South African great Barry Richards has identified legspinner Imran Tahir as the Proteas’ weak link which Australia’s experienced middle-order will exploit in their heavyweight battle.
Richards feared the likes of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke would easily milk runs from the former Pakistani who is battling to cement his place in Test cricket.
Tahir is best utilised by South African skipper Graeme Smith in cleaning up the opposition tail.
His disappointing average of 40 for his 26 Test wickets highlights his struggles against specialist batsmen.
Richards felt the 33-year-old legspinner was often impatient and bowled too many loose deliveries in the search for wickets, especially with his over-used googly.
“He takes his wickets against eight, nine, 10 and 11 and he does that particularly well,” he said at the Brisbane pre-Test luncheon.
“(But) if you are a Ricky Ponting or a Michael Clarke, who are class players, you know you are going to get a four-ball every over and that’s what concerns me.
“For Graeme Smith, what does he do? Does he defend? Does he have a man back as a sweeper back on the off-side?
“Do you worry about that one bad ball? A good player is going to sit there and wait for it and he’s going to put it away every time.
“Tahir has to relax a little bit more and make sure he doesn’t bowl that bad ball every over.”
Amid all the hype of South Africa’s high-quality pace attack, Richards also warned the Proteas could be badly exposed if injury struck Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander or Morne Morkel.
The uncapped Rory Kleinveldt is the tourists’ next pace cab off the rank and Richards believed there wasn’t enough depth behind the three incumbent quicks.
Richards, who averaged 72 in his only four Tests before South Africa was shut out of international cricket due to apartheid, rated the opening Gabba Test, starting on Friday, as the most important of the three-game series.
“Both sides are so evenly matched,” he said. “The critical Test match is here.
“There’s good assistance for the bowlers here. Twenty wickets is the name of the game in Test cricket and this one is vital for both sides.”
