Five factors nagging away at South Africa

Lack of openers and bowler injuries are taking a toll

The South Africa team goes into the tests against England on uncertain ground (Getty)

1. Search for openers

It has a familiar ring does it not, but South Africa’s attempts to find a settled opening partnership have been as forlorn as England’s. The retirement of Graeme Smith, 10 years at the top of the order and captain of the team, left them knowing not what to do.

Dean Elgar has opened in every Test since Smith’s retirement last year and although he has scored two hundreds, his average is in the thirties after a moderate tour of India. Stiaan van Zyl has not impressed in his eight Tests and was left out of the last match on that ill-starred trip.

2. Injuries to bowlers

The noises emanating from the camp suggest that Dale Steyn has passed a fitness Test on his groin strain and will be fit to play in the first Test in Durban starting on Boxing Day. But South Africa will take no chance with the world No 1 bowler after a fitness test in India aggravated the injury.

With Vernon Philander definitely out for the first two Tests, their resources are being stretched. Philander has not quite sustained the remarkable start he had in Test cricket – seven five-wicket hauls in his first 20 innings – but he and Steyn have taken 246 wickets in the 29 matches they have opened together at 21.44.

3. Middle-order confusion

If the exit of Smith was a blow, the retirement of Jacques Kallis has been disastrous for South Africa. There was not much they could have done about it but his significance has only been heightened in the two years since he went.

It has been a constant difficulty for them to find the right balance – an extra batsman or an extra bowler – both roles that Kallis filled. Several of their middle order have struggled, piling extra pressure on Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers.

4. De Villiers as keeper

To try to confront the question of balance and insert an extra batsman, the selectors have decided to ask their best batsman, De Villiers to keep wicket. De Villiers has performed the dual role in 23 of his 102 Tests and averages more with the bat when he is the keeper (58.26) than when he is not (49.43). Maybe it is what they should have done all along, or at least since Mark Boucher’s retirement. Trouble is that AB is also among the world’s best outfielders.

5. Quotas still causing anxiety

Under the agreed protocol, South Africa have to pick four players of colour in their team, at least one of whom must be a black African. There are more players coming through but every XI has to be worked out carefully to see who might be able to fill in best where.

Twenty three years since they returned to the international fold, the quota system still causes angst to all parties. Two black Africans, both with huge potential, have a chance in this series, the middle order batsman Temba Bavuma and he 20-year-old fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.