5 Players to watch out for in the South Africa v Bangladesh series

South Africa have had a busy overseas schedule in the recent past. The Proteas toured Australia in November last year in what was a successful tour for them, they continued to show their potential in New Zealand as well. However, the summer in England didn’t go as per their expectations as they were routed 3-1 by the hosts. Now they’re all set to begin their home season against Bangladesh followed by India and Australia in the upcoming months.

While South Africa has never lost a Test match against Bangladesh, they’ll well be wary that the current Bangladeshi team is nowhere similar to the ones they’ve faced in the past. On the other hand, the visitors have become a much-improved Test team. While they may have defeated England and Australia at home, the real challenge overlying for them would be to win games against a top team outside the subcontinent.

They would be keen to prove a point in the overseas tours after the recent success at home. Bangladesh trump card Shakib Al Hasan is going to miss an all-important series for a sabbatical which may be a setback for the visitors. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim has termed it as a landmark series.

There would be lots of eyes on particular players from both the teams as they step into the field. Many are expected to rise to the occasion and put their best foot forward. Here we present five players to watch out for from both sides in the upcoming series starting from Thursday at Potchefstroom:-

1. Hashim Amla

Ranked No.8 Test batsman in the ICC rankings, Hashim Amla has been going through a rough patch recently. His presence at the top has been a boost for the Proteas. However, the prolific batsman has failed to score a single century in his last 14 innings. While he scored 3 fifties on the tour of England, much more was expected from someone regarded as a modern day great.

In the absence of AB de Villiers, Amla has been edged with too much responsibility at the top of the order. Hence, with the commencement of the home season, he would be hoping to regain his lost touch and deliver according to his credentials in the upcoming series against Bangladesh. If he manages to reattain his momentum, South Africa would be a really tough side to beat.

2. Tamim Iqbal

Probably the heart of the Bangladesh batting lineup, Tamim Iqbal has been in some terrific form as of late. He has produced sensational knocks at the top order which have been significant in guiding the rest of the batting order. Being the senior most member in the side, he brings a lot to the table for the young Bangladeshi side.

He was a part of the team that toured South Africa way back in 2008. While he was just a 19-year-old talent youngster back then, Tamim managed to get starts though he failed to convert them into anything big. This time around, having established himself as a batsman of calibre, Tamim would be looking to make amends and prove his valour in South Africa.

3. Quinton de Kock

The young wicketkeeper who was in stupendous form at the start of the year didn’t quite manage to garner the centre stage when it came to the England tour. While he began the tour well with half centuries in the first two Tests, he faded away after that and his mediocre average of 23.13 is a proof of that.

Quinton de Kock has shown promising signs as a Test batsman and this home season may be seen a valuable opportunity to cement his place in the team. He has played just one Test against Bangladesh where he scored a duck in the only innings. Thus, de Kock will be reckoning to make some astonishing changes in his record against Bangladesh by the end of the series.

4. Kagiso Rabada 

The young speedster has been really consistent for the Proteas ever since his debut. Touted to lead the South African pace attack alongside Morne Morkel, Rabada would in all sorts look forward to delivering his potential best and topple the opposition. He was exceptional against England as well where he took 16 wickets in the three Tests he played with a decent average of 28.44.

Fast bowling is all about making the batsman dance to your tunes and Kagiso Rabada has done exactly the same, many a times in the past. He has continued to bowl with all his heart and came up with outstanding spells every time the captain trusted him to create an opportunity for a wicket.

5. Mustafizur Rahman

The talented left-arm pacer has managed to bamboozle some of the best batsmen in international circuit with his variation off-cutters. Also with the pitches in South Africa expected to offer assistance to pace and bounce, Mustafizur Rahman would be looking forward to fostering the Bangladesh attack. It will be interesting to see how he transforms his good form in the greens to the whites for Bangladesh.

For someone who hasn’t made much of a mark when it comes to Test cricket, this series could provide a platform for Mustafizur to replicate his limited overs performances into the traditional format as well. He was splendid in the Test matches against Australia and would be yearning to grab this opportunity to prove his valour in Test matches as well