Let’s take a closer look at South Africa’s intriguing choice to appoint AB de Villiers as captain during Faf du Plessis’s absence in the current one-off Test against Zimbabwe.
While AB de Villiers’ much-anticipated return to the Test middle order is a massive welcome for Proteas fans, the leadership call raised some eyebrows. Dean Elgar, who admirably stepped up against England at Lord’s earlier in the year, arguably could have been the better interim skipper.
Another exciting option could have been giving the reins to Aiden Markram – a promising move that could serve as a valuable test run for future captaincy, much like Graeme Smith’s early appointment paved the way for a remarkable tenure.
As it stands, after Quinton de Kock suffered a hamstring injury on day one at St George’s Park, AB de Villiers has taken on wicketkeeping duties as well – likely for the entire match. This role reversal is quite a shift for de Villiers, who had gradually moved away from wicketkeeping and relinquished his previous captaincy and ODI leadership roles.
Fortunately, this temporary arrangement applies only to the Port Elizabeth match. Normality will return once Faf du Plessis is back and De Kock has made a full recovery ahead of the important India series.
Dale Steyn’s absence from the St George’s Park clash is understandable and strategic. Though it would have been thrilling to see him bowl with the pink ball under lights, preserving him for the India series is wise. Steyn doesn’t bowl at less than full intensity – he needs full health to unleash his lethal pace. His prime moment is expected in the new year at Newlands, Cape Town.
In the meantime, this presents an opportunity for Andile Phehlukwayo to showcase his talent as a Test cricketer. He wouldn’t have made the squad had Steyn been fit and is also lucky to be preferred over Chris Morris at this stage.
However, relying on Phehlukwayo as a long-term backup for Steyn is not feasible. Duanne Olivier’s inclusion makes more sense in that context. The unfortunate exits of Kyle Abbott, Marchant de Lange, and Hardus Viljoen due to Kolpak agreements haven’t helped bolster the resources. Still, in fixtures like these less pivotal matches in Port Elizabeth, South African selectors need to start planning for the post-Stein era, along with Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.
Looking at it internationally, England haven’t adequately prepared for the possibility of James Anderson and Stuart Broad underperforming individually or together, and it has shown in their results.
