South Africa Cricket

Hashim Amla was named Graeme Smith’s successor on Tuesday, pipping AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis to the gig. While Amla once said that captaincy was not for him, he changed his mind recently and many will be very glad that he did. De Villiers will serve as his deputy for Tests while roles will be reversed for the one-day captaincy role. De Villiers will captain and Amla will be vice.

It is not until July that his skills will be put to the test, when South Africa travel to Sri Lanka for a two-Test tour, but for all intents and purposes, Amla was the best candidate for the job. Here's why.

He brings a fresh perspective to captaincy

No matter who took over the captaincy, nobody could have replaced Graeme Smith. He was a colossal presence, not only in stature but in experience. Under Smith, though, things were always done his way. Although he was by no means a dictator, his word did hold a large amount of sway. With Amla, things will be different. Amla, de Villiers and du Plessis have all played cricket together for a long time. Amla and de Villiers have been together for almost a decade, and while Amla might be captain, decisions will be made more as a group.

Amla’s approach will also be vastly different to South Africa's over the last few years. South Africa will always be mavericks, that is in their DNA, but they will be a more dynamic and quiet kind of maverick. De Villiers, although much improved as a limited overs captain, has made quite a few mistakes in the format. Struggling to keep up with overrates was just one of the things de Villiers could never get right. Amla has watched and learned from the mistakes of all the captains he has played under and will have interpreted those mistakes in a new and fresh way.

It allows de Villiers to keep the gloves, for now

South Africa’s next assignment is a trip to Sri Lanka. The same place they last lost a Test series away from home. Young Quinton de Kock has been included in the squad to tour the country, but he probably won’t be given the gloves just yet. Earmarked as de Villiers' eventual successor, it’s a transition that will take some time.

A baptism by fire in Sri Lanka is not the best way to ease de Kock into the role. The appointment of Amla as captain allows de Villiers to retain the gloves for the time being while the brain trust mulls over the best way to introduce de Kock to the role.

He’s a silent genius

Amla has some experience captaining, having done it at the under-19 level with his franchise side the Dolphins and a few times in the one-day team. He led the under-19 team to the final in the tournament back in 2002. It’s doubtless that his captaincy skills has blossomed since then. He has learned a lot under Smith and de Villiers, and while it will be a testing time for Amla, his genius cannot be underestimated.

As somebody who thinks about the  game a lot, Amla will bring calm and coherence to the side. He is also not one for hand-holding and will want his charges to think for themselves and make their own decisions while taking his input on board. Amla is also not as self-deprecating as de Villiers, who often blames himself for South Africa’s losses.

In context of South Africa’s societal fabric, it’s a big deal

Amla is South Africa’s second captain of colour. He’s the first official captain of colour since Ashwell Prince served as a stand-in captain. In the context of the country, it is a very big deal. There has been increasing pressure from government to transform the team, and while Amla is certainly not a “quota” appointment by any means, he is a perfect example of just how far South African cricket has come since readmission. He has a long way to go yet, but having a player of colour captain the country really is an important step forward.

India are perhaps the most accomplished team at this year's T20 cricket World Cup. South Africa meanwhile, are closer to a model of inconsistency, making this semi-final clash tough to predict.

It's easier to focus on the players who could determine safe passage to the final for each nation, beginning with South Africa:

Imran Tahir

The stage is set for savvy bowler Imran Tahir to upset a strong Indian batting order. As Sky Sports highlights, the playing surface in Dhaka favours a slower-paced delivery like Tahir's.

That means he will be more important to South African chances than Dale Steyn, noted more for a lightning-fast assault on the wicket.

Sky Sports also points out that Tahir has received some helpful tips from a familiar face:

The South African squad were helped in their quest to cope with India's plethora of spinners by the appearance of Australian Shane Warne at their practice session on Thursday.

The legendary leggie took the chance to have a word with fellow slow bowler and former Hampshire team-mate Imran Tahir, who has so far played a key role for the South Africans. He has picked up 11 wickets in Bangladesh and boasts an economy rate well below seven.

Tahir's numbers have been excellent throughout the tournament. South Africa need Tahir to make an early dent in India's attack.

