Predicting the South Africa ODI Team That Starts the 2015 World Cup

It’s time for teams to head into the final stretch of World Cup preparation. A few one-day internationals and the domestic one-day competition will ultimately decide who makes the squad for the tournament.

South Africa are in a fortunate position. The team is mostly decided and, barring injury, it’s quite clear who will make up the top four. The only areas where they are lacking is bulking up the bowling and the lower middle order. Without the domestic one-day competition having started, we take a punt on who might plug those gaps. 

You might completely disagree with our picks, so do add your thoughts in the comments. 

Hashim Amla at the top of the order is an absolute no-brainer. Amla has grown in stature as an ODI batsman in recent years and has become one of the most reliable players in the South African side. His partnership with Quinton de Kock gives South Africa the perfect combination of calm and destructive at the top. 

Since Quinton de Kock first realised he needs to work on playing spin, he has made the opening position his own. While he might not always get the big runs, his ability to score without being too pre-occupied with numbers and stats is one of his greatest strengths.

He has also shown that he can settle down and play a more composed innings if the match situation so requires. He's also the undisputed heir to AB de Villiers' wicketkeeping gloves and he will most certainly be in the squad.

Faf du Plessis is another player who has stepped up his game in recent months. Since being dropped last year and then returning to the side to fill the vacant No. 3 spot left by Jacques Kallis, Du Plessis has been immense. He notched up his maiden ODI ton in the recent tri-series against Australia and it seems as if the runs will now keep coming for this late-blooming prodigy. 

AB de Villiers' place in the side needs no justification. While his captaincy might need a few tweaks, his batting prowess is something to behold. Even a half-fit De Villiers would walk into any team in the world. He will be one of the most important players for South Africa during the World Cup.

Barring extraordinary circumstances, it's hard to see J.P. Duminy not making South Africa's World Cup team. His consistency has been somewhat of a concern in the past, but he has enough time to work on that and find some form.

His experience, as well as his ability to offer a part-time spin option, is invaluable and unless another freakishly talented all-rounder emerges over the next few months, Duminy will most certainly be part of the plans.

For the purposes of this exercise, David Miller has also been given the nod for the World Cup team, but that is by no means a certainty. 

This position is where the tricky part starts. While Miller is talented, he hasn't quite lived up to the hype at international level. He is incredibly inconsistent and hasn't quite had that one big innings that has set him on course to become a "gun player" for the team. Rilee Rossouw has been trialed with limited success while Stiaan van Zyl lurks on the fringes of the Test team. 

This position is fair game to anybody. The 50-over domestic competition will most likely serve as an audition for players to put their hands up. As it stands, Miller will most likely be given a few more chances in the upcoming ODIs against Australia and New Zealand, but his position is far from secure. 

As things stand currently, Vernon Philander will fill this role, if his fitness holds, for the reasons listed below.

However, this spot is completely uncertain. Pick a bowler and the batting looks quite thin. Pick a batsman and a part-timer will have to bowl 10 overs. The only solution is to pick an all-rounder of sorts. Batting Ryan McLaren at seven to solve that problem is not a solution. Philander might fancy himself as a No. 7 and he has proven that he can contribute when it matters. If that is the case, the only question will have to be whether he's a better bat than McLaren. There is also the option to usher in Wayne Parnell. Parnell's left-arm variation adds something extra and he can also serve as a pinch-hitter. Kyle Abbott is another option, but he will bat far lower down if he is in the team.

Luckily for South Africa, there is time to mine the domestic talent to come up with a sustainable solution. Who exactly that solution will be is anybody's guess at the moment. 

Ryan McLaren has been South Africa's leading wicket-taker in the 50-over format for the last year. As a bowler, he is undervalued. As a batsman, he is overvalued. He might not be the perfect all-rounder, but he is very reliable with the ball. To leave him out would be cruel, but South Africa might have to start thinking about using him in a different way. In other words: McLaren will play as a bowler who can bat a little, instead of being heaped with the pressures of scoring loads of runs when the top order failed to do so.

Dale Steyn's place in the side shouldn't need explaining. He is the best bowler in the world and will thrive in Australian conditions. It seems almost inconceivable that anyone will knock him off his perch. 

Opinion remains divided over Morne Morkel's inclusion in the one-day team. The thing is, the alternatives aren't really much better. Vernon Philander has not been overly impressive in the format, despite the fact that he can be very handy with the bat. The extra bounce Morkel will get on Australian wickets and his ability to keep the run-rate down will almost certainly guarantee his place in the World Cup.

Kyle Abbott is breathing in his neck for time in the green and gold, though, and experience is currently the only thing standing between the two.

Between Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir, South Africa have two very good one-day bowlers. Phangiso has been consistent and Tahir offers a few alternative variations. It's a tight call between the two, but Tahir probably just edges it.

With Duminy offering part-time spin, it's highly unlikely that South Africa will play two spinners at any given time. The domestic season, as well as the one-dayers against the West Indies, will be the deciding factor in who gets the final nod.