So the South African cricket team, the Proteas, choked again at a World Cup. Is there anything more predictable? The question of why this happened is an important one, and one that deserves some serious attention. If the events at the 2011 World Cup taught us anything, it’s that denial is NOT an effective way of dealing with the issue. The “we’re a new squad, unaffected by the failures of previous squads” line of reasoning proved to be painfully inadequate, at the worst possible time. Perhaps a more effective strategy would be to ask ourselves: Is there a reason why the Proteas choke? And, of course: Can something be done to avoid it?
South African cricket fans share one attribute with the general population: We don’t like a windgat (wind bag). We like our stars to be humble, like Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla. A guy who is too aware of his own genius, like Darryl Cullinan, or just too feisty for our liking, like Graeme Smith, is sure to line up his detractors. Why can’t he be humble, like the others?
That would be fine, except that there are times when a windgat is exactly the guy you need. When you’re at 132/6 and still a good 90 runs short of the target, you need a windgat, more than anything to stride out to the middle, overconfident in his ability to rescue the situation, and in no mood to have a bunch of noisy Kiwis prove him wrong. Before you succeed, you have to believe you will succeed. A windgat may not be good for much, but he’s great for that. In extreme cases, that confidence is even known to rub off on teammates.
Of course, South Africans are more likely to develop a love for Australian cricketers than for windgatte. It’s just not going to happen. But next time you get worked up about some @#$’s attitude, just remember, his windgatgeit might someday prove extremely useful.
Thankfully this is not the only reason the Proteas choke, or they’d be choking forever. By now, everyone is aware that choking happens when the Proteas are chasing. Whether the total is challenging or modest seems to be of no importance. Batting, unlike bowling, is an individual sport, and thus tests the individual in the absence of the team. South Africans excel at team sports and find individual sports far more challenging, the fine achievements of our golfers notwithstanding. That’s another reason the Proteas are inclined to choking, and another one that won’t change anytime soon.
The third reason for choking is the batting strategy. The Protea batting strategy, repeated ad infinitum, is to have one batsman carry through, anchoring the innings, while others play more attacking cricket, and in effect sacrifice their wickets for the cause. While this is a fine goal, it is an irresponsible strategy. First, let’s consider the difference between a goal and a strategy.
It is one thing to set yourself a goal to retire rich. It is quite another to base your retirement strategy on being extremely wealthy when you retire. Missing the goal would be disappointing. Missing the strategy would leave you a beggar.
It is the same with the Protea batting strategy. It’s a fine goal, but a poor strategy. It is rarely going to happen that a batsman anchors the innings. People make mistakes, and even if he has a 100 runs from 36 balls he could be out from the next delivery.
The question needs to be asked: Why focus on batting through? Sure, it’s great if one of the openers bat through, scores 200 and lines up the man-of-the-match trophy. But from the team perspective, it is no different than four batsmen each chipping in 50 runs. Why base the strategy on a rare event that does not directly affect the outcome of the game?
In practice, the problem with the Protea batting strategy is that the senior batsmen tend to score too few runs from the early overs while they are supposedly being responsible and not getting out. Notice that they never stay ahead of the required run rate. This means that once the 40th over comes around, gears need to shift and runs need to be accumulated at somewhere between 8 and 10 runs per over. All too often our established senior batsman gets himself out just as he is trying to change gears, leaving the lower order with much to do, and very little time to do it. In spite of the fine efforts of legends such as Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Justin Kemp, Albie Morkel, and others, this is a recipe for disaster, and a sure way to produce a choke when you can least afford it.
It is worth reflecting on the difference between setting and chasing a target. Setting is almost free of pressure, especially when you have the powerful Protea attack to defend even modest totals. Since readmission, the Proteas have twice successfully defended scores of less than 150. Few other teams would even seriously attempt to do that. But this is the beauty of South African team players. When South Africans pull together, they can do anything.
It’s quite different when the Proteas chase: First there is a tendency for the bowlers and fielders to lose focus, as the opposing batsmen eke out just a few too many runs. Then there is the pressure of having to maintain a certain run rate. And when the top order leave the bottom order with much to do, and too little time to do it, the pressure becomes unbearable, the choke unavoidable.
There is a better way, of course. Forget the expectation that somebody is going to bat through. Give each one of the top six 10 or 12 balls to play his eye in – as it happens, the openers seldom take that long. Then expect him to keep the scoring rate above the required run rate. This strategy will create its own pressure on the top order batsmen. But that’s a good thing. Get them used to playing under pressure. Forget about keeping wickets in hand. Manage the run rate. If a batsman can’t manage the run rate while maintaining a decent average, his place in the team must be reviewed.
Always bat as if there is a choke coming, and you are the one guy who can avoid it, by getting the required run rate low enough that Imran Tahir and Morne Morkel would be able to get us over the line. So there you have it: don’t bat as if Lance Klusener is coming to save your bacon. Bat as if a choke is inevitable, and perhaps you’d guarantee that there won’t be time for one.
