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A week’s holiday in Dubai gives batter chance to clear his mind after Test series in NZ

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2023Ben Duckett says that he is committed to taking every available opportunity to represent England across all three formats, after crediting the laissez-faire attitude of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes in the Test team for his successful return to international cricket this winter.By his own admission, Duckett, now 28, “probably wasn’t ready for international cricket” back in 2016-17, when he made his Test and ODI debuts on England’s tours of Bangladesh and India. Seven years later, however, he’s so relaxed about the experience, he was even able to prepare for last week’s return to the white-ball set-up by spending a couple of days “on a sun lounger” in Dubai.That brief stint of R&R came as the Test squad disbanded after their thrilling one-run loss to New Zealand in Wellington, which was also Duckett’s first defeat in five appearances since his recall for the Pakistan tour in December. In that time he has averaged an impressive 56.44 at the top of the order, and was enthusiastic about carrying that same mindset into this week’s first T20I against Bangladesh in Chattogram.”It’s ridiculously different,” Duckett said of his experience in the Test set-up. “The way that they make everyone feel is something that I never thought would be the case in Test cricket. It’s almost like you’re playing a friendly, you’re actually going out and playing a Test match and it’s that relaxed, and that’s how you’re going to get players to perform at their best.”The first thing Baz said to me in Pakistan was: ‘Just enjoy it, you’re going to get a good run’. To hear that as an opening batsman before your first Test back makes you not nervous and you can go out there and play your way rather than looking for a score.”And I think the big thing in that dressing-room is – whatever the noise is outside that dressing room, no one cares. It’s everything in that dressing room and almost you’ve got that backing, it feels like there’s a squad of players now that seems like they’re going to keep for a little while, especially while things are going well. Previously, you’re fearing for every single game, if you get no runs, you might get dropped the next game.”Duckett took a similarly phlegmatic attitude to his innings of 20 from 13 balls in England’s six-wicket loss in the first T20I. “I tried to stick to my strengths. It went all right and then I missed one,” he said.”The one thing I’ve been lucky with is, because of how I play, it doesn’t really change throughout the formats. You see these guys who are whacking the ball out of the ground and then they’ve got to go and play Test cricket and it’s a massive difference, where my mentality in all three formats is to see ball, hit ball. And now against spin, sweeping it both ways in all formats – and I’ve got the full backing from all of the squads.”I’ve matured as a cricketer,” he added. “It’s realising what works for me, understanding what my strengths are. Seven years ago I might have tried to hit Shakib [Al Hasan] for six over long-on, now I know all I have to do is hit the ball in front of square leg and it’s four runs. The small taste I had back then, I was very young and probably wasn’t ready. I think that comes with age and most batters are at their best when they get to the age of 28, 29.”Related

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Duckett is one of only four England players to have featured in all three formats this winter, and it’s been quite the round-the-world trip – encompassing campaigns in Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and now Bangladesh – which is all the more reason why he had no qualms about dropping everything for a week and lying low with his girlfriend in the UAE between red- and white-ball campaigns, rather than fretting about the challenge of switching formats.His long wait for a second chance with England was also a key factor in his decision to opt out of the big-money opportunities on the franchise circuit this winter – including the on-going Pakistan Super League, which caused a number of England’s players, including Alex Hales, to withdraw their availability for the Bangladesh series.”I spoke to someone a month ago about people resting and pulling out of stuff,” he said. “For me, the focus is on the chance to play all three formats for England. And that’s going to be my focus for as long as I’m in the squad.”Don’t get me wrong, if I’ve got a month next winter and I get offered a lot of money, I’m probably going to go and play in it, as most of us would. But you can play all these leagues around the world in a few years’ time, right now I’m solely focused on playing as much for England as I can. That break I had was potentially a good thing for me, and it’s made me so hungry now to take every single chance I get.”

