Softness at No 7 puts Proteas batters in the spotlight

Once more the Proteas head to a World Cup, with the No 7 spot in the batting order under the spotlight.

Historically it had never been a problem: Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener were once occupants of that position, while Jacques Kallis’s colossal presence allowed for an extra batter to go into that spot. 

When SA last got to the semifinal of the World Cup in 2015, they had seven batters, but just five bowling options — one of whom was JP Duminy — in the starting XI and it needed AB de Villiers to don his cape as the sixth bowler. 

That is the problem the Proteas’ One-Day side has faced for much of the last decade: how to get seven batters and six bowlers into 11 places. For this year’s tournament they have a powerful top six and the selection of six fast bowlers sees the selectors lean heavily into the country’s historic strength. 

But Marco Jansen, the current favourite to slot in at No 7, looks like he is batting a spot too high — despite all of his obvious potential with the willow. He has a Test fifty against Australia at the MCG, he scored 48 at Lord’s as part of a match-changing seventh-wicket partnership with Keshav Maharaj last year and in the T20 format he famously took apart Rashid Khan in the SA20 earlier this year, scoring 66 off 27 balls. 

Those are all good signs, but overall, Jansen for all his determination can’t be bracketed as a reliable No 7 batter.

Proteas head coach Rob Walter almost admitted as much, saying he would be relying on some complicated maths to solve the issue.   

“It’s assessing the combined capability of 7, 8 and 9 and asking: do they make up two batters?” Walter stated on Tuesday. 

Extolling the virtues of those in the lower order, Walter said Jansen had played “pivotal knocks at No 7”, while Sisanda Magala’s batting was “undervalued”, and he had delivered for his provincial team, the Lions, “time and time again under pressure”. Gerald Coetzee, the surprise call-up, had shown some of his ability in the third T20 International against Australia and “had a great understanding of what the game required from him” that was allied to “a skill set”, which will see him grow as an all-rounder. 

“We’ve put a huge amount of effort into 9, 10 and 11 and their ability to contribute [runs])at the back-end,” said Walter.

Walter explained that he saw no need to add an extra batter, such as Tristan Stubbs, who might add cover for the middle order and can bowl off-spin. The Proteas have seven batters, with Reeza Hendricks providing cover for all of them, though his form in the past 12 months might see him crack a starting berth. 

We will always look to be positive and for opportunities to turn the game in our favour

—  Temba Bavuma, Proteas captain

“I don’t believe you need the extra batter — we have an extra batter in the group, I back all of them, they are very versatile as well,” said Walter. 

The reason was he didn’t want to shrink the number of fast-bowling options — the other interesting aspect of the squad named on Tuesday.

Never mind that the tournament is taking place in India, which traditionally favours spin, the Proteas selectors, who take strong guidance from skipper Temba Bavuma, are going to rely on the speed and aggression of the country’s quick bowlers.

“I didn’t feel we had to carry an extra batter at the expense of a seamer. We want to have four high-quality fast bowlers on the park at most times,” said Walter. 

Bavuma didn’t believe the absence of a strong batter at No 7 would force the top six, which includes boundary hitters like David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, to be more careful with their wickets. 

“It won’t curtail us as batters,” Bavuma remarked. “We are aware of it as a team, it will [demand] smartness from us. In terms of our approach as batters, it stays the same. We will always look to be positive and for opportunities to turn the game in our favour.”