Selection issues for Proteas

The Proteas team selection could give the selectors a number of sleepless nights ahead of the New Year's Test against England at Newlands.

Durban - The Proteas team selection could give the selectors a number of sleepless nights ahead of the New Year's Test against England at Newlands in Cape Town.

South Africa crashed to a 241-run defeat to England on day five of the first Test at Kingsmead, in Durban, on Wednesday and change is unavoidable.

The right shoulder injury to Dale Steyn could well rule out the Proteas spearhead with just two days break before the start of the match on Saturday. It means 20-year-old Kagiso Rabada will be the obvious choice to replace Steyn.

The selectors did, however, call in a replacement for Steyn as cover in the squad and that is where the situation becomes more tricky. Chris Morris and Hardus Viljoen are the bowling replacements brought in, while Quinton de Kock looks set to take the wicketkeeping gloves from AB de Villiers.

Morris was first brought in for Steyn, while Viljoen is cover for Kyle Abbott who experienced a tightness in his left hamstring after the first Test.

Lions bowler Viljoen has been the standout quick bowler over the last two rounds of first class matches, as he has taken 20 wickets in the two matches.

Also in Viljoen's repertoire is the ability to regularly bowl at speeds around the 150km per hour mark.

Despite desperate calls for a genuine opening batsman to accompany Dean Elgar at the top of the order, the selectors seem set to persist with the battling Stiaan van Zyl. The selectors have continued to ignore Lions captain and opener Stephen Cook.

The 33-year-old has scored over 11 000 first class runs - the most by a South African batsman that has not played for his national team. And added to his lengthy list of achievements is his current form - he ended 168 not out against the Warriors in a first class match on Tuesday.

Faf du Plessis is another Proteas batsman in desperate need of some runs. After a good 2014 where he averaged just under 45, 2015 has been particularly difficult for the player.

In 12 knocks, Du Plessis has scored 201 runs at an average of 16.75. He has also dropped down the order one spot to number five amid his poor run.

Playing in his 27th Test, and captain of the T20 side, Du Plessis is considered one of the senior players in the team but his serious lack of form has contributed to the poor results of South Africa.

Last of the recognised batsmen is JP Duminy who is in the middle of his own bad run of form. In seven innings in 2015 Duminy has notched up only 98 runs.

And with Temba Bavuma making a claim for the number six spot in the batting lineup, Duminy has now shifted down to number seven.

With the uncapped Rilee Rossouw the only top order batsman in the squad, he could slot in ahead of either Du Plessis or Duminy. Rossouw has already made a good start to his One Day International career averaging 35.91 with two centuries and four fifties from 26 matches.

It would also be the perfect time to blood the 26-year-old in Test cricket while many of the senior Proteas players are severely lacking in form and confidence. - African News Agency (ANA)