AB de Villiers

Probably the best batsman the Proteas can call on, AB de Villiers will have to play like it in the semi-final. His impact could hinge on the return of captain Faf du Plessis.

The skipper has received criticism for slowing down overs throughout the tournament, according to Alan Gardner of ESPNCricinfo.com. He even served a suspension for it against England, per BBCSport.co.uk.

The real question is what does du Plessis' return mean for de Villiers and the South African batting order? As Bleacher Report writer Antoinette Muller points out, du Plessis could slot in at No. 3 ahead of de Villiers.

But in a 20-over format, it makes sense to put the more dominant batsmen first. ICC-Cricket.com shows that de Villiers has the third-highest strike rate at the tournament.

As captain, du Plessis would be wise to unleash de Villiers on India early.

Of course, India will have their own counter to the potential damage de Villiers and Tahir can cause.

Yuvraj Singh

There will be some nerves in the India camp over the fitness of Yuvraj Singh. The shrewd all-rounder sustained an ankle injury before a recent training session, according to ESPNCricinfo.com reporter Abhishek Purohit.

Fortunately for India, the knock is believed to be a mild one, per Purohit, and the decision to hold Singh out of training was merely a case of playing it safe.

That's a wise policy with one of the tournament's most reliable players in both phases of the game. India will need Singh's consistency at the wicket to outlast South Africa's slow-down tactics.

Ravichandran Ashwin

While Tahir will draw a lot of attention, India's own spinners could decide this semi-final. A cerebral legspinner like Ravichandran Ashwin could frustrate South Africa into defeat.

His economy rate for the tournament is an impressive 4.76, per stats from ICC-Cricket.com. As Abhishek Purohit of ESPNCricinfo.com points out, Ashwin has formed the stingiest bowling partnership at the tournament with Amit Mishra:

Both spinners have had principal roles to play in each of India's four successive victories in the group stage. On three of those occasions, they have not had the weight of runs backing them, as India relied on their preferred strategy of chasing. All three of those matches—against Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh—were 'live' ones, with qualification for the knockouts dependent on their results. Mishra was the Man of the Match against Pakistan and West Indies; Ashwin got the award against Bangladesh.

Two subcontinent sides supposedly accustomed to playing spin, and a third which has backed itself to hit the big shots under pressure, and have done so in crunch matches against Pakistan and Australia. None of them managed even 140 against the Indians.

Ashwin must make life difficult for de Villiers and company in Dakar.

Given the playing surface for tomorrow's encounter in Bangladesh, the spinners will make all the difference. If Tahir is out-duelled by Ashwin and Mishra, expect India to advance to the final.

Dale Steyn produced one of the finest spells of fast bowling in the history of Twenty20 to hand South Africa a tense two-run win over New Zealand on Monday. With just seven runs to defend the final over, Steyn produced an over of perfection to keep South Africa's hopes alive in the tournament.

No matter who you are, if you're a cricket fan, you were probably glued to your screen or some form of online scoring to keep track of what was happening. Steyn allowed the batsmen just one scoring shot off his six deliveries while three wickets fell in the 20th over.

It was the kind of over that should be written into cricket textbooks and that everyone will tell their children about. Even the Australians were amazed.

19.1—W

Considering South Africa's relationship with pressure at ICC events, it all looked set for yet another choke. Faf du Plessis had managed his bowlers dubiously, and Morne Morkel had been carted for 50 runs.

It was up to Steyn to do something special first up, and so he did. Going full and outside off, Luke Ronchi had a swing and got a thick edge through to Quinton de Kock, who took an acrobatic catch behind the stumps. Steyn revved up his chainsaw, and the crowd went wild. 

19.2—0

Steyn cranks up the pace to 143km/h, and McCullum tries to have a wild swing. He misses. Dot ball. Seven needed off four now.

19.3—0

Steyn revs up the speed again and makes it near impossible to get bat on ball. South Africa have contrived to win games from positions much more dominant than this before, but their reputation is for losing games from winning positions.

 
19.4—4

There's another length ball from Steyn, but this time there is connection, and it's connected well-enough to make it four.

