5 reasons why South African cricket is in a state of crisis

The South Africans, who sat atop the ICC Test rankings for a long time, have slipped from their throne after a series of woeful performances in the past year. The last twelve months have seen nine Test matches and zero Test wins, a steep drop from the lofty pedestal they were on just a year back. Here’s a look at five reasons why South African cricket is in a state of crisis:

#1 Amlas captaincy not as impactful as Smiths

Amla hasn't been able to carry his enigma with the bat into his captaincy.

Amla took over the captaincy in 2014 from Graeme Smith, the most successful captain of South Africa. His first assignment was a two-match series against Sri Lanka in July 2014, which the South Africans won 1-0. He continued with victories against Zimbabwe and West Indies over the next year. However, during his tenure, the Proteas managed to win only four Tests out of the fourteen they’ve played. The last one year has been abysmal, with South Africa losing four of their six matches, managing to draw two.

His batting has taken a bit of beating too, with an aggregate of only 131 runs in six Test matches against Bangladesh and India. He overcame a dip in form with a double-century against England, but another defeat led him to resign from the post midway through the series, with the mantle now falling on AB deVilliers.

#2 No solidity in the top order

The opening combination has been a huge cause of concern for the Proteas.

Dean Elgar has been regularly opening for South Africa since after the retirement of Graeme Smith in 2014, but has seen a change of partners over the period of two years.

Alviro Pieterson quit international cricket in early 2015, and an opening slot has been under question ever since.

Stiaan Van Zyl, who was having a torrid series against England, has been let go from the squad, after having a top-score of only 33 in five innings. He scored an unbeaten century on debut against the West Indies in December 2014, but hasn’t scored even a half-century since.

The brittle top-order has put a lot of pressure on the star-studded middle order, resulting in frequent batting collapses.

#3 No replacement for Kallis

South Africa haven't had a decent enough all-rounder since this legend's departure.

Jacques Kallis had been the colossus of the modern South African batting setup for close to two decades, apart from being a useful bowler. He retired from Test cricket in December 2013, yet there is no sight of any quality replacement for him.

Faf du Plessis, who took the role at the No.3 till late last year, gave the position back to Amla, and demoted himself to No.4 after being a one-down batsman for the major part of his Test career. Yet, the level of consistency and solidity managed by Kallis has still not been achieved, and the added benefit of having an all-rounder has still not been replaced with. Ryan McLaren, and later Robin Pieterson were tried, but couldn’t hold on to their place for long.

#4 Injuries to Steyn and Philander

Morkel has been left alone to bear the burden in the absence of Steyn and Philander.

The South African team became No.1 in Tests on the back of some solid performances from both the batting and bowling units. The partnership of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander was a crucial part of that successful period.

Injuries to both Steyn and Philander at crucial junctures dealt a major blow to the team. After coming back from injury last year, Steyn has not been in the best of form, and there have been talks about his career coming to an end due to his various niggles. Although he has brushed aside the stories as being “absolutely ridiculous,” his fitness does remain a major concern, especially as he has been ruled out of the final Test of the series against England with a shoulder injury. Steyn has missed six out of the recent eight Tests for South Africa.

Philander has had a similar story. After tearing the ligament in his left ankle during the tour of India last year, he has still not recuperated and is yet to take part in the current series against England. In their absence, the South Africans have succumbed to embarrassing defeats, and it remains to be seen whether they can make a timely comeback and help regain the team’s lost sheen.

#5 Extended transition period

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Each great team has to go through a transition phase after the loss of its star players. Australia and India have experienced it in recent years. With the departure of Kallis, Smith and Mark Boucher, the team has had a void that is too great to fill.

Apart from the players, the coaching staff has gone through a transition as well, with as many as three batting consultants, Gary Kirsten, Mike Hussey and Graeme Smith, having already been deputed under Russell Domingo.

The new batch of players, namely Dane Vilas, Kagiso Rabada, Temba Bavuma, Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt have very little experience, and will take time to acclimatize to the rigours of international cricket. Rabada and Bavuma have impressed in patches, and it’ll be crucial for them to find their feet at the highest level quickly.