Opening batter to take charge across formats after Dane Vilas steps down

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2023Lancashire have named Keaton Jennings as their new men’s captain after Dane Vilas decided to stand down from the role he has held for the past four seasons.Jennings, who has signed a one-year contract extension to remain with Lancashire until at least the end of the 2025 season, was the leading run-scorer in Division One last year with 1233 runs at an average of 72, including a career-best 318 against Somerset in Southport. His form led to an England Test recall and he spent plenty of time on the field as a substitute fielder during the 3-0 whitewashing of Pakistan before Christmas.He previously stood in for the injured Vilas as captain during last season’s Royal London Cup run, which saw Lancashire beaten in the final by Kent.”I am so proud and honoured to have been offered the opportunity to become the next captain of Lancashire – a club which I have made my home since arriving at Emirates Old Trafford back in 2018,” Jennings said.Related

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“Ever since joining, I have been fully aware of how proud this club is of its history and the passion which our members, supporters, players, and staff all share for the Red Rose. I am extremely proud to be leading this club into a new chapter and I hope that we are able create more history together.”On behalf of the entire squad, I would like to thank Dane for his commitment to the job and the backing which he has shown to each of us during his four seasons as captain. He has been a massive part of my development as a leader, and I know that I will still be able to call on his experience in the dressing room.”Lancashire finished as runners-up in all three major competitions in 2022, with Vilas overseeing both the Blast campaign, which ended in a last-ball defeat to Hampshire in the final, and their second-place finish in the LV= Insurance Championship. The 37-year-old South African, who joined the club in 2017, will continue to play as one of Lancashire’s overseas players for 2023.”After taking some time out during the winter and having conversations with senior management at the club, I have decided to stand down as captain of Lancashire,” Vilas said. “It has been an honour and a privilege to lead this great county for the past four seasons, but I feel that the time is now right to step back from the role and allow Keaton to build on the superb job which he started during last season’s One-Day Cup.”Lancashire’s men’s head coach, Glen Chapple, added: “Firstly, I would like to thank Dane for captaining the club with pride and dedication during the last four seasons. As a coaching team, we fully support his decision and feel it is a true testament to Dane’s character that he has made the selfless decision to step down with the team’s best interests at the forefront of his mind. We look forward to continuing to work with Dane as one of our senior players.”I am delighted that Keaton has accepted our offer to become the new club captain and we are all confident that he will do an excellent job. Keaton displayed his leadership qualities during last summer’s run to the One-Day Cup final, he has the full respect of the dressing room, and this now feels like a natural next step at the current stage of his career.”After speaking to Keaton, I know how proud he is to take this role and I am looking forward to working more closely with him as we step up our preparations for the new season and beyond.”

Gurinder Sandhu earns a contract with his third state after an excellent Shield season

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2022Australia limited-overs quick Kane Richardson has been confirmed as part of Queensland’s new squad after leaving South Australia to move his family to the Gold Coast.Richardson joins the Bulls’ squad after an off-season discussion with coach Wade Seccombe. His arrival offsets the loss of injury-prone quick Billy Stanlake who has departed to Tasmania. Stanlake, 27, has played 26 limited-overs matches for Australia but none since 2019 and did not play at all last summer due to stress fractures in his back.Related

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The Bulls have elevated Gurinder Sandhu onto their list following his excellent Shield season. The former New South Wales and Tasmania seamer, who also played two ODIs for Australia in 2015, moved to Queensland last year without a contract but played six matches and took 25 wickets at 19.16 including two five-wicket hauls.Queensland have also recruited left-arm quick Liam Guthrie from Western Australia after Guthrie played for Brisbane Heat in the BBL last season. Queensland batter Jack Clayton has been elevated to a full contract after scoring a century on Sheffield Shield debut against Victoria last season. Sam Truloff has also been rewarded with a full contract after returning to Queensland ranks last season following a four-year absence from the domestic level.Young fast bowler Connor Sully has also been upgraded after making his first-class and List A debuts last summer.Queensland men’s squad: Usman Khawaja (CA), Marnus Labuschagne (CA), Mitchell Swepson (CA),Joe Burns, Michael Neser, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Jimmy Peirson, Xavier Bartlett, Bryce Street, James Bazley, Gurinder Sandhu, Matthew Kuhnemann, Jack Clayton, Kane Richardson, Max Bryant, Liam Guthrie, Sam Truloff, Connor Sully, Blake Edwards, Hugo Burdon (Rookie), William Prestwidge (Rookie), Jackson Sinfield (Rookie), , Matthew Willans (Rookie)
In: Kane Richardson (SA), Liam Guthrie (WA), Hugo Burdon, Jackson Sinfield | Out: Billy Stanlake (Tas), Jack Wood, Lachlan Pfeffer