It's the sort of moment that reminds you how tall the challenge of saving the match is: With one good shot, the momentum has suddenly been taken away from you.

Three were needed off the last two balls and, at this stage, the game was very much in New Zealand's hands once again.

19.5—W

McCullum makes contact with the ball but is caught thanks to Faf du Plessis running in from extra cover to take a diving catch. The only perk for the Black Caps is that Taylor crosses back on to strike for the final ball.

19.6—W

Steyn had bowled the 18th over and clearly had a plan for Ross Taylor. Taylor likes cutting outside off and Steyn executed the plan to cramp him for room to perfection.

With three runs to defend, Steyn sends him the same delivery. It pitches just outside off stump, and Taylor can't do anything but hit it back to Steyn. The bowler collects and roars up to the stumps, dislodges them, effects the run out and seals the game. Breathtaking.

South Africa recorded a thrilling two-run victory over New Zealand at the World Twenty20 tournament in Chittagong.

The Kiwis, who won the toss and elected to field, saw the Proteas score 170-6 in their 20 overs at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

The Black Caps needed three off the final ball, but Ross Taylor hit the ball straight back at Dale Steyn and was run out, having made a superb 62.

Steyn was impressive in taking 4-17 off his four overs after a blistering unbeaten 86 from JP Duminy lifted South Africa to a competitive total.

SA were 42-3 in the seventh over but 41 from 40 balls by Hashim Amla boosted the Proteas before he was caught and bowled in bizarre fashion.

Duminy, batting at No. 5, hit 10 boundaries and three sixes in his 43-ball innings.

The New Zealand reply started strongly with Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson putting on 57 for the opening wicket.

However, Guptill was caught behind off Albie Morkel for 22 in the eighth over. In the next, Brendon McCullum was stumped off a wide from Imran Tahir.

Williamson and Taylor put on 51 for the third wicket, with the latter hitting Morne Morkel for three consecutive sixes.

The opener was then caught at deep mid-wicket off Steyn after making 51 from 35 balls.

Taylor brought up his half-century off 26 balls, but Colin Munro and Corey Anderson both departed cheaply, and NZ were left needing seven off Steyn's final over.

Luke Ronchi was caught behind off the opening ball. Nathan McCullum then failed to make contact with his first two deliveries before hitting a four.

However, he was caught at extra cover off the penultimate ball and was unable to complete the job.

South Africa next face England on Saturday while New Zealand face the Netherlands. 

Australia need six wickets on the final day of the third Test to claim a 2-1 series victory over South Africa.

The hosts ended Day 4 in Cape Town on 71-4 in their second innings, chasing a nominal 511 to win.

Australia started the day at Newlands on 27-0, a lead of 234, and built a substantial advantage before declaring on 303-5.

The hosts' bid to save the game was quickly in disarray as they slumped to 15-3 at tea, with captain Graeme Smith departing for three in his final Test innings.

The 117-Test veteran, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday, popped up a catch to short leg off Mitchell Johnson.

Johnson then removed Dean Elgar for a duck after Ryan Harris had started the rout by trapping Alviro Petersen lbw for nine.

The visitors struck a late blow as Hashim Amla was trapped lbw by James Pattinson for 41 inside the final half hour of the day.

AB de Villiers stood defiant and will resume on 16. He must find support from the lower order if the world's top ranked side are to save the match and draw the three-match series.

Earlier, David Warner continued his outstanding form in this series by hitting his third century.

The aggressive opener made 145 off just 156 balls, featuring 13 boundaries and four sixes, as the Baggy Greens scored at in excess of five runs per over to allow Michael Clarke to declare midway through the afternoon.

Clarke went without scoring, but Shane Watson (25) and Steve Smith (36 not out) made rapid cameos after more watchful efforts from Chris Rogers (39) and Alex Doolan (37).

A victory for Australia would see them climb into second place in the ICC Test rankings, but still below South Africa.

When South African captain Graeme Smith announced his retirement from Test Cricket on Monday, the immediate surprise to the decision lasted a curiously short time.

At just 33, there was an initially premature feel to the captain's departure. But also apparent was an understanding, an acknowledgment, that the end had been coming. 

