“It’s not about individuals it’s about a team.” – Mark Boucher on South Africa’s injury and IPL-hit resources.
Telford Vice | Cape Town
YOU want firsts? We’ve got firsts. For the first time in the series the contest was decided long before the match was over. For the first time in six bilateral series — and only the second time in 14 — the visiting team won an ODI rubber in South Africa.
For the first time a team from the subcontinent celebrated a second series win in South Africa: as they did this time, Pakistan won the ODIs 2-1 in November 2013. For the first time a Pakistan batter scored more than one century in a series in this country. Fakhar Zaman’s aggregate of 302 was also the first time a Pakistani piled up that many runs in a rubber here. For the first time since Shane Warne any bowler from anywhere proved they had mastered the flipper. And Usman Qadir was a debutant in the format, no less. For the first time in South Africa’s 628 ODIs spin was deployed for nine of the last 10 overs of their opponents’ innings. For the first time in the series, and thus in his international captaincy career, Temba Bavuma won the toss.
For the first time in an ODI series South Africa made seven changes between games. For the first time South Africa played an ODI without any of the five stars who have left for India. That’s measured from March 3, 2019, when the newest of them, Anrich Nortjé, made his debut in the format: 22 ODIs ago. David Miller has missed 60 of a possible 194 ODIs, Quinton de Kock 30 of 153, Kagiso Rabada 15 of 92, and Lungi Ngidi 15 of 43. Between them they have won 371 ODI caps since Miller, the stalwart among the five, played his first.
We cannot know whether South Africa would have won had they been able to pick their best XI instead their best available XI. But there is no doubt they would have fielded a stronger, more experienced, more match ready XI. The quadriceps strain that omitted Rassie van der Dussen, the home side’s most dominant batter in the first two matches, when he scored 123 not out and 60, didn’t help. Neither did the last three overs of Pakistan’s innings bleeding 56 runs, not least because Jon-Jon Smuts, Aiden Markram and Andile Phehlukwayo struggled to control their deliveries in the drizzle.
Six of South Africa’s seven changes were forced. Pakistan made four, but three of them were tactical. They were able to pick a team they thought could win. South Africa had to come up with a side that might, with a bit of luck, stay in the game. Consequently Pakistan played like Pakistan — aggressively, enterprisingly, bravely — while the South Africans were reduced to a frayed facsimile of the team they had been three days previously and two days before that.
None of which is meant to diminish Pakistan’s achievement. Their opponents’ problems are not theirs, and they can only beat who is put in front of them. They deserved their success and the adulation coming their way from all quarters. Wonderfully well led by Babar Azam with Misbah-ul-Haq the sage in their dressingroom, they embraced the challenge of overcoming the conditions and the South Africans, and they did so in ways that burnished their reputation as one of cricket’s most exciting teams to watch. Besides, it isn’t as if the South Africans who were selected on Wednesday disgraced the jersey. As Mark Boucher told an online press conference after the match: “It’s not about individuals it’s about a team.” Keshav Maharaj was tight and tigerish, and took three wickets for only the second time in his eight ODIs. Not until Kyle Verreynne and Andile Phehlukwayo were separated in the 44th over, ending a stand of 108 off 100 balls, could the visitors be sure of victory.
But those are pricks of light in the gloom. The T20I series starts at the Wanderers on Saturday, and it seems Van der Dussen will be reduced to spectating. Worse, he looks likely to have Bavuma for company. South Africa’s captain hurt a hamstring while batting, and couldn’t make it down the 48 stairs from the dressingroom to the field for his post-match television interview. “Rassie has between a grade one and a grade two quad strain, which means he is probably out for 10 days from yesterday [Tuesday],” Boucher said. “I’d be stupid to try and push him to play in these T20Is. He’s still staying with the squad and hoping that he will have a quick turnaround, but it doesn’t look likely that he’s going to be able to get on the park. Temba’s quite a tough guy, so when you see him hobbling around … And it’s only got worse in the changeroom. I think he might have done something fairly bad. He seems to be in quite a bit pain. But these are the cards we’ve been dealt. We’re going to have to find a way.”
It’s Boucher’s job to find that way, and his players shouldn’t expect a few days of gentle introspection in their Covid-19 bubble while he does so: “We need to play at a higher intensity. We need to be more desperate in the field especially. One or two of our senior players need to start winning games for us. I know they’re trying really hard, but senior players need to stand up in tough conditions and pressured moments. That hasn’t been happening as often as we want it to happen.”
That’s the right thing to say in times like these. But it’s complicated. Heinrich Klaasen, with 16 T20I caps, becomes one of the remaining senior players and is a strong candidate to be named stand-in captain for the series. And on his mind, no doubt, will be the fact that he could score only 16 runs in the three ODIs. He’s a resilient and resourceful player, and he will need those qualities to meet this challenge should it come his way.
So South Africa would be justified in hoping the Indian Premier League (IPL) appreciates the size of the sacrifice that has been made on its behalf. Not only have Boucher’s team been denied the services of five of their best players for the deciding match of a series, they will also have to do without them in the four T20Is. Do not blame the IPL for that. Rather welcome the exposure of the myth that international cricket comes first. What comes first is money.
First published by Cricbuzz.
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