Jemisi wrote:Well some of those points are moot, Hhm. Nicolson, Ebrahim, Taibu and Duffin are gone. Vermuelen has a good record and can make tons, which I respect, but is he even on the table for selection? He is kind of in the Querl category. Your faith in Ewing is nice, and his average for once is in a proper range to consider him, but Ervine and Waller are getting current exposure with decent results - how many runs extra would Ewing average? Williams, tichaona...
Besides Tino and Vusi need some time to establish a partnership at the top. There are no outstanding openers floating around. There just aren't. But with Hami and BRM at least that is 4 test batsmen we agree on.
As for Chigs, he'd be great at 7, but he has to get his head sorted. He just does. BPL was a good effort, but to put him in the Test side, I think he has to get runs at 5 or 6 in LC and 1.5 to 2 wickets per match in the LC, week in week out. He has lots of experience and talent and years ahead of him, but he also has lots of underperformance and that is mostly a mental issue. He doesn't have to worry about captaincy now and hopefully he can return stronger.
Rainsford is one of your favourites that actually has a record behind him that can be respected. As I said at the time, he was unlucky to miss out. I wouldn't be against him being in any team.
Panyangara has done well enough for Rocks this season, and whilst he only has 3 and a bit wickets per game, you fairly point out that he hasn't been able to bowl at Rocks, which likely would lift him to 3.5 or 4 per match. Which would be good, but wouldn't lift him above Mpofu, Jarvis, Rainsford or Shingi - leaving him still a fair distance from the side.
I think we can agree on Regis and Richmond as incumbent and reserve no7 keepers, yes?
Main sticking points - Utseya is not going to be the test spinner to take us forward. He isn't as good as Price, or Cremer or either of the new leggies.
You hate Jarvis, so that is permanently one seamer different - but if he can't take wickets he will be dropped - if he keeps doing it at the rate he has since the return he won't be dropped - It is a pretty simple issue. For the moment he hasn't done enough to be dropped.
Williams, Waller and Ervine are the best 5 & 6 options, you are desperate for Maruma, but can abidde at least one of the three, which means we are only 1 of the top 7 apart in reality.
Probably 1 batsman, 1 spinner, 1 seamer different in any entrenched way.
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