Joburg Super Kings: Coping with the loss of Harry Brook the key to success

SA20 TEAM GUIDE: Faf du Plessis and Stephen Fleming are reunited in Johannesburg, but a late change to the Super Kings' squad could derail their first SA20 campaign. SAM MORSHEAD looks into it...

Coach: Stephen Fleming

One of the most experienced franchise coaches on the planet, Fleming has been leading Chennai Super Kings - in his second stint at the club - for five years. 

He is supported by Albie Morkel, Eric Simons and Wandile Gwavu.

Captain: Faf du Plessis

Another member of the leadership group with personal connections to the Super Kings brand, du Plessis's qualities - both as a batsman and a leader - are well known the world over. At 38, he is currently on a global tour of the franchise T20 circuit, and has led Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, and St Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League.

He cuts short a stint with Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash to take charge of the new Joburg side.

Overseas stars

George Garton: The English allrounder is looking to make a fresh start in the game after a rotten year or so, which saw him deal with heart rate issues relating to a lung clot. At his best, he is a dynamic left-arm seamer and increasingly impactful middle-order hitter capable of striking a long ball.

He hasn't played a recognised T20 since a run-out for Southern Brave in The Hundred in August - and at that point he was still suffering the effects of his clot. Did get gametime in the recent Abu Dhabi T10.

Lewis Gregory: After breaking into the England side in 2018, Gregory has fallen a way down the national selection pecking order, but he remains capable of turning a game with both bat and ball. Another middle-order six-hitter and reliable seamer, he also has plenty of captaincy experience - with Somerset and Trent Rockets - to lend to du Plessis. 

Alzarri Joseph: West Indies' standout all-format quick, Joseph took more wickets than anyone else in the Caribbean Premier League in 2022. He is on the books of Indian Premier League champions Gujarat Titans, for whom he took seven wickets in 2022. 

Romario Shepherd: Perhaps the most powerful of the Super Kings' middle-order weapons, Shepherd has the capacity to obliterate a bowling attack, and he strikes at 141 across his T20 career (with an average of 21). A happy knack of taking wickets in T20 cricket (Shepherd's strike rate in the format is below 15), is another useful character trait.

Maheesh Theekshana: The Sri Lanka international is the off-spinning option for the Super Kings. Theekshana has a miserly career economy of a slice above 6 runs per over in T20s, and is comfortable bowling both in the powerplay and at the death.

^{Faf du Plessis will captain Joburg Super Kings [Getty Images]}

BATTING

Power hitters

The absence of Harry Brook - withdrawn from the competition just 10 days before it begins by the ECB to manage his workload - is massive for the Super Kings. This batting lineup largely appeared to be built around him in the middle order. 

Du Plessis has been bullying his way through the Big Bash at a daft strike rate of 164, though his average (27) has not been quite as impressive.

In the middle order there are bulldozing batsmen capable of clearing the ropes: Shepherd hits one in 10 balls for six across his T20 career; Gregory's record is closer to one in 20, but when on top form he can take an attack apart. 

Then there's Donovan Ferreira. The 24-year-old allrounder was in bombastic form in the recent SA T20 Challenge for South Africa's state sides, crashing along at a strike rate of 168 across the competition. Of those to face 50 or more balls in that tournament, only Dewald Brevis and Duan Jansen went faster. 

Anchor

If du Plessis is going to continue his hare-out-of-the-traps impression at the top of the order, Janneman Malan or Reeza Hendricks needs to be Mr Sensible. Malan is, however, quite capable of going off on a flyer himself (and boasts a very commendable career T20 strike rate of 131).

Finisher

Any of the aforementioned middle-order hitters.

Problem areas

Plenty of players who can score quickly here, but how many can go big too? Du Plessis will need to switch out of his Big Bash mode, while Shepherd, Ferreira, Gregory and Verreyne have 11 T20 half-centuries between them. Their captain has 51, with four tons. 

There are an awful lot of right-handers in the top order, which may or may not come back to bite Joburg. It may also mean Leus du Plooy gets more of a run than might be expected in some quarters.

^{Lewis Gregory could play a key role for Joburg [Getty Images]}

BOWLING

Speed merchants

The Super Kings must find a way of getting Alzarri Joseph into their starting XI. He might not have played as many T20s across his career as you would expect (68 at 26 years old), but Joseph is a reliable quick, who can extract pace and bounce. He dominated the CPL last autumn and collected wickets regularly before and during West Indies' miserable T20 World Cup campaign.

Watch out for Gerald Coetzee, who is generally recognised as one of the next cabs off South Africa's 'ridiculously quick bowlers' rank. Coetzee only turned 22 in October, but he has been making waves already in his home country with Knights. Only two players claimed more than his 13 wickets in the recent SA T20 Challenge, he regularly hits 90mph, and was recently picked for the Test trip to Australia. Oh, and he can hit a long ball, too.

Lizaad Williams (career economy a shade above 7, career strike rate below 20) is an experienced option. 

Variation

Joburg added Aaron Phangiso to their roster as a wildcard. Phangiso will turn 39 during the tournament and last played a T20 international in 2018, but given the relative lack of spin options in the Super Kings' squad, his arrival makes sense. Whether he plays will be impacted by the nature of pitches in the competition, but he is in reasonable form, having taken 12 wickets (with a tidy economy below 6) in the SA T20 Challenge in October and November.

Theekshana would, you would expect, be the No.1 spinner. Ferreira bowls off-spin, Hendricks right-arm medium, Shepherd can hit reasonable speed. Garton offers a left-arm angle. 

Problem areas

Slowing the scoring through the middle overs. 

^{Alzarri Joseph is part of the Super Kings squad [Getty Images]}

Who takes the gloves?

Kyle Verreyne is the recognised wicketkeeper in the squad. A South Africa international at Test and ODI level, he is not on the radar for T20s and has a modest record in the format. If he does not work out, there is the option to hand Ferreira the gloves.

Squad: Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Faf du Plessis (c), Leus du Plooy, Donovan Ferreira, George Garton, Lewis Gregory, Reeza Hendricks, Alzarri Joseph, Janneman Malan, Aaron Phangiso, Neil Brand, Romario Shepherd, Malusi Siboto, Maheesh Theekshana, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams

Possible starting XI: Faf du Plessis, Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Donovan Ferreira, Leus du Plooy, Romario Shepherd, Kyle Verreyne, Alzarri Joseph, Gerald Coetzee, Aaron Phangiso/Lizaad Williams, Maheesh Theekshana

Fixtures: January 11 - Durban Super Giants (a); January 13 - Paarl Royals (a); January 14 - MI Cape Town (a); January 17 - Pretoria Capitals (h); January 18 - Pretoria Capitals (a); January 21 - Sunrisers Eastern Cape (a); January 24 - Durban Super Giants (h); February 3 - Paarl Royals (h);February 5 - Sunrisers Eastern Cape (h); February 6 - MI Cape Town (h)