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- England are the big favorites heading into the three-day international series against South Africa.
- South Africa beat Australia 3-0 in their one-day international series most recent in March.
- The challenges facing Mark Boucher and the national selectors are both medical and political.
World Cup champions England start as a huge favorite when they take on a South African team battling on and off the pitch in a three-day international series that begins at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.
In their most recent one-day international series, South Africa beat Australia 3-0.
But that was a long time ago, as coach Mark Boucher noted after South Africa 3-0 against England in an international Twenty20 series that ended with a nine-wicket loss at the same Newlands field on Tuesday.
The series against Australia was in March and a lot has changed since then, including a long coronavirus-induced hiatus for the South African team and a stir in the Cricket South Africa boardroom and offices.
Perhaps it was symbolic that the newly appointed CSA interim board during Tuesday’s game made an announcement that the organization’s company secretary, Welsh Gwaza, had been suspended and will face a disciplinary hearing on December 14.
Gwaza was mentioned numerous times in a forensic report that led to the firing of CEO Thabang Moroe in August.
The challenges Boucher and the national selectors face are both medical and political.
Locally, it is reported that the racial transformation goals for the national team will be increased so that by 2023 no more than four white players can be chosen in an eleven.
This, however, may be a relic of the disgraced former board of directors because a spokesman for the interim board told AFP on Wednesday that the transformation issue had not yet been discussed by his colleagues, who are currently grappling with corporate governance issues. .
“Someone above me has to answer that,” Boucher said when asked about the goals.
The South African teams that played in the T20 series lacked balance in off-road form, with Andile Phehlukwayo unavailable and Dwaine Pretorius injured in training.
Top fast pitcher Kagiso Rabada missed Game 3 and was ruled out of the one-day series with a hip injury.
Also unavailable was the powerful left-handed hitter, David Miller, who Boucher said affected the effectiveness of high-order hitting.
CSA has consistently refused to name the two players who tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the series, but both Phehlukwayo and Miller will be available for one-day games, according to a CSA spokesperson.
Both teams will change a lot for the one-day series.
England’s star players Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Sam Curran are resting, while series T20 player Dawid Malan and all-rounder Chris Jordan were not selected for the one-day games.
South Africa is sure to welcome Miller and Phehlukwayo along with several or all of Janneman Malan, Jon-Jon Smuts, Kyle Verreynne and Keshav Maharaj, who played in the winning series against Australia.
England’s batting will be reinforced by test captain Joe Root, while there will be a new bowling attack in which all-rounder Chris Woakes and fast bowlers Mark Wood and Olly Stone could take part.
Accessories:
December 4, Cape Town
December 6, Paarl
December 9, Cape Town
