Ken Borland

It seems like on an almost hourly basis someone in the media, whether traditional or social, will question the wisdom of the Sharks using Curwin Bosch as their starting flyhalf and for many, Aphelele Fassi’s ankle injury provided an opportunity to shift the mercurial Springbok to fullback and try someone else at No.10.

Fassi has indeed been ruled out of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash with Edinburgh at Kings Park, but the Sharks have elected to keep Bosch at flyhalf and bring Anthony Volmink back into the starting line-up in the No.15 jersey.

“Obviously we did discuss moving Curwin to fullback,” coach Sean Everitt said at their team announcement press conference on Thursday, “but we felt he is getting better every week at flyhalf.

“Anthony is a left-footed kicking option and he has always performed whenever he has put on the Sharks jersey. Overseas he was particularly good against Ospreys.

“So it was quite straightforward in the end. Curwin will be making his fourth start in a row at flyhalf and he has shown some great signs.

“He distributed well against Zebre last weekend and he had a 100% tackle completion rate. We are pleased with his growth at flyhalf,” Everitt said.

But with 23-year-old reserve flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain still learning his trade at this level and Tito Bonilla making some grim, crucial mistakes in the Sharks’ midweek Currie Cup loss to the Free State Cheetahs, Everitt does not have much choice really.

The Sharks are hoping Fassi will be fit for their local derby against the Lions on April 9.

Edinburgh will be the first real big guns of the tournament that the Sharks have met for a while, and whoever wins on Saturday will stay in contact with the top four on the log. Edinburgh are currently fifth in the standings, three points ahead of the sixth-placed Sharks, who have a game in hand.

“There’s a lot at stake because Edinburgh are just ahead of us on the log and the guys are amped,” Everitt said. “Our team has gained confidence from four bonus point victories on the trot.

“I thought it was also a better performance last weekend although we did not finish all the opportunities we created. We’ve had good consistency of selection, which helps.”

Sharks – Anthony Volmink, Werner Kok, Ben Tapuai, Marius Louw, Makazole Mapimpi, Curwin Bosch, Grant Williams, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Henco Venter, Siya Kolisi (c), Reniel Hugo, Gerbrandt Grobler, Thomas du Toit (v/c), Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Replacements: Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Khutha Mchunu, Le Roux Roets, Phepsi Buthelezi, James Venter, Jaden Hendrikse, Boeta Chamberlain.

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma criticised the number of soft dismissals his batting line-up suffered and their lack of intent in their humiliating nine-wicket defeat, with nearly half their overs remaining, in the third ODI against Bangladesh, who won their first series in any format in South Africa.

Having won the toss, elected to bat first and reached 46 without loss inside seven overs at Centurion, the Proteas folded meekly to be bowled out for just 154 in 37 overs.

“There were a lot of soft dismissals and too many in the top-order,” Bavuma said. “Intent is the big word, we need to play with intensity and clarity, we need to back our plans 100%.

“But that wasn’t there in the third ODI and we did not execute at 100% either. From a confidence point of view, there was a lot of belief coming out of the India series win.

“But we did not respect our processes at Centurion, maybe we just expected things to go our way. We know Bangladesh have the tag of not being one of the bigger teams, but they showed skill and execution at a high level.

“They really put us under pressure with the ball and bat in how they executed their game-plan and the basics in these conditions. The way they played and the skill they displayed was at a high level,” Bavuma said.

Having whitewashed India 3-0 in January with the same team but bolstered by the inclusion of ace fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, now being beaten by Bangladesh (even though they have improved impressively) on the Highveld rates as one of the most embarrassing defeats the Proteas have ever suffered.

A nonplussed Bavuma regarded his team’s inconsistency as being his biggest concern.

“Not so long ago we were victorious against India and now we were completely outplayed in all three departments by Bangladesh.

“The inconsistency in the way we perform as a unit is the worry,” Bavuma admitted.

As a human being, Mark Boucher seems to lack the gene for a fear of failure which made him one of the most tenacious cricketers around, but now as a coach he has admitted to frustration that that is exactly the weakness his Proteas team showed as they crashed to a series loss to Bangladesh in humiliating fashion in the third and final ODI at Centurion on Wednesday evening.

