Gary Kirsten impressed by the team’s bench strength – Cricket News Update
Following their impressive series triumph over Australia, South African coach, Gary Kirsten, has singled out his side’s bench strength as the reason for the success away from home.
The Proteas have won nine Tests away from home this current year and have lost one, a remarkable feat which has firmly allowed them to cement their authority in Test cricket. Kirsten’s reign has brought plenty of success for the team in the longer version, and the former cricketer was keen to commend the performances of his players on a collective basis rather than picking an individual for particular praise.
During that time, they suffered a couple of injuries but the backup players have ably settled into the side and produced the necessary goods. JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis are the prominent beneficiaries in the batting department while the likes of Marchant De Lange and Rory Kleinveldt have also been able to prove their bowling prowess when given a chance.
Moreover, the Proteas side is no longer reliant on their pacers to do the job, with Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson becoming an integral part of the squad. All mentioned names have done their bit over the past year, which has further seen a certain Vernon Philander making a name for himself.
Add that to the already powerful lineup which boasts some already established talents in Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, and Kirsten’s recipe for success is complete. Recognizing this fact, the 45-year-old was keen to heap praise on the emerging players, and further picking out Peterson for making a successful comeback in the side. The left-arm spinner took six wickets in the recently concluded Test match at Perth.
"What's important for us is depth. We need to make sure if we have an injury, we have guys who can fill the gap," he said. "I'm encouraged by the players who have come through over the last year."
"If we have Robbie there in place of Imran, that's a good thing. To have a person who can play if someone is not in form or gets injured. If we have a Rory in place of one of the seamers; that's also a good thing."
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