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To replace the void left by Anrich Nortje’s absence,
South Africa will rely on the expertise of Kagiso Rabada and the vigour of
Gerald Coetzee. Eric Simons, the bowling coach, gave the directive, asking the
opposing teams to debate how to manage his eldest and youngest quicks
throughout the competition.
“I’ve sat in a lot of team meetings and the more
the opposition talks about a certain batter or bowler, the more you are in
their heads and the more you are ahead of them in the game. Someone like Anrich
would have been someone they would have spoken about,” Simons said from
South Africa’s hotel in Delhi, where they are preparing to play their first
match of the competition against Sri Lanka. “Likewise, with Kagiso. He is
one of our key members.”
He avoided designating Rabada as the attack’s leader
but said that his 92 caps were essential to South Africa’s prospects of scaring
rival lineups. Rabada has only featured in five of South Africa’s 12 ODIs this
year, denying him the chance to perform at his peak. He has also not been at
his best in significant competitions. Once more, the sample size is modest but
informative.
“Kagiso is someone with a lot of experience and
someone the opposition respects, so getting him up to speed and getting him
bowling at his best is not just important for him but for us as a unit.”
Speaking about Coetzee, Simons said “He is someone who can bowl
constantly at 140kph-plus, which is important in any conditionsBut someone is
going to punch him in the nose at some point. I have no doubt about it. That’s
what this game is about, particularly in India.”
“He faced a good test against Australia and an
extremely aggressive batting line up. It was good to see him come through it
and come up with ideas and plans,” Simons said. “He is a very
intelligent young cricketer. He understands his game and he contributes a lot
especially in bowling meetings. It’s going to be a steep learning curve for him
but he is somebody with the material and resources to handle it.”