Choosing to bat first, South Africa’s batsmen folded meekly to 154 all out in 37 overs. Bangladesh them showed them how to bat on the SuperSport Park pitch as they raced to victory in just 26-and-a-half overs with just one wicket down.

“We lacked intent, we went to sleep after a good start to our innings,” Boucher said after the loss. “We wanted to take the game forward, you do need to take some risks, but there was almost a fear of getting out.

“It was as if we were not batting to set a total, which Bangladesh showed should have been more than 300, but batting to not get out, and then we spiralled into a total collapse.

“We need to have belief in how we play, we’ve played spin very well in places like Sri Lanka but then we come back here and go back to old ways. We have to have faith to play the way we want to play.

“We wanted to be proactive, we have worked hard on shot-selection and the guys know they have the armoury. But it’s like a mental block. We need to put the fear of failure out of our minds, the fear of getting out,” Boucher said.

What is baffling, however, is that much the same team beat India 3-0 in January and they should have had the confidence of a billionaire on the front cover of Forbes magazine. Boucher said the vagaries of form had also played a role in the shock series defeat.

“Against India we had guys in great form and there were big partnerships. In this series we lost an aggressive player like Aiden Markram whose form is worrying, so new guys come into the team.

“In the back of their heads they probably want to get runs to prove that they belong here, and that brings in a bit of fear. Maybe they are too scared to play the way they should.

“So it comes down to a lack of form and belief,” Boucher said.

All the hard work done by the Proteas on their 50-over cricket, as shown by their 3-0 whitewash of India, was ruined in ignominious fashion on Wednesday as they were thrashed by nine wickets by Bangladesh at SuperSport Park in Centurion, giving the tourists an historic first series win in South Africa in any format.

The heavy defeat can be laid at the door of a batting failure that saw the Proteas dismissed for just 154 – their lowest ever total against Bangladesh – in only 37 overs.

But the way Bangladesh dealt with the South African bowlers was also pretty humiliating as they raced to victory with 141 balls to spare, led by captain Tamin Iqbal’s punishing and brilliant 87 not out off just 82 balls.

Electing to bat first seemed the right course of action as Janneman Malan and Quinton de Kock cruised to 46 without loss inside seven overs.

But from the moment De Kock (12) holed out at long-off off spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the Proteas batting fell to pieces.

Malan, having gone to 28 off just 31 deliveries, went into his shell and struggled to 39 off 56 before being caught behind off Taskin Ahmed, who had removed Kyle Verreynne (9) in his previous over.

Temba Bavuma (2) and Rassie van der Dussen (4) fell cheaply as 66/2 rapidly became 83/5.

David Miller (16) and Dwaine Pretorius (20) rebuilt for half-a-dozen overs, but the probing Taskin removed them both as South Africa slumped to 122/7.

They were thankful for Keshav Maharaj’s sensible 28 getting them past 150, but clever cricket was sorely lacking from the Proteas batsmen as they were bowled out with 13 overs remaining in their innings.

On a pitch that offered uneven bounce, Taskin was outstanding and finished with 5/35 in nine overs, the first five-wicket haul for Bangladesh in their 24 ODIs against South Africa.

Left-arm spinner Shakib offered fine support with 2/24 in nine overs, while left-arm paceman Mustafizur Rahman exerted pressure at the other end by conceding just 23 runs in his seven overs.

Captain Tamim then showcased his special qualities with the bat as he stroked 14 fours. The left-hander manipulated and placed the ball wonderfully well and his timing was as sweet as the taste of victory will be for his team.

Liton Das (48 off 57) was an admirable foil as the openers put on 127 for the first wicket, Bangladesh’s best ever opening partnership in South Africa. Liton eventually fell when he drove Keshav Maharaj to a leaping Temba Bavuma at extra cover, taking the added disgrace of a 10-wicket defeat off the table, but Bangladesh were barely past halfway through their overs when victory was completed.

Compared to the focused brilliance of the Bangladesh bowlers, the Proteas attack had little to feel special about.