Triangular series: Confident Du Plessis aims to fill Kallis’ shoes

Middle-order batsman enforces his supremacy on one-down position for SA.

HARARE:

Faf du Plessis believes he has cemented his number three position in South Africa’s ODI line-up with successive centuries against Australia, ahead of Thursday’s ODI against Zimbabwe that will decide a place in the final of the triangular tournament at the Harare Sports Club.

Du Plessis, who single-handily kept South Africa in contention on Tuesday with a 126-run knock off 109 balls before the team finally succumbed to a 62-run loss to Australia, believes he can get even better before next year’s World Cup.

“I’m hitting the ball nicely, but I feel I can still improve quite a bit,” he said as ODI captain AB de Villiers confirmed Du Plessis was now the official successor to the recently retired Jacques Kallis in the key position.

“I’m enjoying the number three role. I think it suits me a lot better than it did at number six. What is really important for me is to get big runs when you are in some sort of form. It [form] can change really quickly; I need to make sure I keep putting in big runs for the team.

“I’ve said before that my job is to score hundreds. I ticked that box but getting a hundred and crossing your team over the line is much sweeter.”

Du Plessis scored 106 in a record-breaking partnership with De Villiers against Australia in their first meeting in the triangular series last Wednesday. He has scored 401 runs at an average of 66 in six ODI’s on South Africa’s tour of Zimbabwe, which also included three ODI wins in a separate series with the hosts in Bulawayo last month.

Clarke doubtful for Pakistan series

Australia captain Michael Clarke is doubtful for next month’s series against Pakistan in the UAE after scans confirmed an injury to his left hamstring.

The 33-year-old strained his hamstring in training before the ODI tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa in Harare following a long break from the game and missed the first two matches.

He returned to the team during Australia’s humiliating three-wicket loss to Zimbabwe, but aggravated the injury and was ruled out of the rest of the tournament. Clarke returned to Sydney on Tuesday and later had a scan.

“Clarke had an MRI scan on returning from Zimbabwe that has confirmed a left hamstring muscle injury,” said Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.

“He will have intensive rehabilitation for this injury and we will be monitoring his progress over the next week before deciding when he can return to training and playing.”

Meanwhile, Clarke said on his official twitter handle, “Had a scan on the hamstring; there was some damage as expected but I will be back fitter and stronger.

“I have some great people helping me get my injury right. I’ll do whatever it takes to get back on the field with the boys.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2014.

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