Times Media
TELFORD VICE, Cape Town
TO faff, the Oxford English Dictionary tells us, is to “spend time in ineffectual activity”. Patently, that is not what Faf du Plessis does when he walks out to bat after the first wicket falls in SA’s one-day matches. But, just as clearly, he feels compelled to mount a case in his own defence.
“I’ve played most of my cricket at No. 5, 6 and 7, but if it was up to me I would definitely choose the No. 3 position,” Du Plessis said. “It allows me to plan my gameplan, and also then it suits the team.
“We’ve got some really exciting strokeplayers, and as the No. 3 you almost gel them together. With AB (de Villiers) coming in at four and JP (Duminy) at five and six, I can lay a foundation for them.
“I try and find out what’s best for the team. My role, specifically in the No. 3 position, is to anchor the innings - to be as solid as possible, to allow the other guys to play with freedom.
“If my role was to play with freedom then I would do that. But my role in this team at No. 3 is to try and stay there with those strokeplayers.”
In the first one-day international against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Sunday, Du Plessis scored 59 off 77 balls. Quinton de Kock hammered 63 off 68, De Villiers took 21 off 12, and Hashim Amla stayed the course with 122 not out off 132.
The teams returned to Queens Sports Club for the second match of the series on Tuesday. This time, Du Plessis made 55 off 72 - and a good thing for SA that he did, what with Amla, De Kock and de Villiers all gone with just 60 runs scored.
On Sunday, Du Plessis was content to stay in the wings of SA’s extravaganza. On Tuesday, he was the wing on which SA remained airborne from the eighth to the 36th over.
The contrast between those performances and their relevance to SA’s differing demands speaks louder than Du Plessis ever could about what how much means to the side.
After the one-off test against Zimbabwe in Harare last week, Du Plessis was asked if he became bored at the crease. “I’m getting used to it,” he replied. There will be relief at that.
SA would have lost instead of drawn against Australia in Adelaide in November, 2012 had Du Plessis, on his test debut, not batted for almost eight hours and faced 376 balls for his undefeated 110.
Against India at the Wanderers in December, Du Plessis’ 134 took more than six-and-a-half hours and 309 deliveries out of the game. He was such a big a part of SA’s effort that, when he was dismissed, they refused to continue to chase down what would have been a world record winning score.
If that kind of commitment to the cause is considered faffing about, keep at it, Faf.
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