Hashim, JP search for form at Cobras

Hashim Amla will make his first-class debut for the Cape Cobras in next week's Sunfoil Series clash against the Knights.

Proteas captain Hashim Amla will make his first-class debut for the Cape Cobras in next week’s Sunfoil Series clash against the Knights at Newlands.

Amla was one of six players who featured for the national team in the recently-completed 3-0 Test defeat to India who have been released by the Proteas selectors to play four-day cricket ahead of England’s tour to South Africa.

The first Test starts on Boxing Day at Kingsmead in Durban.

The Cobras will be bolstered by Amla, JP Duminy, Stiaan van Zyl and Dane Piedt against the Knights next Thursday, while Temba Bavuma will play for the Lions against the Dolphins at the Wanderers and Dean Elgar will turn out for the Titans against the Warriors at Centurion.

One would think that Amla would be excused from franchise duty after playing in all three formats for the Proteas on an arduous 72-day tour of India, but he arguably needs the time in the middle as the 32-year-old right-hander is experiencing an uncharacteristically lean trot with the bat at the moment.

In admittedly difficult batting conditions, Amla mustered just 118 runs in seven innings during the four-Test series, with a highest score of 43 – although he showed strong powers of concentration in lasting almost five hours for 25 off 244 balls in a losing cause in Delhi.

Amla didn’t get going in the ODI series either, totalling only 89 in five innings.

So spending extra time at the crease and finding the middle of the bat instead of just blocking out the bowlers could result in Amla getting his confidence back ahead of the England series.

The same goes for left-handers Duminy and Elgar, who are under pressure to hold on to their Test berths. After missing the opening Mohali Test with a hand injury, Duminy scored just 70 runs in five innings, with his best effort of 35 coming in Nagpur.

Elgar was the second-highest run-getter for the Proteas in the Indian Test series, but that doesn’t mean much as he only managed 137 in seven innings.

The Proteas selectors announced earlier on Thursday that Elgar and Van Zyl – who will earn a recall to the starting XI – will open the batting in the first two Tests against England, with Bavuma moving down to his more regular middle-order slot.

Star batsman AB de Villiers will also play as the wicket-keeper against England at Kingsmead and Newlands, with both Dane Vilas and Quinton de Kock turning out for the SA A side in a three-day game against the tourists in Pietermaritzburg next Sunday, December 20. Vilas will be the wicket-keeper, with De Kock batting at No 4.

This means that the Proteas will have seven specialist batsmen against England, with convenor of selectors Linda Zondi saying in a statement that a “lack of depth to our batting” was one of the problem areas against India, “particularly in the lower order, and the change in AB’s role means that we can now have a specialist batsman at No 7”.

Knights left-hander Rilee Rossouw, who was recalled to the Test squad on Thursday, will also feature for the SA A side in Pietermaritzburg.

Spinners Imran Tahir and Simon Harmer were both dropped from the Test squad, with Piedt retaining his spot after a good performance in Delhi.

Seamer Vernon Philander is still out with an ankle injury, while Dale Steyn will undergo a fitness test next week for the Durban match.

Proteas team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee said: “A lot of the senior players were in India for the full duration of the 72-day tour and most of them played in every match. It is vital for them to get some physical and mental rest ahead of the lengthy series against England.

“All of the fast bowlers in the Test squad announced today will not take part in any Sunfoil Series matches prior to the series. The fast bowlers feature across all three formats, so it is important for us to manage their workloads coming out of a long tour and heading straight into another one.

“Dale Steyn will have a fitness Test on December 17 to ascertain his availability for the Boxing Day Test match, but we are quite confident that he will be fit for that Test match.”

ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za

@IndyCapeSport

PROTEAS TEST SQUAD

Hashim Amla (captain), AB de Villiers (vice-captain), Kyle Abbott, Temba Bavuma, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Morné Morkel, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, Stiaan van Zyl.

SOUTH AFRICA A SQUAD

Stephen Cook, Reeza Hendricks, Rilee Rossouw, Quinton de Kock, Omphile Ramela, Khaya Zondo, Dane Vilas (captain, wicket-keeper), Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Chris Morris, Marchant de Lange.