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Faf du Plessis believes it is unfair to blame Beuran Hendricks for the Proteas’ loss to England.
The Proteas were in a strong position as the game approached its conclusion, with England needing 51 of the last four overs.
Kagiso Rabada, who conceded just six runs in the 15th, established a position from which the Proteas were expected to win.
However, Hendricks produced a horror show on Day 16, one that included a ball that was thrown so low down the side of the leg that it came closer to the fine leg than to goalie Quinton de Kock.
He conceded 28 runs in a round that turned the game in favor of England. Until then, they had been struggling to hit the ball cleanly on a pitch that had been significantly slowed down.
However, Du Plessis, speaking at the post-match press conference, tried to deflect the blame from Hendricks.
“The T20 game almost guarantees that someone is going to go at night,” he said. ‘I wouldn’t be too interested if a guy is going to race because that’s the nature of the beast when you play T20 cricket.
‘Tomorrow he might have a chance to bowl in exactly the same areas and he gets five dollars. I wouldn’t judge him too harshly. Tonight was not their night and they played well against him. You will learn from it and come back strong.
The selectors now have to decide whether to stick with Hendricks before Sunday’s second T20I at Paarl. Anrich Nortje, who excelled in the Indian Premier League, is the strongest alternative.
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