Protea choking will always be a likely event due to the South African apathy towards a windgat. Our natural inclination for being part of a winning team, rather than the winner all by myself, also increases the risk. But having a sensible approach to batting, especially when chasing, would substantially reduce the risk of future chokes. Let’s hope the new Protea captain and coach are listening.
3 comments:
Ok, I think you have a point regarding the top order being forced to bat to the run-rate. That should be a given. It is the reason the Aussies have been so successful over the years. Even when a wicket falls, the run rate is always above the asked. It is as if it was a "fluke-of-nature" that the previous guy got out, this bowling attack is nothing - let's just keep on scoring. Of course, the one thing we cannot do is score singles and rotate the strike when the going gets tough - no-no we need to hit 10's to relieve the pressure.
You did not mention the turning point in the game. Jacques, I bat for averages, Kallis' hey-we-are-going-along-nicely-and-have-it-all-under-control-so-why-don't-I-swing-for-the-fences-just-so-I-can-get-caught-and-put-all-they-guys-under-pressure moment. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Moron.
But, I will add one other cause of destruction: The inability to take crucial wickets. Every time we have an opposition on the ropes, they tend to score a bunch of runs for the 8th or 9th - or as in this case with the latest WC debacle, Jessy Ryder - who? Yes, that fat guy that could not pick up a bat in the last 6 months, hasn't made a decent score against quality opposition in a year and does not know the difference between a beer bottle and a cricket bat - yes him... Why?
It comes down to captaincy. Smith is not the hair on the ass of a dog of a decent captain. He does NOT have the ability to adjust. He is clueless when the pre-conceived plans go wrong and he has the cricket brain of well, a cricket. Thank everything he is now gone.
Again, we have NZ on the ropes, 2 quick wickets, and not just any wickets, their only batting superstar McCullum, out for nothing. The rest are quick bowler meat, have not and will never score runs against quality quick bowling. However, Corry vZ gave the instructions that the Steyn stays on for 3 overs, then the spinners come on for 2 overs each and then the quicks for a few and then this and then that. Good idea if McCullum would have stayed in, but he lost his wicket and wholla the whole bliksemse plan when to the moon. Ryder had no idea against Steyn, beaten time and time again, edging everywhere, waiting to get out. Then what does Biffhead do? No, no if we have to chase 150 its going to be too easy, so let's take the pressure off and bring the slow bowlers and Morkel on - ja nee... Why can't you go for the kill - two guys to go, Ryder and Taylor and you are into the dross...
Of course, 25 overs and 6e9 runs later he realizes that he might have to bring Dale back, but by that time Jessy's eye was in, he and Ross were confident and Steyn, like any fast bowler needs a few looseners to get going - we all know the result. When he took Steyn off, he was bowling fast and with agression, with the commentators saying: "Steyn is fired up now hitting 139.2kmh" It took him 4 balls coming back before he hit the 130s again... As it turns out, this was a 180-200 run wicket and we gave them 221.
As much as I would like to ridicule the absence of a brain in Smith, we have to look a little further. Why in the world is our domestic competition still 45 overs? Ever heard the phrase: You play like you practice? How many times have we lost the game in the last five overs? Enough said.
(to be continued...)
(continued from above)
Then, choosing a team based on potential, just creates the potential to get you ass whipped. What you need are the guys batting from 5 onward that has shown, either in international or domestic cricket, that they are game winners, harde baarde, men of steel with the grit to win. The game was over when the NZ guys pushed Faf around and all he could do was bitch. In this day and age you are not allowed to touch anyone, so when they touch you, it should be all on, skop, skiet en donner.
In the end, we are not a professional sporting nation, we are too dumb. Maybe, if we are lucky, we can get Gary Kirsten in to turn us around like he did with the Indians. Go and look at their record before and after Kirsten. Go and look at Sachin Tentulkar's batting slump before Gary started working with him. The man is a genius, knows talent and how to work with it and he is the ultimate harde-baard. I recently looked up his stats: Still the only player to have scored a century against all test nations, held all the SA batting records until Kallis' 60 year career finally overtook him (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/45813.html) . However, he resigned from SA cricket when they made Biff captain.
Yes Anon,
The limitations of Smith's captaincy definitely played a role. In this case, though, as with so much else, the blame must be laid at the door of the selectors. How on earth was Smith allowed to remain captain until he chose to retire? Is there no accountably? Is there no expectation of minimum performance for holding the job of South African captain?
Then you realize it is Cricket South African we are talking about. The kind of people who rally around CEO Gerald Majola. The kind of people who are first at the banquet table, when they bother to turn up to a cricket game. These are not the people who can be bothered with the form of the national cricket team, headlines screaming to the contrary notwithstanding. So Smith’s captaincy drifted on, while Majola was out looking after himself. Should sound familiar to South Africans.
The irony is that I believe Smith really tried to be a good captain. He did his homework. He studied the history of the venues. But as you said, once the game turned, and there was an opportunity for the team to write a new chapter of history, he was always going to be caught like a deer in the headlights.
Anyway, it’s the topic of a past posting and a future one as well.
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