The autopsy in Thailand has confirmed death by natural causes

ESPNcricinfo staff and AAP07-Mar-2022Members of Shane Warne’s family spoke of their heartache for the first time on Monday following his death, as an autopsy confirmed he had died of natural causes after a heart attack.Together, they spoke of the ongoing pain and impossible void left to fill, with his daughter Summer telling of her wish for a tighter final hug and the hurt of their time together being robbed.His parents, Keith and Brigitte, spoke of their “never-ending nightmare” and “a tragedy we will never come to terms with”.Warne’s brother Jason recalled days of travelling to the MCG together to watch Test matches, amid a childhood of wrestling and a lifetime of golf and poker battles.”I remember catching the train into the MCG in 1982, sitting in the front row of the Great Southern Stand with our fingers crossed the great Allan Border and Jeff Thomson would get the runs needed to beat England,” he said in a statement.”Who would have thought he would have such a huge impact at the ground in the years to come and that very stand being renamed in his honour? Amazing life. Amazing guy.”In a moving statement, Summer said: “Our time was robbed. I want more holidays with you, more laughs where your smile lights up the whole room, more ‘goodnight I love you SJ, I’ll see you in the morning’, more talks about how our days were and just to feel safe when you would hug me and you would let me know how proud you are of me and how much you love me.Brooke Warne said: “Dad, this doesn’t feel real and doesn’t make sense that you are not here with us anymore. It doesn’t feel right, you were taken away too soon and life is so cruel. I will forever cherish our final memories together laughing and joking around with each other.”Warne’s son, Jackson, recalled playing poker, golf and watching football. “But I know all you ever wanted for me is to be happy, no matter what,” he said. “You just wanted me to be happy, that’s it. So that’s what I’m going to do, try to be happy.”Former wife Simone said Warne “brought a light so great to the world that even after [he has] gone the light remains”.Following the conclusion of the autopsy, the final plans will now be made to return Warne’s body to Australia which is expected to happen on Tuesday.The family have accepted the offer of a state funeral but will first have a private ceremony before the public are given their chance to pay their respects to Warne. The MCG remains the most likely location for a state memorial service in the coming weeks.Warne also has a statue outside the MCG to go with the newly named SK Warne Stand, with flowers, beers, cigarettes and even cans of baked beans placed at his feet this week.Warne’s parents thanked the Victorian government for its offer of a state funeral and for naming a grandstand after their son but said they would never get over his loss.”The night of the 4th of March 2022 is when a never-ending nightmare began for our family,” they said. “For that is the date we lost our much loved and admired son, father, brother and uncle, Shane Keith Warne, a tragedy we will never come to terms with.”To find words to adequately express our sadness is an impossible task for us and looking to a future without Shane is inconceivable. Hopefully the mountain of happy memories we all have will help us cope with our ongoing grief.”

Speaking to R Ashwin, the legspinner said Afghanistan have the talent in all departments to pull off the feat

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2020A mere 16 years after becoming part of the ICC, Afghanistan gained Test status. Four games into their Test-history, they’ve already picked up two wins, including one against a far more experienced Bangladesh team. Their top players are already global superstars who feature in multiple franchise leagues.Given the incredible speed of the nation’s rise as a cricketing force, it doesn’t sound implausible that their players are dreaming of winning the T20 World Cup. Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s all-formats captain and leading cricketer, believes they have the talent in all departments to pull off this dream, and only need the belief, which he feels will come with more matches against the top international teams.”The biggest dream of the whole country was to be called a Full Member team and to play a Test game,” Rashid said on , a YouTube show hosted by the India offspinner R Ashwin. “That was something which we were all hoping and praying for, the whole country, and we were not expecting that to happen as soon as it did. When you’re playing a Test game against India in India, it’s more than a dream for everyone.”When we were playing against you guys in our first Test game, we didn’t know what we were doing. Everyone was just counting – I’m going to be the first one to hit a four, the first one to hit a six, the first one to take a single. Everyone was just so excited to play the first game and to get to the ground and do his best. It wasn’t the best game for us, but there were so many things we learned.”I think the biggest achievement [for Afghanistan] should be, right now, what the team is looking for, what the country is expecting is, to win the T20 World Cup, because we have all the skills, talent, and we just need to have that belief in ourselves that we can do it. Talent-wise we are so good, we have the spinners, we have the fast bowlers, we have the batting skills as well. But what took us down in that Test was our experience against big teams, because we didn’t play enough cricket with them.”The moment we play more series with them, we can become a better team. We are very famous for T20 players, but , that is a dream of mine and a dream of the country that one day we will win the T20 title and that will be the biggest achievement for Afghanistan cricket and for us as well.”The next T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in October-November 2021, in India. More immediately, Rashid’s focus will be on the IPL, which begins in the UAE on September 19. Rashid has been among Sunrisers Hyderabad’s key performers in his three IPL seasons so far, taking 55 wickets in 46 games at an average of 21.69 and an economy rate of 6.55.Rashid carries good form into the IPL, having taken 11 wickets at 22.63, with an economy rate of 6.85, in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League.

