Piedt finds form after long recovery
Dane Piedt's long road to recovery is set to be completed when he returns to the Proteas Test squad against India.
|||Cape Town - Dane Piedt’s long road to recovery is set to be completed when he returns to the Proteas Test squad for the four-match series against India next month. Piedt is set to be among three specialist spinners Test captain Hashim Amla will have at his disposal for the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela series.
The Cape Cobras off-spinner missed the majority of last season due to a shoulder injury sustained in the Champions League T20. It was a major blow to the 25-year-old’s future aspirations as he had only just made a successful Test debut for the Proteas against Zimbabwe. Overall figures of 8/152 in the solitary Test at the Harare Sports Club underlined his potential.
However, due to a bicep tendon that was torn off the bone, Piedt faced a longer spell on the sidelines. “The surgeon told me it could have ended my career,” Piedt said previously.
The speed of the recovery process frustrated Piedt further as his shoulder responded slowly to treatment. An initial six-week layoff became six months when it was discovered that he could hardly throw the ball in from the boundary, let alone bowl a long spell.
This situation hampered Piedt’s initial comeback performances for the Cobras in the Sunfoil Series as he returned with disappointing figures of 3/396 in 83 overs across four matches. There was a real fear that he would not rediscover the form that earned him the Man of the Match award on Test debut.
But armed with two screws in his bowling right shoulder that keeps “everything together”, the former SACS pupil worked tirelessly during the winter on his strength and conditioning with former Proteas physiotherapist Shane Jabaar.
All the work and effort paid huge dividends on the recent SA ‘A’ tour to India with Piedt back to his best again. Two consecutive five-wicket hauls in consecutive “Tests” would have proved to the national selectors that Piedt was ready for a recall to the Proteas Test side.
Simon Harmer claimed Piedt’s place in his injury-enforced absence and performed adequately in the three Tests he played. Ten wickets, including a four-wicket haul in the second innings on debut against the West Indies in the New Year Test at Newlands, should ensure he remains in the squad for the hugely-anticipated series.
The previous selection panel, chaired by former Proteas opening batsman Andrew Hudson, experimented with the inclusion of one-day spinner Aaron Phangiso on the Bangladesh tour. Phangiso’s left-arm spinners are primarily viewed as a defensive selection, holding up an end to allow the fast bowlers recuperation time.
It is believed that new convenor Linda Zondi is keen for a more attacking spinner in India which could bring veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir into the reckoning.
Lonwabo Tsotsobe is another that will be hoping for an opportunity to resurrect his international career. A former regular in the limited-overs formats for the Proteas; the left-arm swing bowler has been out of favour with coach Russell Domingo since the World T20 in Bangladesh last year.
But having worked extensively on his fitness - Tsotsobe’s primary drawback - he showed that he had lost none of his skill with the new ball especially on the recent SA ‘A’ tour. Tsotsobe has long been a big performer on the slow tracks of the subcontinent and the United Arab Emirates where his variations are a real asset.
The overall makeup of the ODI squad though may work against Tsotsobe as South Africa are still searching for the elusive No 7 all-rounder.
This could open the road for new Titans recruit Chris Morris. The lanky seamer did not play to his full potential against Bangladesh, but does deserve another chance.
The familiar conditions of India where he has regularly played in the Indian Premier League the last couple of seasons could also possibly bring out the best in Morris.
Cape Times