SA come to push, not shove, on return to scene of 2011 World Cup crime

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Johannesburg

Faf du Plessis returns to the scene of a crime today, a place he will hope brings closure to a SA team who have been surpassed by their own under-19s.

In March 2011, Du Plessis was a notable victim in the mugging that the scorebook calls New Zealand’s 49-run win over SA in their World Cup quarter-final in Bangladesh.

Du Plessis was ninth out for an important 36, but he will be remembered for getting into a shoving match with Kyle Mills - who towers above him - as the ugly reality of SA’s umpteenth nervous breakdown spun out of control.

SA have since won an under-19 World Cup but there has still not been a senior trophy in the cabinet since 1998. Du Plessis now captains the T20 side and he is back in Bangladesh to take another shot at glory in the World T20.

The subtle difference is that SA will play two warm-up games in Fatullah and all four of their group matches in Chittagong: they suffered their World Cup choke in Mirpur.

But Du Plessis and his men arrive in Bangladesh under the cloud of a 2-0 T20 series loss to Australia, and that at home.

“The only positive thing about tonight is that everyone got a run,” Du Plessis said after Australia won by six wickets with five overs to spare in Centurion on Friday.

“We made too many mistakes in all departments, even in the field. It wasn’t our best but we need to look forward.”

That could mean a ruthless approach to selection in Bangladesh.

“We need as many guys in form as we can have. No-one’s place is certain. We want to pick the guys that do the best on the day and in the conditions.”

In November, Du Plessis said his team aimed to be No. 1 in the format by the time the WT20 started. “I don’t expect us to compete if we are ranked fifth or sixth,” he said then. Only just made the grade, skipper - SA go to the tournament in fourth place.

Coach Russell Domingo was determined to pluck the silver lining out of all that. “SA have gone to World Cups before extremely confident and playing extremely well and come unstuck,” he said. “So maybe this is a good omen for us.

“We’re one of seven or eight teams that have a chance of winning it. That’s not a bad way to go there. The pressure as one of only two or three teams that can win it, as an outright favourite, won’t be there.”

Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel did not play against Australia due to hamstring and shoulder issues, but should be fit for the tournament proper. Imran Tahir, the second-highest wicket-taker at the 2011 World Cup, will be key. AB de Villiers will lead SA’s batting charge.

SA face tough opposition in Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England, although only the Lankans are ranked above them.

In the past year, SA have won five and lost five completed T20s. But only in England are they more successful in this format than in Asian conditions, where they have a winning percentage of 66.67 after 12 games. At home, SA win 61.29% of their T20s.

SA’s major challenge is to avoid becoming another crime stat. This time, Faf has to come to push, not shove.