The former India captain said no argument was going to satisfy him for Hanuma Vihari being preferred over Nair for The Oval Test

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2018Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar led the severe criticism of India’s decision to not play middle-order batsman Karun Nair in fifth Test against England at The Oval.Nair was part of the original 18-man squad, but India played allrounder Hardik Pandya in the first four Tests. When India dropped Pandya – the first time since his debut – for the Oval Test, they gave a debut to Hanuma Vihari, the Andhra batsman who averages 59 in first-class cricket and was brought in as Kuldeep Yadav’s replacement for the final two Tests.Gavaskar was furious with the selection, failing to see a reason for not playing a batsman whose last innings against England was a triple-century. The only reason Gavaskar could come up with was that Nair “has not been your favourite player”.”There is no argument that is going to ever satisfy me,” Gavaskar said on Sony Six moments after the toss. “What has Karun Nair done not to get in? I know he has not been your favourite player. You don’t want to pick him. He scores a triple hundred. You leave him out [for allrounder Jayant Yadav in Pune]. He fails in a couple of games [against Australia in the rest of the series]. You leave him out. You have brought him back in the team. It could be the selectors who have brought him back. The team management probably doesn’t want him. And that’s why they haven’t given him the opportunity to play in this game.”How many Indians have got triple hundreds? Virender Sehwag twice and Karun Nair once. You don’t give that man an opportunity. So what are you trying to tell him? ‘Look we don’t think you are a good player?'”All the best to Hanuma Vihari. I really wish him well. Karun Nair has every right to ask the team management what he has done wrong. He deserves an answer. ‘Why am I not picked?’ If you are going to pick an extra batsman, which they should have done from the first Test itself, and if you haven’t given him the opportunity, he deserves an answer.”Nair’s exclusion was reminiscent of Ajinkya Rahane, who spent a lot of time on the bench in Australia in 2011-12 but couldn’t find a place in a line-up that included Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. When Dravid and Laxman retired for the subsequent home season, Yuvraj Singh was picked for the England series. And when Yuvraj was dropped, Rahane would have hoped to play in the fourth Test in Nagpur, but India gave a debut to allrounder Ravindra Jadeja in that match.One of the arguments in Vihari’s favour has been that he can bowl offspin too – he was the third bowler used on the first morning of the Oval Test – but he has only 19 wickets from 63 first-class matches, which doesn’t suggest a Jadeja-like all-round ability.Gavaskar was not the only person in the Indian cricket community disappointed with the selection.

Tufan Ghosh has served nearly three decades in the healthcare and hospitality industries and was chosen in line with the CoA’s directives of finding a non-cricketing professional for the post

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2017The BCCI has appointed Tufan Ghosh as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Ghosh has served in the healthcare and hospitality industries for 29 years, including a stint as CEO of the private healthcare group Columbia Asia in 2005.”The BCCI now owns a consolidated 40 acres of land at Arebinnamangala village near the Aerospace Park region in Bengaluru where it wishes to set up the new NCA. Ghosh will play a key role in setting up the facility and creating a Centre of Excellence,” a BCCI press release said.The appointment comes after a deliberate search for a professional with management experience from outside cricketing circles by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA).”We have got a master plan, vision and concept for the NCA ready,” CoA chairman Vinod Rai had said in an interview to ESPNcricnfo in November. “We identified that we needed to find a project manager to realise the vision. The ideal person will not be a cricketer because we felt such a large project needed someone with management experience.””In the short term – first three to five years – the person we are looking for is one who has the experience of having built such similar, big projects. It is a full-time position and he would be in charge of the NCA. But this person will not deal with the cricketing element of the NCA,” Rai had said.

