South Africa’s coach Mickey Arthur says “there is no panic” but the West Indies may read the selectors’ late call-up of Neil McKenzie for the second Test, starting in Cape Town tomorrow, differently.
McKenzie, the 32-year-old right-hander who played the last of his 41 Tests in 2004, has been added to the 12 players from the first Test in Port Elizabeth where South Africa were shocked by defeat by 128 runs.
Although Herschelle Gibbs remains in the squad, he is almost certain to be replaced by McKenzie as captain Graeme Smith’s opening partner.
“There is no panic but we have decided to strengthen our top order batting,” Arthur said following South Africa’s dismissal for 195 and 260 in Port Elizabeth where Gibbs, 33-year-old veteran of 89 Tests, was dismissed 0 in each innings by Daren Powell.
Arthur conceded there were concerns but said he believe a major overhaul was required.
Gibbs’s last 26 Tests have failed to yield a hundred and his average over those matches has
dropped to 25.69.
Smith is also going through a lean patch with only one hundred in his last 20 Tests at an average of 30.02.
Their opening partnerships in the three home Tests this season – the other two were against New Zealand – have been 1, 8, 2, against New Zealand, and 1 and 4 against the West Indies.
McKenzie, son of former South Africa batsman, Kevin, has been in the runs for the Highveld Lions in the current first-class SuperSport Series, with 501 in seven SuperSport Series matches. He made 182 and 34 as captain of South Africa ‘A’ against New Zealand and 54 against the West Indies, winning both matches.
He was summoned as cover for the injured AB de Villiers for the second Test against New Zealand but did not play when de Villiers was passed fit.
