Lessons To Learn Fast For Proteas

Neil Manthorp looks back on a ‘forgettable’ summer for South Africa, but argues brighter times may be on the horizon

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The bleakness with which the results from SouthAfrica’s three-month long tour of England have been received is to be expected. Some of it may have become a little too personal, but that’s far better than being ignored. Or should be. At least South Africans still care.

Questions about the depth of the country’s playing resources can also be a red-herring. The reality is that there are enough good players at the top of the pyramid to form winning squads in Test and ODI cricket. Nobody should be concerned too much about T20 Internationals for the moment. South Africa use the platform as a ‘beginners guide’ to international cricket and have never been very good at it anyway.

Eight of the first-choice Test XI are comfortably the best in their class and will almost certainly play the majority of the ten Test matches coming up this summer. Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel have no pretenders to their positions.

Vernon Philander should be on that list, too, but patience ran out with his modest fitness record in dramatic fashion when he withdrew his availability on the morning of the fourth Test with a stiff back. Du Plessis informed the leader of his attack that he was becoming a ‘laughing stock’ in world cricket and a liability to the team. At his best, he is unsurpassed.

“Vern is probably the best in the world in seaming, swinging conditions which we had in all four Test matches, so not having him here was very frustrating and disappointing,” du Plessis said.