Botha wants to shed Redbacks’ loser tag

South African Johan Botha wants to bury South Australia’s under-achieving past in his first match as Redbacks captain.

Botha will lead SA against Tasmania in a Sheffield Shield game starting on Tuesday which he hopes ushers in a new era for the perennial Shield strugglers.

SA haven’t won in their past 17 Shield games – a losing stretch dating back to December 2010, the same month limited overs specialist Botha played his last four-day match.

“We have got to take the focus off that (losing streak),” Botha told reporters in Adelaide on Monday.

“I know it’s there and it’s in everyone’s eyes that we haven’t played well in the last two years. You can’t get around that.

“But I think we have almost just got to take it session by session – it’s an easy thing to say but that is where we have got to start.”

Botha missed SA’s season-opening Shield loss against Queensland last week due to his South African commitments in the Twenty20 World Cup.

He said he would ask his new Redbacks team-mates to revel in the challenge of turning around their Shield fortunes.

“A lot of captains want to stamp their authority on guys – that is not me,” Botha said.

“I want the guys to go out there and take responsibility and learn for themselves. You can’t tell everyone how to play.

“I just want them to go out there, express themselves, and enjoy it.”

Botha may start his Redbacks career without the man he replaced as captain, with prolific run-scorer Michael Klinger in doubt for the Adelaide Oval clash against Tasmania because of a shoulder injury.

Allrounder Daniel Christian will play for the Redbacks despite just returning from Australia”s T20 World Cup campaign.

But national T20 skipper George Bailey and his Australian colleague Xavier Doherty won’t play in the Shield match, nor will swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus who has travelled to join the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

Teams:

SA: Johan Botha (capt), Dan Christian, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Travis Head, Phillip Hughes, Michael Klinger, Tim Ludeman, Nathan Lyon, Sam Miller, Gary Putland, Chadd Sayers, Daniel Worrall (12th man to be named, one to be omitted).

Tasmania: Tim Paine (capt), Aiden Blizzard, Jackson Bird, Luke Butterworth, Mark Cosgrove, Ed Cowan, Alex Doolan, James Faulkner, Jason Krejza, Adam Maher, Ricky Ponting, Sam Rainbird (12th man to be named).

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