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Ready or Not!

    Selecting national teams used to be a whole lot simpler. ‘Select on form, not reputation,’ they used to say. The selection panel used to rely heavily on traditional data – runs, wickets and averages – as well as the evidence of their own eyes, the opinion of coaches and, you may be surprised to hear, umpires.

    There was only ever one competition in which those vying for selection were playing and they were often going head-to-head which was a handy form-guide. There was an unwritten but strictly followed rule about players returning from injury, too: a minimum of two domestic games to prove their fitness, no matter who they were.

    Now, just over a month before the T20 World Cup, Rob Walter has more questions than may ever have previously existed before the selection of a South African squad for a global event.

    The CSA T20 Challenge was deliberately scheduled for March and April so that everyone not involved in the IPL would be playing as close to the World Cup as possible. But they will still be kicking their heels until the end of May when the Proteas play a three-match series against the West Indies as a warm-up.

     “That squad will look a little different (to the World Cup squad) based on the availability of the IPL players, so the CSA T20 Challenge has been important in that regard,” said Walter earlier this week.

    Of the players who are involved in the IPL, eight are probably automatic selections for the World Cup squad. Quinton de Kock (contract permitting), Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee.

    Presumably Marco Jansen will also be in the final squad although he hasn’t played a single game for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Does Dewald Brevis travel as the spare batsman despite his lack of game time? Or is Matthew Breetzke preferred as the top run-scorer in the CSA T20? And there is the continually vexing question of Faf du Plessis’ return. Has Rilee Rossouw fallen out of favour?

    Nandre Burger has been tremendous for the Rajasthan Royals when he has played but Otniel Baartman and Lizaad Williams have also had significant faith invested in them.

    Anrich Nortje has been the most expensive regular bowler in the IPL, four times conceding 20+ in an over, peaking at 32. Does Walter discount that recent record in favour of reputation? Does he ‘back his man’ to be alright on the night? Will Nortje’s decline of a national contract have a baring? And how much do performances in the domestic tournament count for? Wiaan Mulder is clearly playing well, but against what quality of opposition?

    “It’s not as competitive as the SA20 but it’s still better to have them playing than doing nothing for two months. The standard can be discussed, but they’ve still got to go out there and perform. If the standard is lower then the performances of the top players need to stand out, they need to show that they are the best,” Walter said. Breetzke (467 runs), Ryan Rickelton (423) and Reeza Hendricks (367) are all in the top five.

    Is there room in the squad for a shock selection? 21-year-old leg-spinner Nqaba Peter has been sensational in taking 19 wickets at an average of 7.78 and economy rate of just 5.19.

    Beyers Swanepoel, one of the most exciting bowling all rounders in the country, took 21 wickets in 12 matches, the same as left arm spinner Siya Simetu who played in 14. Another left arm spinner, Bjorn Fortuin, has taken 16 wickets for the Lions before Sunday’s final and is second on the ‘economy’ list conceding just 5.84 runs per over. 

    Most pitches in the Caribbean are of the low, slow variety – two spinner pitches, at least – but South Africa’s first three games, including the opener against Sri Lanka, will be played in New York on pitches grown in Adelaide and shipped 14,000 miles around the world to the pop-up stadium on Long Island via Florida.

    The head groundsman at the Adelaide Oval, Damian Hough, said he was hoping for pitches with “…pace and consistent bounce, on which the players can play their shots. We want entertaining cricket,” before adding, ominously, “but there are challenges”.

     The practice pitches and the match pitches were built and grown in the same environment so Walter and the players will have a fair idea of how they will play before the first match. But the squad will have been selected weeks before then. 

    There is a lot of guessing for Walter to do but at least he can trust his instinct when it comes to the players. A pitch which has never been used before is complete guesswork.

    “Having the guys playing is a win in itself,” said Walter. “There’s a significant number of guys in the IPL, some playing and some not. But there are also some guys who will be part of the World Cup squad who are in South Africa so for them to be playing competitively is a big help.”

    Walter is with his family in New Zealand at the moment but, thanks to live-streaming and a well-practised ability to function on very little sleep when necessary, he’s spent hours alone in his study in the dead of night:

    “I’ve been watching the competition from start to finish and it’s been important for me to see the young players who will form the next generation, to see them delivering performances and winning games. We have a dual focus of getting ready for a World Cup but also building our player base for the future,” Walter said.

    Currently Walter is the sole selector for both the T20 and 50-over teams, and that’s the way he likes it. He is a man without ego and always willing to seek advice and opinion. But this is a task beyond one person. Committees and panels can be cumbersome, but there is a reason they exist. There are at least a dozen listed above.