For all his white-ball exploits in 2016, David Warner has endured one of his poorest years in Test cricket but is confident the tide will turn

Brydon Coverdale in Melbourne24-Dec-20162:07

I’m hitting them well in the nets – Warner

It’s been a big year for David Warner.In January, he won the Allan Border Medal for the first time. Also in January he became a father for the second time, with the birth of his daughter Indi Rae.In August, he captained Australia for the first time, leading them to ODI and T20 series wins over Sri Lanka. Also in August, he was named Australia’s Sporting Father of the Year.In September, he smashed two ODI hundreds in South Africa, and in December he plundered back-to-back centuries against New Zealand in the Chappell-Hadlee Series. In all, 2016 has been a stunning year for Warner in ODIs: 1388 runs at 63.09 and seven hundreds. Only Sachin Tendulkar has made more ODI centuries in a year (nine in 1998).Along the way, Warner has earned a new nickname from his team-mates. Once, he was the Bull, but they believe the Bull has been tamed somewhat by the responsibilities of vice-captaincy and fatherhood. He is now The Reverend.And yet for all the white-ball runs that Warner has made in 2016, for all the personal highlights along the way, there is one considerable caveat: 2016 has been Warner’s worst year in Test cricket. With just one Test left in the year, he has managed just 604 runs at 35.52; prior to 2016, his lowest yearly tally was 788, scored in 2012, which was his first full year as a Test cricketer.Warner’s only Test hundred of 2016 so far came in the first Test of the year, the washed-out SCG Test against West Indies in January. There, he blasted a quick unbeaten 122, but it was an innings of no value, for it came on day five as Australia batted for the first time in a match that was utterly ruined by rain. In 18 innings, he has only two half-centuries and that one hundred.”It’s just a little bit of a cycle, I think,” Warner said on Saturday. “I go out there every time I go out to bat, trying to put as many runs as I can on the board. Same mindset, same sort of process I go through with training.”At the moment I’m hitting them well enough in the nets and not making them in the middle. The tide will change. Many players before have experienced the same thing. I’ve just got to keep a level head, cool head and make sure that I watch every ball as hard and as closely as I can.”One of Warner’s more surprising failures in 2016 came in his most recent innings, when he was beaten for pace by Mohammad Amir and pulled a catch on 12. It was the second innings at the Gabba and Australia already had a lead of nearly 300. Warner had license to look for quick runs to build a big target, precisely the sort of innings in which he has often thrived before.”In the nets I’m hitting them well. But you’ve got to try and take that out on the field,” he said. “Sometimes you see a ball there that might be to hit, like the other day. Probably in white-ball cricket I wouldn’t think twice about pulling that ball, and the other day he beat me for pace.”They’re just the little things that come into your mind, going ‘okay, we’ve got some runs on the board, I want to up the ante a little bit’. You can afford to do that. It’s just about execution, and the other day was a bit of poor execution. I’ve got to keep going out there and backing myself.”And while Warner would love nothing more than to finish the year with a bang, history suggests it will be tough. Not only has 2016 been his least productive Test year, the MCG is his least productive Test venue. It is the only Test ground in Australia at which Warner has not scored a century, and the only one where he averages less than 50. His MCG average? 24.22.Warner has so far played in five Boxing Day Tests and has managed only one half-century – he made 62 against Sri Lanka at the MCG four years ago. Last year, he made starts in both innings against West Indies but then fell playing his shots against short deliveries. Perhaps Warner would do well to heed the words MCG curator David Sandurski.”Melbourne isn’t the sort of wicket where you can’t just go blasting off from ball one,” Sandurski said on Saturday. “You’ve got to take your time and get used to the conditions, because the weather here can be so inconsistent that it is hard to get a wicket spot-on. It’s a pretty good idea for a batsman to be cautious early before he gets going.”A good idea in theory, maybe. But good luck preaching caution to this Reverend.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath is set to become the oldest player to lead a Test team for the first time since Somachandra de Silva in 1983, during Sri Lanka’s tour of Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-20161:01

Seventeen years after making his Test debut, Rangana Herath is set to captain Sri Lanka for the first time

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath is set to become the oldest player to lead a Test team for the first time since Somachandra de Silva in 1983, after he was named captain of Sri Lanka for the tour of Zimbabwe because Angelo Mathews is injured.Sri Lanka’s regular vice-captain, Dinesh Chandimal, was also unavailable for the two-Test series because of a thumb injury sustained during a domestic game, for which he had to have surgery. Herath, 38, will be only the second bowler to lead Sri Lanka in Tests, after de Silva.Mathews had torn his calf during the fourth ODI against Australia in August and had not recovered sufficiently, despite being named in the original squad for the tour of Zimbabwe on October 21. He is expected to be out of action for three weeks and is doubtful for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, also involving West Indies, that follows the Tests. No replacement was named yet for Mathews.Herath played 71 ODIs and 17 T20Is for Sri Lanka and did not captain in those formats either. He retired from limited-overs cricket in April this year to focus on Test cricket and played the defining role – 28 wickets – in Sri Lanka’s 3-0 whitewash of Australia in July and August. Seventeen years after having made his debut in 1999, Herath is set to make his captaincy debut, in his 74th Test.

