Times Media
TELFORD VICE, Cape Town
TWO West Indians walk into a bar ... whatever happens in that story from there, it cannot be as big a joke as the visitors have become on their tour here.
And, says former test batsman Boeta Dippenaar, their ineptitude will affect how SA measure their readiness for the World Cup, which for AB de Villiers’ team starts with a match against Zimbabwe in Hamilton on February 15.
“The unfortunate thing is that the opposition does not allow us to test what we need to still fine-tune,” Dippenaar said on Thursday. “They are just not strong enough to do so.”
The Windies went down fighting in the test matches, which SA won 2-0, and they were clearly a better team than the weakened home side fielded in the T20s, which the visitors claimed 2-1.
But, having left the experienced Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo out of their one-day squad, perhaps because of their perceived role in West Indies’ decision to abandon their tour to India in October, Jason Holder’s team have been mournful in the 50-over games. SA have won that series 3-0 with two matches to come.
The Windies dwindled to their lowest ebb in SA - so far - in East London on Wednesday, when they were shot out for 122 on a flat pitch in an embarrassment of an innings for an international team. SA won by nine wickets with more than half their overs to spare.
What disasters might befall the battle bruised West Indians at St George’s Park on Sunday and at Centurion on Wednesday can only be wondered at with concern, especially as they also have a World Cup looming.
Conversely, what skills are the macaroons in maroon, so nameable because of their tendency to crumble at the first bite, preventing SA from gauging?
“Death bowling,” Dippenaar said. “That remains probably the biggest weakness in the SA team and their biggest challenge.”
At Kingsmead last Friday, West Indies were dismissed 3.4 overs before the scheduled end of their rain-shortened innings and 61 runs short of the target.
They never challenged their target of 440 at the Wanderers on Sunday. Instead, they were limited to 291/7.
On Wednesday, the West Indian batsmen were almost as successful at discarding their wickets as SA’s attack were at taking them.
In all three games, the pressure on SA’s bowlers was negligible.
Not that AB de Villiers’ men should over-analyse what was not of their making.
“It is a bit of mystery but it is outside of what the team can control,” Dippenaar said. “They cannot control which opposition they face. What they can control is the current situation, and that’s important.”
And eyes needed to be kept on the prize.
“The World Cup is not won during the build-up. It is won towards the latter part of the round-robin stage, when you can take momentum into the play-off matches.”
Translation: it’s too soon to think too much; much less panic.
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