The curious case of Jean-Paul Duminy

‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them’.

This classification of ‘great men’ by Wiliam Shakespeare is applicable to all great men that have ever lived on this planet.

Jean-Paul Duminy’s immense talent and prolific stroke making indicate he is a gifted player and is born to become great while his solid and gritty 155 in his debut Test series proved he would achieve greatness in his career.

However, when the South African team management didn’t drop Duminy even after he failed consistently, it became clear that South African cricket is hell bent on making him a great batsman.

Unfortunately, nine years and 46 Tests after his Test debut, Duminy is not even close to greatness. Forget greatness he hasn’t even done enough to claim a spot in the team.

‘Potential’ is a double edged sword. It guarantees a long rope and some kind of immunity from failure but at the same time, it adds the burden of expectation. Sometimes the expectations are rational sometimes they are unrealistic.

Extra cover: Top five options for South Africa to replace JP Duminy in the Test squad

JP Duminy’s career began with unrealistic expectations. In his debut Test series, he displayed glimpses of a match-winner who batted in the middle order to repair the damage done by the top order batsmen. He regained the control of the game by neutralising the threat of bowlers through his invincible defence and all-conquering aggression. And as the opponents ran out of steam, he delivered the knock-out punch by piling big scores.

But that match-winner never arrived. At times Duminy’s batting became extremely hopeless and it was evident that he can never become a match-winner. Then the expectations became rational. In a batting line-up that included modern greats like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, Duminy was expected to at least complement them. He failed to do that too.

Does Duminy have the courage to call it a day when he still has some respect left for him?

Now, after two of these modern greats have bid adieu to the game and AB de Villiers is on the brink of doing the same, South Africa are on the hunt for their next great batsman. Duminy is certainly not the one and hence the team is exploring their options.

In this situation, there are only two paths available for the left-hand batsman. The first option is to score big runs at the earliest and reclaim the trust. The second option is to step down and offer others a chance and say good bye when there is still some respect left for him.

Sadly, for the 33-year-old player, his chances of reclaiming the trust are next to nil and the only realistic option left for him is to call it a day. But even this option is difficult to embrace.

It is difficult because Duminy is just 33 years old and he still has at last three to four years of cricket left in him. Also, his experience of 46 Tests is almost impossible to replicate for any of his competitors.

Interestingly the situation was no different in January 2016 when Duminy was dropped from the team after he failed to score a century in eight straights Tests. The South African batsman at that time considered taking retirement but Ashwell Prince, the then team selector, convinced him to wait for some time.

The wait proved to be fruitful as the left-hander scored 88 runs at Centurion against New Zealand and then produced one of his finest Test innings by smashing 141 at Perth against Australia. That innings brought back memories of his debut Test series and as a solid 155 against Sri Lanka in the subsequent Test series followed, the thoughts of his retirement vanished in thin air.

However, owing to his trademark inconsistency, Duminy once again finds himself in a similar position. But sadly for him, this time he may not find any supporters as his unpredictable pattern of making runs has become impossible to ignore.

The recent poor show by South Africa in Tests has resulted in massive criticism and Duminy unsurprisingly is feeling the heat. His omission from the team for the second Test was inevitable but it also indicates that he may not play for South Africa every again.

Have we already seen JP Duminy’s last Test appearance?

Will he stage a comeback like he did in 2016? The answer to the question lies with the South African team management who at the moment have decided to move on with Duminy but so far haven’t found any able replacement. If none of Duminy’s successors cash in their opportunity then he may once again bat for South Africa in Tests. But the chances are extremely slim.

For now, Duminy’s Test career has hit a dead-end and the term ‘greatness’ which was so nearly associated with him is miles away from his name.