Sports

Australia ready for frosty reception on South Africa return

February 17, 2020
Australian coach Justin Langer and limited-overs captain Aaron Finch said on Monday they were looking forward to playing in front of South African crowds on their first tour since the sandpaper scandal of 2018.
Australian coach Justin Langer and limited-overs captain Aaron Finch said on Monday they were looking forward to playing in front of South African crowds on their first tour since the sandpaper scandal of 2018.

JOHANNESBURG — Australian coach Justin Langer and limited-overs captain Aaron Finch said on Monday they were looking forward to playing in front of South African crowds on their first tour since the sandpaper scandal of 2018.

Former captain Steve Smith and batsman David Warner, who were both banned for a year for their role in ball-tampering during the third Test in Cape Town, are both in the team that will play three Twenty20 internationals and three One-Day Internationals against South Africa, starting with the first T20 game at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday.

"We love coming to South Africa," said Langer at the team's arrival press conference.

"We've got so many good memories for so long. It was obviously a very hard tour last time but the way our guys have moved on, it gave us a great opportunity to reassess where we're at in Australian cricket."

Langer said last year's tour of England was "a great dress rehearsal" for the likely reception Smith and Warner will face, especially from an expected capacity crowd at the Wanderers.

"It was a tough (England) tour for those two guys," said Langer.

"I was really proud of the way they let their bat do the talking and were great ambassadors off the field, so hopefully they'll be looking forward to getting back into it and playing good cricket here."

Finch said his team knew what to expect when they stepped on to South African grounds.

"South African crowds are very passionate and very vocal. We're expecting that. David loves that banter coming from the crowd. It gets him into the game. I don't think it's going to make much difference to our group. We're going to play cricket with a smile on our face," he said.

Langer said there had been plenty of talk about the culture of the Australian team following the 2018 tour.

"We've talked about making Australians proud of us again, earning that respect, not only from the Australian public and our past players but also across the world," he said.

"Changing cultures is purely about behavior," he said.

"We're playing really good cricket, the numbers will tell you that, we're also playing it in great spirit.

"I'm very hopeful we can continue to do that because that's how we all want to see cricket played. We've done it for 18 months now, there's absolutely no reason why that can't continue."

Finch said the Australians were confident they could do well on their tour but said he had been impressed by the way South Africa played in a high-scoring T20 series against England.

"I followed that really closely. It was a great series to watch. Obviously the bat dominated more than the ball. For South Africa to having a changing side and play so well was impressive. All the guys in their side had an impact on the game at various times."

Du Plessis, Rabada back

in South African squad


Former captain Faf du Plessis and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will return to the South African squad for a three-match Twenty20 series against Australia, starting at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday. Du Plessis, who announced earlier on Monday that he was stepping down from the captaincy, is part of a 16-man squad to be captained by Quinton de Kock.

Both Du Plessis and Rabada were rested from one-day and T20 series against England following a Test series between the sides which ended last month. Fast bowler Anrich Nortje, one of South Africa's successes in a losing Test series, has also been included in the squad named by Cricket South Africa on Monday.

Independent selector Linda Zondi said the inclusion of Rabada and Nortje would boost the team's bowling following a 2-1 defeat by England in a series which ended on Sunday.

"The T20 series may not have been won but it was really pleasing to see our batting unit play so well," said Zondi, who added that the return of Du Plessis would add an extra dimension to the batting.

Temba Bavuma's selection is dependent on a scan of his right hamstring after he was injured during Sunday's final match against England.

South African squad: Quinton de Kock (capt, wkt), Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Bjorn Fortuin, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts, Dale Steyn, Pite van Biljon, Rassie van der Dussen.

Twenty20 international series fixtures:

Feb. 21, Johannesburg

Feb. 23, Port Elizabeth

Feb. 26, Cape Town. — AFP


February 17, 2020
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