“We respect Kyle’s decision”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
A week ago, South Africa pace bowler Kyle Abbott stunned the cricket community by announcing that he had signed a Kolpak deal with Hampshire, thus effectively ending his international career.
At the time, Proteas captain Faf du Plessis expressed his disappointment towards Abbott’s decision and revealed that the national team had tried to convince the 29-year-old not to go through with his move to join Hampshire.
However, it was to no avail as Abbott penned a deal with the English county side.
Despite Abbott’s ultimate decision, Du Plessis insisted that he harbours no ill feelings towards the Empangeni native.
“I’ll use the Australian series as an example where we played amazing cricket and led the series 2-0 and there’s other stuff that influences and takes the shine from the performances,” Du Plessis said. “That’s draining and in a perfect world that’s something you don’t want‚ but it is what it is.
“We respect Kyle’s decision and what’s left is for us to look forward to the next Test match and build a new bowling unit and see who are going to be the guys who will lead our bowling attack for the next five years.”
With the third Test against Sri Lanka to take place in Johannesburg on Thursday, Du Plessis confirmed that Wayne Parnell will take Abbott’s spot in the side.
“Wayne offers something different‚ that being a left-arm seamer,” he said. “In a perfect world‚ that’s the variety you’d love to have to Kagiso Rabada’s pace and Vernon Philander’s relentlessness.
“Then there’s the left-arm seamer that completes things but that’s in a perfect world. He ticks the variety part but the challenge is to see how he fits in with the consistency part that’s required in Test cricket. I’m excited to see how he’s improved but I do think he’s a much better player now.”
South Africa hold a 2-0 lead going into the final Test against Sri Lanka, but Du Plessis want his side to show no mercy, especially after they squandered their opportunity to whitewash Australia at the end of last year.
“Complacency is something that will creep into the dressing room and it needs to be nipped in the bud,” he said. “Expectation is a very dangerous thing when you just expect things to happen.
“It’s about being ruthless and making sure we’re moving into a space where we’re actually starting to dominate. If you don’t do it now in the third test‚ you’ll creep back into the old habits.
“We went to India and the manner in which we were punished‚ it felt like it wasn’t a contest and it wasn’t close. Teams that dominate at home are normal but the best teams are the ones that go away from home and win in different conditions.
The Sri Lankan side is not playing as well as they would like in foreign conditions but two months ago‚ they beat a very good Australian side 3-0. It’s about applying yourself in foreign conditions and we don’t see them as weak.”