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Proteas Faffing around again

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SA’s captain, Faf du Plessis, and his team-mates were left to rue their missed chances against the West Indies on Friday 

PHOTO: Danish Siddiqui / REUTERS
SA’s captain, Faf du Plessis, and his team-mates were left to rue their missed chances against the West Indies on Friday PHOTO: Danish Siddiqui / REUTERS

Faf du Plessis does not shrink from blaming himself and his senior team-mates for the Proteas’ comprehensive defeat two nights ago against the West Indies in Nagpur.

A weak performance with the bat meant South Africa’s progression at this year’s World T20 tournament was already denied ahead of their last group match tomorrow here against Sri Lanka.

“The winning recipe for any champion team is to have senior players who take the bull by the horns and deliver decisive performances when the pressure is at its greatest. Myself and other guys like AB de Villiers must take responsibility, because we did not put up our hands,” said Du Plessis.

“We needed one of our experienced players to be the anchor of our batting. I don’t expect a senior player to constantly carry the team on his back, but in this team we relied too heavily on the rookies.”

The Proteas’ ability to perform under pressure was again under the magnifying glass, particularly as Du Plessis said the team was “constantly a half-step behind the Windies” and could not perform well during “small and short moments” in a gripping contest.

No incident testifies to this better than Hashim Amla’s wicket, when Quinton de Kock ran him out.

“If you lose a wicket in such a needless way, it creates a negative mind-set in the team,” said Du Plessis.

“It is probably only human, but if we want to win tournaments, we must adjust better. Our bad start with the bat robbed us of an additional 10 to 15 runs. That could have changed the outcome of the game.”

Due to the inconsistency of Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris – South Africa’s two strike bowlers in this match – questions will also have to be asked about why Dale Steyn was not played on a pitch where he has enjoyed considerable success.

However, Du Plessis insists that Steyn was not competing with Rabada and Morris for a place in the team.

“It was a choice between Dale and David Wiese. We made the right choice because David delivered a strong performance with the bat and the ball,” he said.

“Kagiso proved himself over the past year as one of our key players and you must have confidence in him. Chris is a versatile player. He and Dale play different roles.”

Du Plessis hoped the Proteas would continue to show the fighting spirit that came to the fore during the Windies’ innings.

“We always expect to win a world tournament. That’s why we are bitterly disappointed every time we get stuck. It’s important not to get despondent.”

Words, however, only take you so far.

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