The chance to show off their depth rather than the concerns of whether the waters may be too shallow is how Hashim Amla has described the challenge South Africa face in Bangalore

Firdose Moonda in Bangalore13-Nov-20152:12

‘Fortunate to have depth in our bowling’ – Amla

The chance to show off their depth rather than the concerns of whether the waters may be too shallow is how Hashim Amla has described the challenge South Africa face in Bangalore. His team go into the match without two of three first-choice fast bowlers, after Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn were ruled out of the series and match respectively, leaving South Africa with a young attack who Amla believes will be able to fill big shoes.”A series is generally won with 15 players and not just 11,” Amla said. “Obviously losing Dale – the best bowler in the world – and Vernon – arguably the best allrounder in the world – changes the dynamics of our team but the guys who are going to be replacing them are quality cricketers and we are very fortunate to have great depth in our bowling attack.”South Africa’s new-look pace pack will be led by Morne Morkel, who has recovered from the quad strain that kept him out of the last two ODIs and the first Test, and seconded by Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada. Between them, they have played just four Tests and Rabada only one – South Africa’s previous one in Mohali – but they will be need to take on the roles of much more experienced men. But Amla brushed off worries about his attack being too green.”Things like this happen and sometimes you get fairy tales coming out of these type of things. If Kyle rocks up and has an amazing day then so be it,” he said.Abbott has already been part of one Cinderella story. On debut, he stood in for Jacques Kallis, who missed the 2013 Centurion Test against Pakistan with a calf injury and became the second most successful South African on debut. He took 7 for 29 in the first innings and finished the match with nine scalps.Although he has not had the same success in the two other Tests he played – as part of a four-man pace pack against Australia in March 2014 and against West Indies in December 2014 – he has done well when filling in for the likes of Philander and Steyn in ODI cricket and is regarded as South Africa’s go-to deputiser.”Over the last couple of years Kyle has been one of our outstanding reserve bowlers. Whenever he has had an opportunity for us in T20s, ODIs and even in Tests, he has done exceptionally well,” Amla said. “It’s great to have him back.”Abbott will be back barely after stepping off the plane, having arrived in India on Thursday evening. Less than 48 hours later he could be on the field but Amla is not worried about jet-lag either. “Kyle is a wonderful professional and when he puts his boots on he’s ready, even if he got off the plane 10 minutes before he bowled the first ball,” Amla said.South Africa’s desperation to use Abbott comes because they see him as a like-for-like replacement for both Philander and Steyn because of his consistency and his ability to swing the ball. “He brings a little bit of what Vernon brings in terms of consistency, you kind of know what you are going to get, he is extremely consistent in where he lands the ball,” Amla said. “He brings a lot of control and he has got a great know-how of what he wants to do.”Abbott stood in for Philander at the 2015 World Cup, where he played four matches including the quarter-final because Philander was battling a hamstring injury. Abbott finished with South Africa’s best average in the tournament – 14.44 – and was controversially replaced in the semi-final when Philander regained fitness. The irony of Abbott now replacing Philander will not be lost on the many who followed the story of Abbott being left out of the semi-final XI for what was later revealed as political, not tactical, considerations.This time there are no politics involved, only strategy. South Africa seem set on three seamers in every match, not fewer, because they don’t want to leave too much for their part-timer bowlers, specifically JP Duminy, to do. Duminy has recovered from a cut on his hand and will be back in the XI but selector Ashwell Prince, speaking on a television show, said Duminy’s focus should be his batting.”I would like him, if he comes back into the team, to play as a batsman, a world-class batsman… the responsibility of his off spin needs to come off his shoulders. It must be seen as a bonus, as with Dean Elgar’s left-arm spin,” Prince said.Amla seems to be leaning the same way. He spoke about Duminy’s value as a batsmen above the options he provides with ball in hand. “JP has been a quality player over many years for us. He bats in a crucial position down at No. 5, 6 and 7. In all forms of cricket, that’s the business end of the game,” Amla said. “He brings a lot of know-how and experience to the middle order and his off spin has been vital for us.”Duminy will do some bowling but all indications are that South Africa will continue to rely on their traditional strength in seamers although not all their strong men are available anymore.