While Smith's years are relatively tender for a Test captain, the miles and baggage on his body and mind were beginning to take their toll.

No longer were deliveries that marginally strayed towards the stumps being sent screaming through mid-wicket. No longer was anything wide being pummelled through extra-cover. More tellingly, no longer was a once-bullish on-field general marshalling his troops with supreme conviction. No, instead, the Proteas' leader was peering over his shoulder at a rampant, chasing Australian pack.

Through both injury and poor form, the notion of retirement had crept its way into Smith's mind. A high-octane, uncompromising and almost oppressive Australia simply accelerated that thought process. In short, the swagger and clarity that had defined Smith's career in charge of the Proteas had, for the lack of a better term, been "Johnsoned."

On Monday, Smith eluded to the lingering presence of such thoughts, being quoted by ESPN Cricinfo as saying:

This has been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my life. It's a decision that I have been considering since my ankle surgery in April last year. I have a young family to consider, and I felt that retiring at Newlands would be the best way to end it because I have called this place home since I was 18 years-old. 

Indeed, it has been 11 years since a muscular 22-year-old was handed the reigns of his nation's Test side and charged with the responsibility of restoring South Africa's faith in the integrity of the game after Hansie Cronje.

In that time, the burly left-hander has led his side a record 109 times, steering South Africa to the capture of 53 Test victories—also a record. 

Under Smith, South Africa have upheld the notion that a cricket team is merely an extension of their captain; the aggression and self-assured strut of recent Proteas outfits reflective of the skipper's manner.

During his tenure, South Africa claimed a series victory in England for the first time in 43 years, inflicted a home defeat to Australia for the first time in 16 years and rose to become the world's dominant team in the Test arena.

But how does Smith's record compare to those of other long-serving Test captains?

Most matches as Test captain:

The longevity of Smith's leadership must be admired, particularly after being named as South Africa's youngest ever captain with just eight matches to his name in 2003.

However, absolute values are rather frivolous when it comes to comparisons, the relative figures instead provide a clearer insight into Smith's success at the helm of his nation.

Highest winning percentages as Test captain:

*Minimum qualification of 25 matches as captain

Again, however, such statistics can be misleading. For instance, Mark Taylor is widely recognised as a finer captain and on-field leader than Ricky Ponting, but in a comparative sense, the numbers suggest otherwise. 

Smith's predecessor, Shaun Pollock, also owns a deceptive winning record as captain. While Pollock orchestrated wins in 14 of his 26 matches in charge, there were no landmark triumphs during his reign. Two series victories at home to Sri Lanka were joined by wins against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, West Indies and the travel-phobic outfits of India and Pakistan.

Enhancing Smith's record is the bruising left-hander's rapid ascension to command. Unlike countless of his successful contemporaries, the South African captain didn't inherit an elite side after spending years deputising to influential leaders. In fact, few men have ever shouldered the burden of leadership at such a precocious age. 

Furthermore, of the captains above Smith on winning percentage, only Sir Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd (13th) oversaw a decade or more at the helm; many benefiting from spells in which regeneration and player turnover was largely non-existent.  

The South African skipper also owns, among others, the rare and impressive statistic that not one of his 27 Test hundreds resulted in a loss for his side.

Such a feat is testament to an almost unrivalled ability to play match-defining and series-clinching innings, like those witnessed in England at Lord's and Edgbaston in 2003, and again at Edgbaston in 2008, as well as in Perth against Australia later that same year.

To put into context how influential Smith's innings have been, Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar scored 14 and 11 Test centuries respectively in matches in which their team lost.

Unfortunately for Smith, Australia look set to hand the 33-year-old a rather painful parting gift. Yet the symmetry of the occasion may well comfort the South African captain, as it was his side after all who forced the same conclusion upon Ponting.

Yet, the pain of an impending defeat will soon depart. Able to escape the compulsion to look ahead, Smith will reflect on a record that glowingly endorses him as one of Test cricket's finest performers, a leader who carried his nation out of skepticism and to the pinnacle of the sport across a distinguished decade.

A decade which leaves him among the all-time greats.

JP Duminy has a mixed set of memories against Australia. 

