My Proteas’ team for the second test against Australia

This is the side I’d pick for the second test against Australia starting in Port Elizabeth tomorrow.

1. Graeme Smith
2. Alviro Peterson
3. Hashim Amla
4. AB De Villiers
5. Faf du Plessis
6. Dean Elgar
7. JP Duminy
8. Wayne Parnell
9. Vernon Philander
10. Dale Steyn
11. Morne Morkel

The Port Elizabeth pitch looks like it’ll favour the pace bowlers, so I’m happy to have JP handle a few overs of spin if required.

Parnell adds some variation being left arm and is apparently bowling at good pace at the moment. Robin Peterson should pack his test whites away.

Last chance saloon for Alviro Peterson at the top of the order. Other option may have been to have Elgar at the top of the order but I’m not keen on two left handers opening against Mitch and his mo’.

I don’t think it’s necessary to play Tsolekile in order to free AB from the gloves. They don’t seem to be holding him back and he’s the kind of player who benefits from being involved in the game.

Robin Peterson should not be playing test cricket

So the Proteas have selected their T20 squad for the Aussies and then for the T20 World Cup.

I have very little interest in T20, but felt compelled to comment on this for one simple reason. I am not a big fan of Robin Peterson as part of the current Proteas test cricket set up and believe he should not be in the team. That being said – I find it very odd that he is not included in this squad, for a version of cricket where his ‘skill set’ can actually be valuable.

Have the selectors got it really wrong here? Peterson is a decent limited overs option for South Africa. I can only hope that they’re not planning on persisting with him in the test side – inexplicably seeing that as his strongest suit.

Proteas squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Beuran Hendricks, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

The Mitchell Johnson aura

Mitchell Johnson is the bowler of the moment in world cricket right now. Does it make him one of the greats? No of course not. Not yet. 

He’s been inconsistent in the past and needs a season or two of these type of performances to really etch his name into the history of Australian cricket. 

But one thing is for sure – there’s nobody as intimidating as Johnson right now.

Watching the last rites of a hapless Proteas performance in the first test at Centurion Park today, one thing really stood out. The Aussies are by no means a one man show. But seeing the swagger of an rather average bowler like Peter Siddle – brought on by the confidence that Johnson’s performances have given this team – further underscores his value. 

What is does also show, is that when the day comes that Johnson is not on his game, the Aussies will need to dig deep and prove that they’re an attack that benefit each other, not simply benefit from Mitch and his mo’.

Graeme Smith and the Proteas will be praying that day comes soon. At the moment it looks as though they have no answer.