ICC World Cup 2019 | South Africa’s Predicted XI for tournament opener against England
And there you go. Another edition of the ICC World Cup is upon us and it will start with a game between South Africa and England at the historic Oval tomorrow. As the world is putting England as the favourites, South Africa could well be the dark horse and fly under the radar.
Openers
Hashim Amla: It is a sheer testament to his performances throughout his career that Amla is still averaging 49.74 in ODI cricket despite scoring a mere 315 runs in 11 matches last year. Not only has it handed him a place in the South African squad for the World Cup but has also forced us to add him to the tournament opening match against England.
Quinton de Kock: If there is one man who has to come good to save South Africa blushes in England, it has to be de Kock. Like Amla, the SA keeper had a year to forget in 2018 but some eye-catching performances against Pakistan and Sri Lanka (average of 58.62) and a decent IPL (35.26) has made him the Proteas’ go-to man again.
Middle-order
Faf du Plessis: In a South African squad that looks a shade of the giants that have witnessed the World Cup in the past, du Plessis is SA’s Mr. Dependable. After an impressive average of 62 in 2018, Faf has managed to score at 71.16 this year so far. Coming off the back of a 396-run IPL will hold him in good stead as well.
Rassie van der Dussen: The first real choice that South Africa have to make in the line up is at the N0. 4. In a battle between Jean-Paul Duminy - a veteran of 194 ODIs - and van der Dussen - a 30-year-old with nine ODIs to his name - we have decided to go with the latter. An average of 88.25 at a strike rate of 75.58 is what SA might need if the top order collapses.
David Miller: But if the top three do perform, Killer Miller might just get a promotion in the order. People who have followed him recently will tell you that he is not just the hard-hitting big man that set the IPL on fire all those years ago. Although he is scoring at a strike rate of just 88.75 in 2019, his average is on an upward curve at 47.33 this year so far.
All-rounder
Jean-Paul Duminy: Just because van der Dussen gets the nod over him at the No. 4 spot, it doesn’t mean that Duminy cannot make the playing XI. In a tossup between Chris Morris and Duminy, we had to pick the latter because quite honestly, he is less wasteful with the bat. With The Oval not being an extremely high-scoring ground, he can chip in with a few overs as well.
Andile Phehlukwayo: With England producing all-rounders by the dozen, Andile Phehlukwayo could very easily be the best one on the field in the tournament opener. While he might have the flashiness of his English counterparts, the South African has put up impressive averages of 32 and 29.62 as a batsman and bowler respectively.
Dwaine Pretorius: This has become an interesting conundrum for South Africa. After Dale Steyn was ruled out from the playing XI for the first two games, Pretorius is at the pole position to replace the enigmatic all-rounder. His ability is never in question, but he comes on the back of a terrible campaign in Provincial Cricket. However, with the swing being his calling card, he might just love to get a game in at The Oval.
Pacers
Kagiso Rabada: Even if Faf is listing the team-sheet, he will put in Rabada’s name even before his own to pay homage to the youngster’s performances. Even though his previous outings in England have not done justice to his talent, in a race for the best pacer in world cricket, he might just put on a show this time around.
Lungi Ngidi: His rise has been a welcome story in South African cricket that appeared to be on a downward trajectory. A career average of 21.64 is only bettered by the 17.12 he averages this year. Whether he can do the same when the lights shine brightest remains to be seen, but he will certainly get his chance when he walks into The Oval on Thursday.
Spinners
Imran Tahir: With Tahir averaging 30.84 in 2018, Tabraiz Shamsi would have fancied his chances of making it into the playing XI. However, after Tahir set the IPL on fire averaging 16.57, this quickly turned into a no contest. Tahir has started delivering on the biggest stages and if he can keep it going, South Africa might just have an outside chance of making the top four.
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