Rain and tactical missteps leave Lance Klusener’s Super Giants on the SA20 brink

Any coach who takes the helm of a Durban-based side risks seeing their season being washed away by the coastal rain — a factor that has often heralded a manager's demise.

Lance Klusener, the current coach of Durban’s Super Giants and a local himself, would have known this better than anyone.

Klusener has had to endure three abandoned matches this season, a factor that has played a significant role in the team’s dwindling playoff hopes following their narrow defeat to the Paarl Royals at Boland Park on Tuesday night. While Klusener acknowledged the impact of the weather, he refused to use it as a crutch.

“I think the rain's hurt us a little bit,” Klusener told reporters after the loss in Paarl.

“Not to make excuses, but it's three games where we didn't really get the opportunity to showcase [what we can do]. So that's hurt. That will hurt in the long run.”

Despite the weather, which is beyond Klusener’s control, there have been several costly tactical calls this season. For instance, it is difficult to fathom why Sunil Narine has opened the batting only once since his arrival in South Africa.

Narine is renowned worldwide for his destructive power during the first powerplay, yet Klusener opted to bat him lower down the order during his maiden SA20 appearance at Kingsmead.

Given that the Super Giants languished in the lower half of the standings for the majority of the tournament, it was surprising to see Klusener gamble on the likes of Marques Ackerman and David Bedingham.

While both South Africans are undoubtedly talented, it is no secret that the shortest format is perhaps not their greatest strength. Furthermore, if Klusener intended to grant opportunities to fringe players, why not do so after qualification for the knockout stages had been secured?

Even Aiden Markram only featured at the top of the order on one or two occasions. When he finally did open at Boland Park, he top-scored with a brilliant 66. It raises the question of why he was not opening from the outset, especially as national coach Shukri Conrad has made it clear that Markram will open the batting in next month’s T20 World Cup in India.

“Aiden's won this competition a number of times, so he knows how to get it done. I thought he's been outstanding,” Klusener said in praise of Markram. “He's a superb leader and an inspiration to us all; we've enjoyed his company. It’s a little bit frustrating to have let him down a little bit.”

The Super Giants have just one match remaining, and their chances of progressing past the round-robin stage are now paper-thin. Regardless of the final result, it appears unlikely that Klusener will return for Season 5, leaving his successor with a complex rebuilding job ahead.