Phangiso wants to prove a point on NZ tour

20 October 2014 - 02:00 By Telford Vice
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TONGUE IN CHEEK: Aaron Phangiso is ready to make his mark
TONGUE IN CHEEK: Aaron Phangiso is ready to make his mark
Image: GALLO IMAGES

If Imran Tahir is a more attacking spinner than Aaron Phangiso, how come they took the same number of wickets and had identical strike rates in the triangular series in Zimbabwe in August and September?

Phangiso hopes to continue asking questions like that during SA's one-day series in New Zealand, which starts in Mount Maunganui late tonight (SA time).

"A lot of people say 'Imi' is an attacking bowler and I'm more of a container. It seems like that, but on the day it might be different - he might be doing the containing and I might be taking wickets," Phangiso said on Saturday.

Legspinner Tahir took five wickets at an average of 31.8 in the triangular series against Zimbabwe and Australia while languid left-armer Phangiso claimed five at 29.2. Phangiso was the more miserly though. His economy rate was 3.84 and Tahir's 4.18 - but both had a strike rate of 45.6.

Phangiso wants to continue that trend. If, that is, he is given the chance tonight in a team in which Tahir remains the first-choice spinner: they are separated by 41 places in the ODI bowling rankings.

However, tonight the spin spotlight will be on Daniel Vettori, who is likely to play his first ODI after a 16-month break forced by the wear and tear on his body. The lure of playing in next year's World Cup has brought Vettori out of hibernation.

Vettori's return, as a veteran of 275 ODIs, will be welcomed in a New Zealand dressing room that will be without the injured Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.

On the upside, Tim Southee has recovered from a shoulder problem in time to be named in the squad, to which Dean Brownlie and Tom Latham have been added.

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