ICC World Cup 2019 | South Africa’s predicted XI for their game against Bangladesh
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Having suffered a disheartening 104-run loss against England in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 opener on Thursday, Faf du Plessis will be eager to bounce back with a win in their second group match. South Africa will take on Mashrafe Mortaza-led Bangladesh at the Kennington Oval on Sunday.
Openers
Quinton de Kock: The left-handed opener top-scored for South Africa in their first game against England with a score of 68 from 74 deliveries. The talented batsman endured a positive outing in the IPL with Mumbai Indians and will be keen to help his side register their first win in the ongoing World Cup.
Hashim Amla: Amla, a veteran of 175 ODIs, suffered a nasty knock on his helmet which forced him to go off the field for a while during the opening match against England. He came on to bat again but could only manage to score 13 before being dismissed by Liam Plunkett. South Africa fans will hope that Amla will be able to stick at the crease for longer in their second outing against Bangladesh.
Middle-order
Aiden Markram: 24-year old Aiden Markram is a mainstay in the South Africa Test team but has failed to replicate the same form in the limited-overs format. With a strike rate of 88.4, Markram has scored 514 runs from 19 ODI matches. He will be given another chance to prove his worth in the Proteas World Cup batting order.
Faf du Plessis (C): Faf du Plessis had a productive outing in the IPL with Chennai Super Kings but only managed to score five runs before he fell prey to England’s Jofra Archer on Thursday. Undoubtedly, du Plessis will be key to South Africa’s chances of doing well in the ongoing World Cup.
Rassie van der Dussen: Dussen played an impressive knock against England in tough conditions as he scored 50 from 61 deliveries to justify his selection with the national team. A legend in the South African domestic circuit, Dussen will be given a shot against Bangladesh in their second WC match on Sunday.
JP Duminy: Duminy, who has acted as captain of South Africa on multiple occasions, had a drab outing in the opener against England. However, his age and experience on the big stage make him a key player for the Proteas outfit and his spin bowling will certainly give captain Faf du Plessis interesting options in the middle overs.
All-rounders
Andile Phehlukwayo: 23-year old Phehlukwayo is a promising all-rounder who has a strike rate of 91.86 while batting with the national team. Phehlukwayo is also handy with the ball and has a tally of 55 wickets from 44 ODIs. He will retain his spot in the South African line-up from the first match.
Chris Morris: Morris is expected to be given a chance in the match against Bangladesh in place of Dwaine Pretorious who failed to impress in the opening match against England. Morris’ strike rate of 97.52 will give the Proteas some much-needed firepower at the bottom of the batting order.
PacersÂ
Kagiso Rabada: It’s hard to believe that Kagiso Rabada is just 24, having already garnered a total of 108 wickets from 67 ODIs. He is Faf du Plessis’ go-to bowler and will be their focal attacking point against Bangladesh as well.
Lungi Ngidi: Another young pacer in the South African squad, Ngidi and Rabada have developed a formidable partnership amongst themselves with the new ball. With 37 wickets from 19 ODI matches, Ngidi will also be a regular feature in South Africa’s WC team in the absence of veteran pacer - Dale Steyn.
Spinner
Imran Tahir: Tahir was handed the new ball in the match against England and became the first spinner to bowl in the first over of a World Cup game. Tahir picked two wickets against England and will definitely be a part of the team that goes up against Bangladesh on the weekend.
