'Why start there?' — Faf du Plessis questions CSA's logic behind Proteas' Durban Test opener

South Africa suffered a 214-run defeat to Australia at Kingsmead in the opening Test of their three-match series, falling behind 1-0 with two matches remaining. The loss at the Durban venue extended a concerning pattern for the home side, with the Proteas having lost eight of their last 12 Tests there. Australia's success at Kingsmead has been equally pronounced, with the visitors winning four consecutive Tests at the ground dating back to 2009.

Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis has raised serious questions about the Cricket South Africa board's decision to schedule the series opener at a venue where the home team's record is weak and the opposition's is exceptionally strong. Du Plessis, speaking on his Cricinfo podcast following the defeat, expressed concern about the strategic implications of this venue selection for South Africa's chances in the series.

“For me, there's a big question mark that I would like to ask the powers of South Africa, whoever makes those decision. When you have a record as poor as you have at Kingsmead, Durban, and when Australia has such a good record — I think they've won their last four consecutive Test matches at Durban against us — and you start your first Test there, where you say to the opposition, ‘Let's start at a place where you are most comfortable in’," said Du Plessis as quoted by IOL.

“If I compare it to the other venues in South Africa — Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Wanderers — at all of those venues, South Africa, the Proteas, have a superior record. So there's my first question that I would ask,” he added.

Du Plessis's assessment of South Africa's comparative strength across the country is supported by the statistical record at alternative venues. At the Wanderers, Australia have won five of seven Tests, achieving a 71 per cent success rate. At Newlands in Cape Town, Australia have triumphed in four of seven Tests.

By contrast, the Proteas have dominated in two of three Tests at St George's Park in Gqeberha and hold an equal 50 per cent share in two Tests at Centurion. These figures underscore du Plessis's contention that venues other than Kingsmead would have offered South Africa a more favourable starting position.

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Crowd attendance and the spectator experience

Du Plessis also raised concerns about the spectator experience and the commercial implications of staging the opening Test at Durban. The former captain highlighted that Kingsmead has consistently attracted lower attendance figures compared to other South African cricket grounds, which he viewed as a missed opportunity for a high-profile series between two major Test nations.

“Secondly, from a crowd perspective, Durban is also the worst viewing numbers ground in South Africa. So all this hype, all this amazing talk before the first Test, South Africa against Australia, iconic series, 2018 is the last time they were here... Now they come back, no crowd, and you look at the TV and you go, ‘No, that's not good, man. I don't want to see that. I want to see a full crowd watching this big series’,” said Du Plessis.

The series will continue with the second Test at St George's Park, Gqeberha, from October 18-22, followed by the third Test at Newlands, Cape Town, from October 27-31. Du Plessis's captaincy record against Australia remains distinctive; he was the only Proteas captain to have led South Africa to both away and home Test series victories over Australia since the country's return to international cricket in 1991, achieving these triumphs in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

His 2018 series victory came amid the Sandpapergate scandal in Cape Town, and du Plessis himself faced controversy in 2016 when he was charged for using a sweet to shine the ball during the Hobart Test.