South Africa vs England, 2020 ODI series: 5 Things to watch out for

#3 Search for Tahir and Amla’s successors

In Tahir's absence, Shamsi becomes the lead spinner for SA

Two very important players for South Africa said goodbye to international cricket after the World Cup – Imran Tahir and Hashim Amla. Now, their former team is searching for their replacements. This series would be an audition for those who aspire to take up their spots in the playing XI.

At the moment, Amla’s replacement seems easier to find. In normal circumstances, it would have been Aiden Markram. But with him injured, the position would likely be taken by Reeza Hendricks. He too is a highly talented player who scored a hundred on debut against Sri Lanka in 2018.

But his position isn’t all that secure as the back-up opener with Janneman Malan being brought into the squad. If he fails in the first two ODIs, Hendricks may well have to make way for the new kid on the block.

As far as the spin department is concerned, the current succession model has Tabraiz Shamsi taking over from Tahir. But here too, the selectors have given themselves options by bringing in Bjorn Fortuin – a left arm spinner.

So, both Shamsi and Fortuin may get an opportunity. If either or both succeed, it would be a huge relief for the African team. Otherwise, the selectors would have a huge headache finding a reliable tweaker in the white-ball formats.