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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pakistan handed South Africa their first home One-Day International (ODI) series whitewash after beating the Proteas by 36 runs on Sunday at Wanderers and clinching a 3-0 series win.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa were not at full strength with more than a handful of bowlers on the injury list – Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, Keshav Maharaj and Ottniel Baartman among them.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this, it was the Proteas’ experienced batting lineup that disappointed most across the three ODIs played in Paarl, Cape Town and Johannesburg.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2520832\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TL_2324168.jpg\" alt=\"proteas klaasen\" width=\"1734\" height=\"1156\" /> <em>Heinrich Klaasen of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heinrich Klaasen (264 runs) fought a lone battle against the ruthless Pakistani bowling attack and was the only South African batter to score more than 100 runs in the series.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The brutal hitting from the wicketkeeper-batter saw him score three consecutive half-centuries with an average of 88 and a strike rate of 123. No other South African batter passed 50.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The experienced core of batters contributed little outside of that.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skipper Temba Bavuma contributed 20 runs for the second and third ODIs (he missed the first match), Rassie van der Dussen scored 66 in three innings, Aiden Markram knocked 75 in three digs and David Miller scored 32 in two knocks.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2520834\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TL_2324149.jpg\" alt=\"proteas markram\" width=\"1747\" height=\"1165\" /> <em>Aiden Markram of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The disappointing part was that we made the same errors (from match to match), specifically with the bat,” white-ball head coach Rob Walter said after Sunday night’s match.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“If you look at all three games, we were ahead of the rate throughout but behind in terms of wickets lost.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Some of the options that we took at specific times in the game could have been better.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“All things being equal, if we had partnerships put together, if we had one of our batters going to score a hundred or beyond the results would have been different at least on two of the occasions.”</span>\r\n<h4><b>Kicking on</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only inexperienced player in the pile, opener Tony de Zorzi, was the second-highest run-getter behind Klaasen. He got three starts (33, 34, 26) but failed to kick on each time.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2520835\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TL_2324150.jpg\" alt=\"proteas rassie van der dussen\" width=\"1627\" height=\"1234\" /> <em>Rassie van der Dussen of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The conversations have been fairly consistent,” Walter said about trying to rectify the same errors. “As a batting unit, we’ve spoken about someone taking pride and getting a big hundred [and] converting the starts.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Whatever you’d expect to hear in those conversations are happening.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We just haven’t been able to convert anything into really substantial knocks or partnerships in this series. It’s not like we’re unaware.”</span>\r\n<h4><b>Champions Trophy prep</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walter has very little time to try out different batting combinations in the ODI outfit with the Champions Trophy fast approaching in February.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a short ODI tri-series scheduled against Pakistan and New Zealand before the tournament in Pakistan, but other than that there is no 50-over cricket to prepare the players.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team now moves into an important two-match Test series against Pakistan before the SA20 kicks off in January.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comparatively, South Africa played a five-match ODI series against Australia before their competitive Cricket World Cup campaign in 2023.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The reality is the lead-up to the Champions Trophy won’t be anything like the lead-up to the World Cup (in 2023),” Walter said. That’s the reality of how the schedule is stacked up.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walter, though, believes that his star players will shine when the lights are brightest, despite perhaps being undercooked and currently misfiring.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“At the end of the day you just have to trust in the quality of the players,” he said. “I know they’ll shine through when it comes to these marquee, world events.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The guys tend to step up. They tend to bring their best cricket. We’ve seen that at two World Cups in a row.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The T20 World Cup, we got together just two days before the first game.” </span><b>DM</b>",
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"name": "Rassie van der Dussen of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)",
"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pakistan handed South Africa their first home One-Day International (ODI) series whitewash after beating the Proteas by 36 runs on Sunday at Wanderers and clinching a 3-0 series win.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa were not at full strength with more than a handful of bowlers on the injury list – Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, Keshav Maharaj and Ottniel Baartman among them.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this, it was the Proteas’ experienced batting lineup that disappointed most across the three ODIs played in Paarl, Cape Town and Johannesburg.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2520832\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1734\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2520832\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TL_2324168.jpg\" alt=\"proteas klaasen\" width=\"1734\" height=\"1156\" /> <em>Heinrich Klaasen of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heinrich Klaasen (264 runs) fought a lone battle against the ruthless Pakistani bowling attack and was the only South African batter to score more than 100 runs in the series.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The brutal hitting from the wicketkeeper-batter saw him score three consecutive half-centuries with an average of 88 and a strike rate of 123. No other South African batter passed 50.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The experienced core of batters contributed little outside of that.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skipper Temba Bavuma contributed 20 runs for the second and third ODIs (he missed the first match), Rassie van der Dussen scored 66 in three innings, Aiden Markram knocked 75 in three digs and David Miller scored 32 in two knocks.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2520834\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1747\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2520834\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TL_2324149.jpg\" alt=\"proteas markram\" width=\"1747\" height=\"1165\" /> <em>Aiden Markram of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The disappointing part was that we made the same errors (from match to match), specifically with the bat,” white-ball head coach Rob Walter said after Sunday night’s match.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“If you look at all three games, we were ahead of the rate throughout but behind in terms of wickets lost.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Some of the options that we took at specific times in the game could have been better.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“All things being equal, if we had partnerships put together, if we had one of our batters going to score a hundred or beyond the results would have been different at least on two of the occasions.”</span>\r\n<h4><b>Kicking on</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only inexperienced player in the pile, opener Tony de Zorzi, was the second-highest run-getter behind Klaasen. He got three starts (33, 34, 26) but failed to kick on each time.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2520835\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1627\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2520835\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TL_2324150.jpg\" alt=\"proteas rassie van der dussen\" width=\"1627\" height=\"1234\" /> <em>Rassie van der Dussen of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The conversations have been fairly consistent,” Walter said about trying to rectify the same errors. “As a batting unit, we’ve spoken about someone taking pride and getting a big hundred [and] converting the starts.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Whatever you’d expect to hear in those conversations are happening.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We just haven’t been able to convert anything into really substantial knocks or partnerships in this series. It’s not like we’re unaware.”</span>\r\n<h4><b>Champions Trophy prep</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walter has very little time to try out different batting combinations in the ODI outfit with the Champions Trophy fast approaching in February.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a short ODI tri-series scheduled against Pakistan and New Zealand before the tournament in Pakistan, but other than that there is no 50-over cricket to prepare the players.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team now moves into an important two-match Test series against Pakistan before the SA20 kicks off in January.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comparatively, South Africa played a five-match ODI series against Australia before their competitive Cricket World Cup campaign in 2023.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The reality is the lead-up to the Champions Trophy won’t be anything like the lead-up to the World Cup (in 2023),” Walter said. That’s the reality of how the schedule is stacked up.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walter, though, believes that his star players will shine when the lights are brightest, despite perhaps being undercooked and currently misfiring.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“At the end of the day you just have to trust in the quality of the players,” he said. “I know they’ll shine through when it comes to these marquee, world events.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The guys tend to step up. They tend to bring their best cricket. We’ve seen that at two World Cups in a row.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The T20 World Cup, we got together just two days before the first game.” </span><b>DM</b>",
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Heinrich Klaasen of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)
Aiden Markram of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)
Rassie van der Dussen of the Proteas during the 3rd ODI match against Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 December 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)