Proteas’ Wiaan Mulder has big shoes to fill in search for Test all-rounder

Wiaan Mulder bowls during the second Test match between South Africa and West Indies at Wanderers Stadium on 9 March 2023 in Johannesburg. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

14 Jul 2024

Proteas all-rounder Marco Jansen will be rested for South Africa’s next two Test tours.

South Africa’s squad to take on the West Indies in a two-match Test tour at the start of August was announced on 8 July, a mere eight days after the Proteas suffered a heartbreaking T20 World Cup final defeat to India in Barbados.

There was an interesting omission in red-ball coach Shukri Conrad’s 16-player squad – regular all-rounder Marco Jansen was missing from the list. According to Conrad, the gangly player is being rested.

“The decision to rest Marco Jansen was taken to allow for a conditioning period aimed at ensuring optimal physical and mental well-being given the season-long workloads,” he said.

Jansen is in the US playing for Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket (MLC), whose final match of the tournament is scheduled for 29 July.

South Africa’s first Test match against the West Indies starts on 7 August at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, but there’s a four-day warm-up match against the West Indies Invitational XI from 31 July.

The 24-year-old Jansen is a regular in the Test side, although the last time South Africa faced the West Indies, in 2023, he was also being rested and Wiaan Mulder was not given a run. This time, it is once again Mulder who replaces Jansen in the squad.

Conrad said finding opportunities to give players a break is a conversation he’s been having with head coach Rob Walter and the medical team “for the longest time now”.

“Given the hectic schedules, and not necessarily [playing] for South Africa… You take Plank [Jansen’s nickname], for example, who would have had two months at the IPL [Indian Premier League], straight to a [T20] World Cup, then straight into the MLC,” he said.

Proteas Wiaan Mulder Marco Jansen in action on 4 January 2024 during the second Test between South Africa and India at Newlands in Cape Town. (Photo: Gallo Images / Getty Images)

“This is Marco’s time where we felt we could do some really good work with him from a rehab and conditioning [perspective] and also some technical work if that needs to happen.”

Jansen will be unavailable for the Proteas’ next tour against Bangladesh in October too. “He’ll have the West Indies and Bangladesh series off and be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Then another quick [bowler] will have the Bangladesh series off and be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan,” Conrad said.

Different profiles

Jansen has been prolific for the Proteas in the vacant all-rounder role since he made his debut against India at the end of 2021, collecting 49 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 22.79.

With the bat too, often coming in at number seven, he has been productive, having passed the 50 mark on two occasions at an average of 23.58 in 21 innings.

Mulder, on the other hand, has had difficulties adjusting to the rigours of Test cricket. Generally batting in the top order domestically, he averages only 15.52 with the willow at Test level and is yet to pass 50 in 21 innings at the highest level.

With the ball, Mulder has proven himself handy in seaming conditions, although his medium pacers are often considered surplus to requirements. He has picked up 19 wickets in 13 matches at a decent average of 27.1.

Mulder has proven himself over and over in domestic cricket both for the Lions in South Africa and for Leicestershire in England in the County Championship, but there is evidently still a gap in quality between the first-choice and second-choice all-rounder.

Nevertheless, Conrad believes Mulder is capable of doing the job. “I don’t think we would have given Marco the break if we didn’t feel we had adequate cover,” Conrad said.

“It’s really also about finding out about some of the other guys who have been in and around the squad for a couple of years now. It’s a great opportunity for Wiaan to put his name out there.”

Red vs white ball

Jansen has played in several T20 competitions this year, including the SA20, where he won the trophy with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

He then played in the CSA T20 Challenge, running out in a few matches for the Warriors before jetting off to the IPL, where he played three matches for the losing finalists, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The T20 World Cup started five days after the IPL final, so it’s been a busy schedule for the young all-rounder in the 20-over format.

However, along with most of the first-choice squad, Jansen missed South Africa’s two-Test tour to New Zealand at the start of February because he was also committed to the SA20. That means he’ll play at most four Test matches this year while playing lots of white-ball cricket.

“It was never about benefiting the white-ball side and them having the luxury of playing all the leagues and then they come back tired,” Conrad explained.

Wiaan Mulder bowls during the second Test between South Africa and West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 9 March 2023. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)

“The Test squad takes priority now, but then we also know in February there’s a Champions Trophy where we also need to have everyone fit and firing.

“It is not a white- versus red-ball thing. It’s more a collaboration of the white and red ball and making sure that, at every turn, we give South Africa the best chance of performing with their best players. Not only getting into finals, but winning. And also the World Test Championship – laying claim to honours there as well.”

Finals ambitions

Despite the Proteas resting their best all-rounder, at least statistically, Conrad has his eyes set on reaching the World Test Championship final.

South Africa are seventh on the nine-team table after three consecutive losses – two to the Black Caps and one to India – and one victory (over India) in their four matches in this cycle.

The Proteas’ challengers for the rest of the cycle after Bangladesh include two home Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

“We have eight Test matches left in this cycle and while we don’t want to look too far ahead ... for us to give ourselves a good crack at it we need to win at least seven of the matches,” Conrad said.

“That’s part of the end goal, but obviously we do know that every Test series is going to be a challenging one.

“The West Indies, they’re a different kettle of fish in their own country, but when we play to our full potential, we can get the right results there.

“Every Test match is important and it adds context now with the World Test Championship. We’re very much in the mix there, but we’re going to have to play [great] cricket over the next few months, starting with the West Indies.” DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

Sport

Different profiles

Red vs white ball

Finals ambitions