Captain Faf has ‘big shoes to fill’
Faf du Plessis has “big shoes” to fill when he steps into the breach as the Proteas' stand-in captain for the two-Test series against New Zealand starting at Kingsmead.
|||Durban - Faf du Plessis has “big shoes” to fill when he steps into the breach as the Proteas' stand-in captain for the two-Test series against New Zealand starting at Kingsmead, Durban, on Friday.
Regular captain AB De Villiers is out of action with an elbow injury but he is in camp with the national side as they plot the way forward for their international campaign over the next few months.
Du Plessis is comfortable with the leadership role and is pleased that the players are clear about the Proteas' objectives for the future. “AB is the full-time captain so obviously, it is big shoes to fill. I'll step in while he recovers for the next series,” said Du Plessis.
The Proteas won't be subjected to a change in leadership style during the New Zealand series. “It is just about someone taking charge and it helps that we've all got the same mindsets. The team knows where we want to go so my style won't be any different. We share the same vision and direction for this team. I think the leadership styles are pretty similar so it won't be too much of a change.”
When it became known that De Villiers was injured Du Plessis felt he could be asked to take over the reins although he thought about Hashim Amla too. “A surprise? A little bit of both. Obviously 'Hash' [Amala] had the captaincy and something that he preferred to not have so that he could focus on his batting. “After that, there were not too many candidates left (with a cheeky smile on his face). You try not to think about it (the captaincy role) and I'll do it to the best of my abilities.”
New Zealand will be far better prepared after playing in Zimbabwe for the past few weeks, whereas the Proteas will be returning from a mid-year break.
“They [NZ] have been playing cricket and that's where you would always rather be. It would be ideal going into the match after you've played some cricket but as AB mentioned, we feel pretty good as a team and where we are presently. “I think sometimes, mentally it's almost better to be to in a good space than actually all the physical work you've put in. “I feel mentally the team is fresh. They're very positive to try to get back where we were once [on the world rankings]. “Obviously, we were number one for a long period of time. We've lost a few key players in that [No 1] team and we are not happy where we're lying at the moment. Hence, the guys are pretty motivated to get the job done and climb the rankings again.”
The first Test starts on Friday at Kingsmead, Durban, and the second Test, a week later at SuperSport Park, Centurion, on Saturday, August 27. - African News Agency (ANA)