Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Newly appointed Proteas fielding coach Justin Ontong has revealed his strategy to improve the national sides fielding.
Ontong effectively retired from cricket last month in order to take up his role as fielding coach in Ottis Gibson's new-look support staff.
The 37-year-old told the Cape Cobras Magazine his plans on improving the Proteas' fielding, a department that seemed evidently poor during the Bangladesh home series tour.
"I would like to introduce fielding practices to smaller groups of SA players and sharpen their basic skills even more. One of those skills is to increase the number of direct hits per match," Ontong told the Cobras Magazine.
The Proteas take on Zimbabwe in the historic four-day pink-ball day/night Test at St. Georges Park on Boxing Day.
Ontong believes that any effort made on the field could help the Proteas progress to the top of the Test rankings.
"I will have to discuss the fielding plans with the management team in the quest for even greater excellence," said the former Cobras skipper.
"If I can achieve an improvement of 10 percent overall, it would be a step in the right direction. Small margins can take South Africa to the summit of the Test rankings again."
After the one-off Test match in Port Elizabeth, the Proteas will take on world No 1 India in a three-match Test series, starting at Newlands on January 5.
Ontong had a on and off stint for the Proteas, making appearances in two Tests, 28 ODIs and 14 T20Is.
Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test against Zimbabwe is at 13:30 SA time.
Proteas Test squad:
Faf du Plessis (Titans, captain), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Temba Bavuma (Cape Cobras), Quinton de Kock (Titans), Theunis de Bruyn (Knights), AB de Villiers (Titans), Dean Elgar (Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Titans), Morne Morkel (Titans), Andile Phehlukwayo (Dolphins), Vernon Philander (Cape Cobras), Kagiso Rabada (Highveld Lions), Dale Steyn (Titans)
