Times Media
TELFORD VICE, Cape Town
SIMON Harmer and Aaron Phangiso were named in SA’s squad on Wednesday for a test series in Bangladesh in July. Dane Piedt was not.
Piedt claimed match figures of 8/152 on his test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare in August. Harmer played his first test against West Indies at Newlands in January and took 7/152.
Both are off-spinners, a fact that should not have blotted out the blindingly obvious: both should have been selected. Somehow, they weren’t.
Phangiso deserves his place in the ODI and T20 squads, formats in which he has proved himself a master of control and composure. But he has played 49 of his 60 first-class matches at provincial rather than at the tougher franchise level - where he has claimed seven wickets at an average of 58.
If a Cricket SA (CSA) release on Wednesday is to be believed Phangiso is in the test squad for one sinister reason. Or, as selection convenor Andrew Hudson was quoted as saying in his only reference to Phangiso, “Aaron gives us a left-arm spin bowling option ...”
AB de Villiers will keep an eye on how all that unfolds from afar, no doubt with a nappy in one hand and his television remote in the other. He will be on paternity leave what with his wife, Danielle, expecting the couple’s first child.
De Villiers will, however, be part of the T20 and one-day series that will precede the tests. As ODI captain he will welcome back Ryan McLaren, whose omission from SA’s World Cup squad prompted less eyebrow-raising than eye-rolling at a perceived pulling of transformation strings.
Dale Steyn has been granted his wish not to have to put up with “wasting the few balls I have left in my career in a Bangladesh match” by being rested for the short format matches. But the Bangladeshi crowd could be unusually hostile towards him when he turns out in the tests.
Vernon Philander, who had a low key World Cup because of a hamstring injury and indifferent form, will also put his feet up for the ODIs and T20s.
Dane Vilas, Reeza Hendricks, Phangiso and Rabada, are in a test squad for the first time. Hendricks and Stiaan van Zyl will compete for an opener’s berth and Van Zyl and Vilas will fill different parts of De Villiers’ role.
“The changes have been brought about partly by the retirement of Alviro Petersen and (De Villiers’) non-availability,” Hudson was quoted as saying.
“Reeza and Stiaan van Zyl are both options to open the batting and Stiaan can also be used in AB’s batting position in the middle order. Dane provides us with the wicketkeeping cover that would normally also be AB’s responsibility.”
Leg spinner Eddie Leie is the only uncapped player in the T20 squad. With Imran Tahir rested for this series, Leie looks certain to be blooded.
Wednesday’s announcement reflected CSA’s promise to “transform aggressively”. Of the 45 places in the three squads 20 are held by players of colour and eight of those by black Africans.
Squads:
Test: Hashim Amla (captain), Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis, Stiaan van Zyl, JP Duminy, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Aaron Phangiso, Simon Harmer, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Vilas.
ODI: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Rilee Rossouw, JP Duminy, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott, Aaron Phangiso, Wayne Parnell, Ryan McLaren.
T20: Faf du Plessis (captain), Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller, David Wiese, Chris Morris, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada, Aaron Phangiso, Eddie Leie, Wayne Parnell, Beuran Hendricks.
Bangladesh tour schedule:
July 5: 1st T20, Dhaka
July 7: 2nd T20, Dhaka
July 10: 1st ODI, Dhaka
July 12: 2nd ODI, Dhaka
July 15: 3rd ODI, Chittagong
July 21: 1st test, Chittagong
July 30: 2nd test, Dhaka
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