On his debut in Perth, he scored an unbeaten 50 and then followed it up with an emphatic 166 in Melbourne which resulted in the now famous "you beauty, you superstar" exclamation from Mark Nicholas. Then, when South Africa visited there in 2012, he was ruled out of the first Test after snapping his Achilles during a regulation warm-down exercise.

He now has some more fine memories for the archive. He passed 1,000 runs in Test cricket and scored another century. In a press conference I attended last week he said that he was "pretty amped to do well against the Aussies" and, boy, did he do well.

Duminy had gone seven innings without passing 28, managing just 77 runs in total in that time period. It had been almost a year without scoring a hundred. His place in the side was under scrutiny with a few younger players knocking on the selection door. A response was required and Duminy delivered in more ways than one. 

Dropping down the order to seven to make room for Quinton de Kock at six—which could have been taken negatively—Duminy constructed a patient and calm innings. He defied the pressure and notched up a knock to remember, admitting that the lively support from the Port Elizabeth band added to the occasion, despite his nerves.

When he spoke to us at the close-of-play press conference, Duminy said:

There were a few butterflies around. It was a big day for the team and a big day for me personally. The most important thing was that we built a partnership. When the band is screaming 'JP jou lekker ding' [JP, you good thing], it raises a few goosebumps.

Just like that day in Perth, it was a career-defining moment for Duminy and he knew it.

His celebration, or lack thereof, said as much. For a moment or two, he remained on one knee before a subtle raise of the bat acknowledged the crowd who had supported him throughout it all and the team-mates which backed him. Not long after he was out to an unnecessary reverse sweep, but he wasn't done proving his point just yet.

With Robin Peterson dropped from the team, Duminy also had a role to play with the ball. He picked up two wickets in the Test and was particularly impressive in the second innings with 14 overs at an economy rate of just 2.35. Although he often does dish up the lollipops to the opposition, Duminy proved he can balance the team with an all-round role for South Africa.

Career-defining moments don't come around for all players—but for some, they come around more than once and Duminy has now taken both his chances to shine when they have come up. Although he has often looked dubious under pressure in the limited-overs format, especially when a crunch game needs winning, Duminy has excelled when it's mattered most in Tests.

One of the many reasons Test cricket is so special is because of the characters it produces. The resilience and the fight players show can be heartwarming—not just for those playing but for those watching far beyond the boundary rope.

As a player, this knock meant the world to Duminy. For South Africa, it means a lot from a selection perspective. For the fans, it's an endearing reminder what a little bit of dogged determination can help you achieve. 

South Africa completed a 231-run victory over Australia on Day 4 of the 2nd Test in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, levelling the series at 1-1.

After eight extra overs were added by the umpires, and with light fading fast, the tourists were dismissed for 216 in their second innings.

Dale Steyn starred with the ball, taking 4-55 from his 20 overs, with Vernon Philander weighing in with two wickets, and the rest spread around the South Africa attack.

Sunday began with South Africa looking to increase their lead in their second innings. The hosts resumed on 192-4 and reached 270-5 before making their declaration.

Hashim Amla remained unbeaten on 127, with his knock lasting 274 minutes and taking in 176 balls. He scored 16 fours and made the most emphatic response possible to his first-innings duck.

Australia's reply was never about chasing victory, but the tourists' slim hopes of playing for a draw looked up as they reached 126 without loss.

David Warner then fell for 66, with Alex Doolan following soon after. Shaun Marsh and Steven Smith were both dismissed first ball, as Australia's middle order suffered a dramatic collapse.

Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke both went for just a run, and both fell victim to Steyn. 

Australia's only hope lay in Chris Rogers, who held firm for a gutsy 127 before eventually being run out in the extra time added by the umpires.

Rogers' innings lasted 326 minutes and 237 balls. He hit 12 boundaries in that time and—according to Cricinfo—was applauded warmly on his return to the pavilion by both sets of fans.

Rogers was Australia's ninth man down. South Africa wrapped up victory when Nathan Lyon was trapped LBW by Dean Elgar.

The two teams now move on to Cape Town, where the 3rd Test will start on March 1.