Questions amidst who will and who will not play at the Wanderers hasn’t done anything to dampen the Proteas’ spirits; they will be buoyed by the fact that they were able to keep the Newlands match alive, and if it was not for light forcing them to go off, imminent wickets could have secured an historic (and unlikely) victory. This can have a team on the ropes; forcing them to be aware of fact that some of the squad-Dale Steyn springing to mind-can or cannot return, fitness issues surrounding the aging Steyn.
Vernon Philander these days is not the same as him of old; returns are washed away by unfortunately timed injuries, but if he does, as well as Steyn, and that of reliable Kyle Abbott, it will only further complicate selection-the selectors have to scratch their heads; it is not going to be easy. The reality is that Steyn’s place will never be under threat; he is guaranteed to take the new ball in conditions suiting him, so who will he replace?
Well, one would imagine that Chris Morris’ nightmarish debut will mean that he will have to make way; and although he still has time on his hands, he’s unlikely to force his way back. But won’t it be harsh on him, if he has already felt that his team-mates have faith in him? The selectors can point to the fact that Morris’ debut was not that ‘nightmarish’; for the valuable 69 that he contributed, and, yes, one can argue that he was picked to do that as well, but reality suggests that he always has been thought of as sole bowler, and one who can do something with the bat, however without consistency. And what about those hands…the calamity that he brings in the slips is enough reason for them to decide ‘let’s not tinker with the team’, but the genius Albert Einstein’s quote-“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”-rephrases that.
Morris is renowned for his generation of pace…who will forget of that famous ‘economical’ that happened last season?…or that hardly forgettable, on countless occasions, how he had been the wand conducting the show, notably the 3-13 leading up to his debut for the Proteas.
So why stick to him when he had a ‘nightmarish’ debut; one must pose the question: do you want to strengthen the tail to evade the Proteas’ norm that they fall at the end, where ‘valuableity’ is what gives nations likewise to Australia the ‘edge’, or rather, is Morris worthy of playing on ground sole because of his bowling? And, plus, at this stage, it looks like Steyn’s ongoing fitness issues are of past, and, rightfully, he will be back…the reputation that he has built since him, as a fresh-faced, up and coming youngster, talented and a fiery superstar, came onto the scene…in reality Steyn’s place will never be under threat.
But if he does not, Morris still is not assured of a place in the side at the “Highveld”; Philander’s possible comeback, if ever, will only mean that the selectors will have headaches, and one has to ask: won’t the uncertainty surrounding whether they will play or not create panic amidst the joyous spirits from the hugely successful Newlands test, or do they have to, at that level, be able to declare, ‘I can keep my head clear and shrug off any negative thoughts’?
Morris has been around for quite some time, although, until now, was never really regarded as good-enough…but to relinquish being the Proteas’ successor to Jacques Kallis, well, sorry, but there can’t be helped if Steyn’s fitness issues is resolved in time; a fitness test will be held closer to the time to see if sufficient progress had been enough.
There’s also always that of will Abbott’s hamstring prove more serious than what is the initial thought, but if it is not, there’s probably going to be the absence of Morris. That is if the selectors don’t pull out any shock-waves and do the unexpected: that Abbott will find himself send back to the Dolphins, and have to again prove himself again. Yet such thoughts are far-fetched, these and some claiming that because Quinton de Kock did not do himself any favours by, in his comeback, not willing to bat that period out, something that one can term, ‘embroiled in overconfidence’; such was the dismissal, but that’s just, I suspect, oohs and aahs, to create something to speculate before the Highveld, and nothing much can be made about it.
Then there is always the question: do you want to go into the “Bullring” already now decided about how many pace-men will play where there’s not for nothing called a “batting paradise”, but the irony of it all is, that traditionally the norm is to go into it with an all-pace attack…virtually no assistance for spinners combats this, or wait and see if the dry weather allows there to be call for a spinner to be included?
Well, probably the latter; Captain Hashim Amla has countlessly pointed out that you want the ‘balance’, so, although the captain does not always have what he wants, one can’t question Amla’s sway in regarding who, and who not, will play, and in that case, a spinner is a necessity. Plus, perhaps, because there is always the ‘heat-factor’, it will cast a shadow over what is expected to be a majority-ly bat-dominated tradition, and cracks that will, in sweltering conditions, start to widen; until there’s purchase for the normally neglected spinners there.
But to solve the problem that has us on our toes…they have got to decide what they want to do…opportunities have been prized when the likes of Steyn and Philander have been missing; Morris has come to realise that test cricket isn’t so easy; the issues surrounding lack of game-time for those two have been cleared in Steyn’s mind; and, of course, Hardus Viljoen is knocking on the door as always and putting his hand up. But that the injuries won’t down the Proteas’ joyous spirits is not going to happen…at least not what is supposed to happen with them, but this has the potential to create some uncertainty before the Wanderers, and also give the selectors food for thought to tinker dramatically, which would do unjust after their buoyed spirits from Newlands.
One would imagine Morné Morkel will have put his hand up in (and if) Steyn’s absence is again so; typical Wanderers conditions will suit him, unless the dry weather opens the mysterious cracks, and their controversial decision to discard Dane Piedt, because of the widely expected pacey surface. And, also, the possible debut of the fearsome, albeit ‘undercooked’, Hardus Viljoen, will only give more food for thought to be selectors to be nigh on opportunities amidst panic because of the ongoing Steyn and Philander omissions, and also the Proteas’ current fragility that has made them be perceived as a shadow of themselves, of past.