Proteas moving in right direction

CRICKETERS are regarded as the most superstitious of sportspeople, but Proteas captain Faf du Plessis is certainly not one of them.

With the golden ICC World Cup trophy gleaming over this shoulder, Du Plessis turned around to touch the elusive silverware.

“I don’t believe in all of that,” Du Plessis chirped.

It takes a brave South African to mess with “Mother Cricket” considering the Proteas record at major ICC tournaments, especially in crunch knockout matches.

Although Russell Domingo’s Class of 2015 finally broke the hoodoo with a quarter-final victory over Sri Lanka in Sydney, the events that unfolded the following week at Eden Park created a whole new form of emotional trauma.

But that is why today’s final one-day international against Pakistan at Newlands is crucial to the Proteas’ preparations for the World Cup in England and Wales that is now just 17 weeks away.

The hosts have been below their best throughout the series, with their batting and fielding not up to its usual standards. Equally, SA are playing a very good Pakistani ODI outfit - they are after all the current Champions Trophy holders - that have not allowed the Proteas to hit their strides.

SA have also used the series to test different combinations, providing opportunities to a set of younger players, as they build up to the World Cup later this year.

A crunch series-decider, in front of what is expected to be a sold-out Newlands, will therefore be a good test for Du Plessis and his charges.

The skipper, though, believes it is crucial that his team don’t change their approach just because of the importance of the match.

“It’s about how we play big games better and that’s by not making (it) bigger than it already is. Obviously, it’s a big game, but when we do make it a big thing we don’t bring out the best out of ourselves as a team,” Du Plessis said. “So for me, it’s about freeing up the guys so they can express themselves in whichever way they want to and not to see it as a huge game where they have to play differently.

“In saying that, in the last two years, we’ve played very well in these scenarios, every time there’s a series-decider we as a team have stepped up.

“So at least we are moving forward in that direction, we are winning those games which is a huge plus point for me. Hopefully, we can do the same against a very strong team.”

The national selectors have shown that they are not done trialling players yet either. Young Highveld Lions all-rounder Wiaan Mulder was called up yesterday to provide options for the crucial No 7 spot. Although Andile Phehlukwayo played superbly well in the second ODI to guide the Proteas home with a career-best half-century, the selectors are still keen to possibly have a look at Mulder along with his Lions teammate Dwaine Pretorius.

“If we have Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn all in our attack then it’s an option to just play six batsmen. But if one of them is not there, then we need to re-look the six batsmen strategy. It’s pretty obvious to me that we possibly need another batsman or all-rounder,” Du Plessis said.

Squads for Newlands

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen, Wiaan Mulder.

Pakistan: Imam ul Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat

Start: 1pm