AB wants to make things difficult

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Cricket365
December 17, 2014

Proteas batsman AB de Villiers claims the South Africans will try and dominate the touring West Indies outfit from the start of their Test series, which starts in Centurion on Wednesday.

The Windies, currently ranked eighth in the world while the South Africans are the top-ranked side, have only won one Test in SA – in Port Elizabeth in 2007.

"We want to come into the game with a bang and make them feel very far away from home," De Villiers said at a media briefing in Pretoria.

"We are mature enough to step it up. We know what's expected of us. The way the senior players lead the team is about working hard in the nets and walking around with confidence."

Whilst the Proteas will look to play an attacking brand of cricket throughout, De Villiers believes a circumspect start with the bat is needed.

"Centurion has always been a ground where you take your time in the first hour or two and earn your right to score quickly," he said.

"At about 3pm to 4pm, the wicket gets a bit flatter and that's when you can cash in."

De Villiers added that the Proteas are considering going with a four-prong pace attack and not include Robin Peterson.

Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander are shoo-ins in the side, with Kyle Abbott the like inclusion as the fourth seamer.

The possibility exists that 19-year-old quick Kagiso Rabada could be handed a Test debut, after impressing at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.

"It's the biggest decision that management will have to make. Centurion normally doesn't turn that much," De Villiers continued.

"(An option is) to go with that extra seamer. But it might also not be a bad idea to play a spinner."