Spin bowling is expected to play the biggest role in India for all the teams that will be competing in the upcoming ICC World T20 event in March-April later this year. South Africa has gone in for two spinners who can be very good on their day but who can also leak runs aplenty on other days. The South African team management will hope that their spinners can play a pivotal role in their campaign.
Imran Tahir
The very definition of a journeyman cricketer, Tahir has played for no fewer than 28 teams in his 20 year long career. He can be a maverick with the ball in hand, possessing a big turning leg break while also possessing the googly and a faster one. But his problem has always been his lack of control; he has been guilty of bowling a lot of full-tosses and as a result not being to build any pressure on the batsmen for any period of time. Tahir can certainly have an enormous impact on the South African campaign and he has it in him to single-handedly take the Proteas all the way in the World T20 but he will have to be consistent and keep up his radar.
Impact Rating – 7.5/10
Aaron Phangiso
Aaron Phangiso a slow left arm orthodox bowler who, after plying his trade in the domestic competition for years was finally rewarded with a call up to the South African team after a splendid show with the Lions in the Champions League T20 tournament in 2012. He is not a huge turner of the ball but relies more on subtle changes of pace and varying his flight. He also possesses a quicker ball which often hurries the batsmen in to making an error.
His economy rate of only 6.87 runs per over in T20’s shows his capabilities and he will be a difficult proposition for the opposition batsmen if he can be consistent in his line and vary his pace for which he is known for.
Impact Rating – 6/10
JP Duminy
Jean Paul Duminy is essentially a classical middle order batsman but in recent times he has developed his off break bowling to take it a notch above what one would be usually be called as a part timer. He has a golden arm and the captain uses him quite frequently in the shorter formats of the game. On pitches providing a bit of assistance he can easily get away with a couple of overs while also picking up the occasional wicket. He did very well in the ICC WT20 in 2014 in Bangladesh where the pitches aided him and on similar Indian pitches he can play the supporting role to Tahir and Phangiso on a regular basis. He is also a brilliant fielder anywhere inside the circle and a safe catcher to boot.
Impact Rating – 6/10
The South African fans will hope that this bunch of spinners will prove to be the collective answer to South Africa’s long awaited ‘How to win a major trophy?’ question.
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