Johnson: South Africans are predictable

Cricket365
September 5, 2014

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has engaged in a bit of mental sparring with South Africa ahead of the tri-series final, opining that the Proteas are predictable and set in their ways.

The Proteas joined the Aussies in the Harare finale by beating Zimbabwe on Thursday, having lost to Oz in their previous game. But, The Aussies lost to the Proteas too, failing to defend a score of 327 earlier in the tournament.

But Johnson still feels the South Africans are set in their ways and will play to their usual formula, and he hopes his side can give them a shake up and remove them from their comfort zone on Saturday.

Johnson said: "We know what they're like and they're pretty structured in their ways. They like to play a certain way and they do it most times. It gets brought up in most meetings that we have, that they have that structure.

"We know when they're going to bowl in their power plays. They are very structured in the way that they do everything so we're trying to prepare ourselves as much as possible to how we want to perform.

"We're ready to adapt to any conditions and we've done that in the past. We go out there and play our own game."

George Bailey, captain in place of the injured Michael Clarke, agreed: "They've been pretty consistent … for the most part it's probably worked.

"If we play well hopefully that puts pressure on them to do something different."

Bailey also said it helped to have someone like Johnson in the side to rattle the Proteas a bit, especially after he sent down a delivery that fractured Ryan McLaren's arm and ruled him out of the final.

He said of MiJo: "It's unfortunate when blokes get injured but it's a great weapon up our sleeve.

"No doubt you can feel that on the field and it makes it easier as a fielding group to get energetic and buzz about when he's got batsmen hopping about."