- Proteas coach Mark Boucher says the on-field captain, that being Heinrich Klaasen, has the prerogative to use bowlers in the way he sees fit during a game.
- Klaasen hasn't used Andile Phehlukwayo in the second and third T20s against Pakistan while only utilising him for two overs in the first T20.
- The tactic of not using Phehlukwayo paid off in the second T20, but failed in the third when the Proteas chased leather at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.
Proteas coach Mark Boucher says the on-field captain, presently Heinrich Klaasen, has the prerogative to use bowlers according to how he sees fit during match situations.
This comes after all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo has bowled just two overs across the three T20s against Pakistan.
Phehlukwayo bowled two overs in the first T20 but went unused in the second and third matches where the bowling was contrasting.
SA won the second T20 through a disciplined bowling performance, but suffered at the hands of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the third T20 on Wednesday.
Klaasen had said in the post-match press conference that he didn’t have the need to bowl Phehlukwayo despite the sustained assault from Pakistan’s opening batsmen that led to the comprehensive nine-wicket win.
Still, Boucher said Phehlukwayo was playing as an all-rounder and not just a batsman.
"He’s not playing as a batter. He’s playing as an all-rounder and as I said at the end of the T20 series against England in Cape Town, we can’t go into a game with just five bowlers," the coach said.
"It just doesn’t work and with certain guys not performing on certain nights, you need back-up for those guys.
"We probably have seven bowling options, which is nice. In the previous match where Andile didn’t bowl, we bowled very well and we used the guys who bowled well. Maybe that’s why he didn’t bowl. Our captain has got options and he has to make the call with regards to which ones he wants to go with."
Boucher said the Azam/Rizwan assault that saw them put together an opening stand of 197 forced them into a tactical corner that the likes of Sisanda Magala and Lizaad Williams may not have experienced in their careers.
Boucher admitted the consistent aggression from Azam and Rizwan rattled them.
"Maybe in the game we got ourselves in a position where we bowled death early and there are certain guys who fit that game. Sisanda and Lizaad are very good death bowlers and maybe he (Klaasen) chose to go with both guys at that time to make it difficult for Pakistan to score. It didn’t come off," Boucher said.
"The good thing about it is that the captain has different options to go to and he’s the one who has to make the call on the day with regards to what he wants the bowlers to do.
"Our guys haven’t responded to pressure in the way they can. I understand they’re not used to being attacked in the way they were at this level. That can be intimidating. We got rattled and didn’t stick to our plans."
The fourth and final T20 takes place on Friday.