SL Vs SA 2018: Faf du Plessis Feels ODI Series is a Great Opportunity for Newcomers

South African skipper Faf du Plessis feels that five-matches ODI series is a golden opportunity for the young gun to perform at the highest stage. The One-day International series kicked off on Sunday (July 29).

Plessis made it clear that the Proteas will try different combinations and different players will get a chance to feature and exhibit their skills.

Moreover, the middle-order batsman feels that Sri Lankan tour will help players to aid the valuable experience and exposure ahead of World Cup 2019.

“We will try and give everyone a game if possible,” Faf du Plessis said ahead of the first ODI in Dambulla.

“Once again it comes down to the combinations of our team and trying to find the best balance. It was nice for me to see a few guys put their hands up in the warm-up game,” he added.

South Africa is facing a downward situation in the cricket, especially in the ODI format. In the Champions Trophy 2017, South Africa displayed a poor show.

The last Indian tour to South Africa added the further miseries. The visitors were victorious to achieve a decent figure of 5-1 in six-match 50-over series.

This slump follows the retirement of the batting mainstay of South Africa, AB de Villiers. His departure from the side created a gaping hole in their batting line up.

But Sri Lanka got a comprehensive victory against South Africa in the two-matches Test series.

Despite this, South Africa can take a positive note as they got a win in the practice game against Sri Lanka President XI.

Also, the Sri Lankan trio spinners ran through the South African batting line-up. Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, and Akila Dananjaya picked a total of 35 scalps.

However, the tracks are expected to be batting-friendly during the ODI series, reckons Faf du Plessis.

“For me, the opportunity to learn is the most exciting thing. I personally don’t look at winning the next few series as the be-all and end-all,” said Faf du Plessis.