Rabada starts, De Kock set to play
Dale Steyn is out and Kagiso Rabada will start, but it is still unclear which Proteas batsman will make way for Quinton de Kock in Saturday’s second Test against England at Newlands.
|||Dale Steyn is out and Kagiso Rabada will start, but it is still unclear which Proteas batsman will make way for Quinton de Kock in Saturday’s second Test against England at Newlands.
Captain Hashim Amla confirmed the expected news on Friday that Steyn has not recovered from the shoulder “spasm” that kept him off the field for most of England’s second innings in the 241-run first Test defeat at Kingsmead, with the skipper adding that Rabada “will play”.
There may be further changes to the bowling line-up, as Amla said that Kyle Abbott will undergo a fitness test on a troublesome hamstring before play on Saturday.
Hardus Viljoen and Chris Morris were drafted into the squad after the Durban Test as back-up fast bowlers.
Viljoen has taken 20 wickets in two matches for the Lions in the Sunfoil Series, while Morris was brought in for his additional batting ability after scoring 86 for the Titans against the Cape Cobras earlier this week.
But the bigger conundrum facing the Proteas selection panel of convenor Linda Zondi, Ashwell Prince, Hussein Manack, Errol Stewart and coach Russell Domingo for the Newlands Test is deciding who to drop from a struggling batting line-up to accommodate De Kock.
AB de Villiers’s known reluctance to play as a wicket-keeper is likely to result in De Kock taking over the gloves for the second Test. Stiaan van Zyl will probably continue as Dean Elgar’s opening partner, but one of Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy and Temba Bavuma will have to be left out if De Kock returns to the starting XI.
Prince and team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee were seen in discussion with Duminy while the rest of the team were busy with fielding drills on Friday, but the left-hander took a full part in the rest of the practice and also batted in the nets later.
When asked what the thinking was about the batting line-up and whether Du Plessis or Duminy were under pressure for their places, Amla said that a final decision still needed to be made on the wicket-keeping situation, which would affect the make-up of the top seven.
“Not (a) completely firm (decision has been made). Obviously Quinton being here gives us the option of him keeping and batting at six or seven. I think we still have to make the call on whose position he will end up taking. But he is giving us that option, of getting Quinny in and taking the load off AB, and hopefully he will stay at four,” Amla said.
“I don’t think anything is confirmed 100 percent just yet. Quinny has been in very good form with the bat – he got a hundred in a first-class game he played (last week) – so if he gets a ‘go’, it is somebody who has been playing well and (can do) the keeping duties.
“To be honest with you, that call is not made by me, and that’s why I have often said the selectors have to decide who they would like to leave out. It would be a tough decision, whoever is left out – whether it is Faf, whether it is JP – because these are integral guys in our team for many years.
“So I’m going to wait and see what the powers-that-be decide. Whatever it is, if Quinny plays, all well and good – he will keep and probably bat at seven.”
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ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za
@IndyCapeSport