in Chennai against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup last year, while Reeza Hendricks’ form across both of the white ball formats has disappeared.
He’ scored just one half-century in ODIs since the World Cup and in the T20 format, he hasn’t made a half-century in his last 13 completed innings.
In Hendricks’ case, Duminy said it was less about the 35-year-old’s technique and more about his self-belief.
“He needs a lot of love when it comes to his game. He’s had to wait a long time for opportunities, now he’s getting them, but (his performances) have been up and down. He is accountable for his performances ... he’s a quality player who can find his way back, and hopefully — as coaches — we can assist him in doing that, and that he gets another chance to prove himself.”
