The Proteas must bring Reeza Hendricks back into their starting line-up to open the batting with Quinton de Kock when they take on India in the second of three T20s on Sunday at Guwahati (3.30pm).
This is the view former Proteas performance analyst Prasanna Agoram shared with Sunday Times this week following SA’s horrendous batting display during the first T20 match at Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
India took the 1-0 lead after a thumping eight wicket victory which came after the Proteas posted 106/8. Four of the top six batters — captain Temba Bavuma, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs — headed back to the pavilions with ducks.
De Kock was no better as he got dismissed for a single run from four balls.
The most worrying thing about the Proteas’ performance, where top six batters scored a combined 26 runs, is that in less than a month almost the same team will be carrying SA’s T20 Cricket World Cup hopes.
For this embarrassing outing, Agoram, who spent 11 years with the Proteas from 2010 to 2021, put the blame on outgoing coach Mark Boucher and his technical team for pairing off-form De Kock and the fresh from injury Bavuma as openers.
That was a recipe for disaster and, should they take the same approach to the World Cup in Australia, South Africans would advised to temper their hopes.
“I can’t find any reason for dropping a guy like Reeza, who is on form,” Agoram said.
“In the last six games [before the India series], Reeza Hendricks has scored half centuries back-to-back. He scored three half centuries against England and he also scored against Ireland.
“And when the Lions team went to the Namibia Global T20 League, again he was a top scorer there. He got an undefeated 94 off 59 balls against a not so bad Lahore Qalandars team.”
Agoram strongly believes that dropping De Kock is not an option right now, but he shouldn’t be made to open with Bavuma. “You have to understand Quinton de Kock is a world class player but unfortunately, at the IPL his return has been a bit low compared to what he was,” he said.
“He was not great against England in the T20 series, he didn’t have a good time at the hundreds and he also had very low returns in the Caribbean Premier League. So to allow him to get into form, you need to pair him with a guy who has been very stable at the top of the order.
“I can understand the emotions around Temba Bavuma now that he hasn’t been picked for the SA20. But the great thing for me would have been to open with Reeza and Quinton while Temba bats at No 3. That would have allowed Temba to settle in really well, while Quinton is supported well by Reeza.”
Coming at No 3 for the Lions in Namibia, Bavuma had decent returns as he even scored a half century in one of the games there.
So Agoram, who works with both Bavuma and Hendricks at the Lions, might be on the money. However, the Proteas coaches and the selectors have made up their minds that Bavuma is going to be an opener at the World Cup together with De Kock.
But there’s absolutely nothing wrong if they changed their minds. As Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos recently said, “only fools don’t change their minds”, when he finally called up Themba Zwane after having said he wouldn’t.
The third and final T20 match will take place in Indore on Tuesday (3.30pm).
After that the two sides will begin the ODI three-match series on Thursday.
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