Faf backs Proteas T20 squad

The national side embarks on the first of two T20 clashes against England before taking on Australia in a three match series. Collectively, those five final matches are the final preparation before the global showpiece gets underway next month in India.

Speaking ahead of their first clash against England at Newlands on Friday, the Proteas skipper said the squad boasted quality across the board – something the captain, coaches and selectors have agreed on for some time.

“I do know what our best team is. That’s the great thing about how our plans have unfolded over the last year and a half. As I mentioned at the World Cup squad announcement, about a year and a half ago we sat down and we planned the ideal 15 players that we would like to go and that was the 15 that is on paper for the World Cup,” Du Plessis said.

“In that period, we experimented a bit; we tried new roles to see where guys were suited best and in my mind I’m pretty clear what those are. I see the next five games being about giving guys game time  - you can’t always guarantee everyone will play but it’s about getting the guys ready and feeling good before that first match at the World Cup.”

With a settled squad, Du Plessis has turned his attention to tactics. A big focus for the Proteas is their death bowling, which the skipper believes is as much about the skill as it is about the pitches they plan on.

“It’s all to do with the surface we plan on. Death bowling isn’t always about bowling yorkers, sometimes the pitch might grip a little bit and hard lengths could be a better option – Newlands can be one of those grounds. One of the boundaries is pretty short so if you’re looking to bowl yorkers and you miss it’s possibly the easiest shot to try and score a boundary.”

“On the day it can change very quickly, but it is a great skill to have. If you can land your yorkers every time, especially if you’re closing an over down, it’s a great time to bowl one. It’s something we’ve worked on as a bowling unit.”

20-year-old Kagiso Rabada has proved himself a vital cog in the Proteas bowling department. While he is still coming to grips with the change in attack needed in T20s, his skipper hailed his improvements.

“Every game he has played he’s gotten better. I remember when he played his first T20; you could see he was unsure about what he was trying to do. Then that last game we played in India, it looked like he had played 50 or 60 T20s just with the experience he had gained in that time,” De Villiers said.

“The great thing about KG is that he always wants to improve, he always asks questions and that is great for a captain. I’m very happy with where he is at, he’s won a couple of ODI games with his death bowling.”

Rabada’s development gives Du Plessis another quality fast bowling option to pick from, which means the skipper now has some quality seamers that can wrap up a game under pressure.

“The exciting thing is that we have a group of seam bowlers that can bowl at the death. That is something we haven’t always had the luxury of going into World Cups,” Du Plessis said.

The Proteas face England at 18h00 at Newlands on Friday night.

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