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Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 9:46 am
by jaybro
Dale Steyn will return to long-form cricket for the first time in over a year when a South African Invitational XI hosts Zimbabwe for a three-day day-night match in Paarl on December 20. Steyn is one of four Proteas players, alongside AB de Villiers, Chris Morris and Temba Bavuma, to be named in the side.
Steyn and Morris will be looking to prove their fitness in the longer format ahead of the one-off Test between South Africa and Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth on Boxing Day. Both have been involved in the Titans' Ram Slam T20 campaign, but are yet to play a multi-day match since coming through their respective injuries.
Meanwhile, de Villiers has played just one first-class match since taking more than a year and a half out of the longer format, and has been given an opportunity to press his case for inclusion in a batting line-up that scored plenty of runs in the two-match series against Bangladesh. The one batsman who failed to make a hundred in the series, Bavuma, will hope to have more time in the middle in the warm-up against Zimbabwe.
"Chris and Dale both missed the first five rounds of the Sunfoil Series through injury while AB was only available for one match," said South Africa's selection convener Linda Zondi on Tuesday (December 5). "This is an ideal opportunity for all three to get back into the multi-day arena.
"Temba only got limited batting time during the Test series against Bangladesh because of the dominance of our top order and we feel he will benefit from spending more time in the middle."
The remainder of the squad for what will be the first multi-day day-night match in South Africa has been selected from franchise and provincial players.
"These matches also provide opportunities to explore our talent development pipeline. We were very pleased with the way a similar squad performed against Bangladesh when they managed to lead on the first innings with Michael Cohen, Shaun von Berg and Zubayr Hamza being among those who excelled and they will all get another opportunity," added Zondi.
SA Invitation XI squad: Dominic Hendricks (capt), Temba Bavuma, Tladi Bokako, Michael Cohen, AB de Villiers, Isaac Dikgale, Leus du Plooy, Zubayr Hamza, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rapulana, Kelly Smuts, Dale Steyn, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Shaun von Berg, Lizaad Williams.
http://m.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/9879 ... rm-cricket
Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:00 am
by Andybligzz
The stronger the opposition playing us the better, seriously concerned about what Rabada is going to be like under lights after seeing jimmy Anderson last night.
Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:16 pm
by Googly
Ya he’s a scary prospect.
Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 9:08 pm
by pariah
Googly wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:16 pm
Ya he’s a scary prospect.
You mean quota?

Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:37 am
by Flakeman
Don’t think anyone’s called him a quota ! The rest most definitely are though !
Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:30 am
by jaybro
The whole quota thing really does a disservice to Rabada’s career. He would have made the side without the quota thing but he is now the ‘poster boy’ for transformation.
Also as I’ve pointed out I reckon he will break down with a serious back injury due to work over load due to CSA trying to meet their quotas
Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 7:30 am
by pariah
jaybro wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:30 am
The whole quota thing really does a disservice to Rabada’s career. He would have made the side without the quota thing but he is now the ‘poster boy’ for transformation.
And what are Amla, Philander and Tsotsobe?
Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 7:36 am
by jaybro
pariah wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2017 7:30 am
jaybro wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:30 am
The whole quota thing really does a disservice to Rabada’s career. He would have made the side without the quota thing but he is now the ‘poster boy’ for transformation.
And what are Amla, Philander and Tsotsobe?
Don’t point the finger at me Rabada has been labelled the poster boy of transformation by many more established cricketing personalities
I remember watching a recap of the South Africa tour of England when Rabada bowled Dawid Malan. The commentator ( Mark Nicholas I think ) pointed out the irony that Malan left South Africa due to lack opportunities due to the quota system and on debut he was bowled by the ‘poster boy’ of transformation
Re: Strong RSA XI selected to face Zimbabwe
Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:28 am
by aydee
That team is good... This test/tour could be a serious baptism of fire... Hopefully there are enough performances to give some hope for the future, and hopefully the experience will be useful, as I can't see anything other than a lot of pain...