Proteas captain Temba Bavuma admits his team will be forced to adapt their strategy in the upcoming ODI series against Australia due to the hosts suffering a catastrophic run of injuries to their fast bowlers.
Spearhead Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of the series before the squads were announced but has since been joined on the sidelines by Ottneil Baartman, Lungi Ngidi and Kwena Maphaka. All four have suffered hamstring strains, in addition to Nandre Burger’s long-term stress fracture.
This has left the Proteas pace department devoid of resources, with Marco Jansen set to lead the attack alongside Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch, Duan Jansen, Lizaad Williams and 20-year-old Nqobani Mokoena.
Jansen is far and away the most experienced with 32 ODI caps, while, collectively, the rest have a meagre 42 caps.
“I think just the makeup of our team, right, as a South African team, we build it around our fast bowlers,” Bavuma said on the eve of the series opener against Australia at Kingsmead on Thursday.
“We want teams when they come here to South Africa to know that they're going to have to deal with our fast bowlers. That's part of our DNA. You need those guys fit and ready to go. So there's that impairment, if I could say.
“We definitely have to adapt. I mean, to lose KG, Lungi, those are not guys that you can just replace at the drop of a hat. We look into the depth that we have within our fast bowling resources, and we call upon those guys to come in and play a role.
“Like I said, a guy like Lizaad, he'll definitely be someone who will play a role there. But yeah, it's about us adapting.”
The Proteas have rarely played two frontline spinners in ODIs at home, but the fast bowling crisis may prompt a rethink, especially with Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin being part of the 16-player squad.
The left-arm spin duo are both experienced, with few knowing the conditions better at Kingsmead than the homegrown Maharaj, while Fortuin recently led the Proteas on their tour of Namibia.
Proteas coach Shukri Conrad could be forced to employ both tweakers in the opening ODI, but Bavuma claims the home side are still keeping their options open in the finalisation of the starting XI.
“I think we're going to have to make the most of the bowling resources that we have. From the spin department, you know, there's options there,” Bavuma said.
“We'll finalise our team, see what's the best XI that we can put forth considering the conditions.
“But yeah, we don't have everything that we have, but in true South African fashion, we'll have to make it work.”
SOUTH AFRICA v AUSTRALIA ODI SQUADS
PROTEAS: Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Duan Jansen, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Nqobani Mokoena, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams
AUSTRALIA: Mitchell Marsh, Pat Cummins, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa