As far as cricketing sides are concerned few have the raw individual talent that South Africa possess. They are a team consisting of some of the finest players of this generation, and are probably the most skilled at the ICC World Cup.
Opener Hashim Amla, for example, recently shattered the record for the for the fewest innings played to reach 5000 runs in One Day Internationals, while AB de Villiers broke the record for the quickest ODI century against the West Indies not too long ago.
It is hardly surprising that this pair are ranked as the two best batsmen in ODIs by the International Cricket Council, with de Villiers at number one. Similarly the number three and four ranked bowlers on the ODI charts are Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir respectively.
In fact there is currently a South African player rated in the top ten of the ICC rankings in every discipline, in every form of the game, except one; ODI all-rounders.
It is something of an oddity for South Africa to lack a world class all-rounder, but it is perhaps the reason they are only the third highest ranked ODI team overall, despite having arguably the most gifted side. Lance Klusener, Justin Kemp and Jacques Kallis ensured that for many years South Africa had at least one man who could both competently send down ten overs with the ball and make big scores with the bat.
When these players were at their best they virtually acted as two separate players and subsequently gave their country a substantial advantage. Perhaps there were times when they were even taken for granted. When Kallis retired from ODIs midway through last year many probably couldn’t recall the last time it was an exceptional all-rounder that South Africa were lacking.
While South Africa have been far from awful since Kallis left the side they have at times struggled more than a side with their prowess would wish too. They may have dismantled the West Indies compellingly at home, but they were earlier beaten four-one away from home against Australia, the series they lost their number one ODI ranking.
Even in this World Cup they suffered a massive loss to India. In that specific game Wayne Parnell was selected to fill the all-rounder role, yet 85 runs were picked off his bowling despite bowling being his strongest trait. Ryan McLaren also tried to fill this role at times but didn’t even manage to grab a spot in the fifteen-man squad for the World Cup after a string of underwhelming performances.
Farhaan Behardien is perhaps the player South Africa look to most commonly for this position. Unlike Parnell and McLaren, Behardien is more of a batting all-rounder, but with an average of 21.86 with the bat Behardien is yet to make the impact he probably hoped for.
South Africa’s inability to fulfil this role has meant they have either looked one bowler or batsman short depending on selection, and on some occasions both. Often this weakness is not exposed due to the class of their other players, but when it is successfully exploited by the opposition South Africa generally lose.
The reality is that unless one of the one of South Africa’s all-rounders who are in the squad undergo a sudden spike in form this issue will persist for the remainder of the World Cup and perhaps beyond.
