LEFT ARM OVER NEIL MANTHORP
NEIL MANTHORP: Captain Faf’s magic gets everyone involved and smiling
Hansie Cronjé’s pedestal was one of the more embarrassing examples of the media’s ability to construct a plinth to support just about anything, certainly in sport. Cronje’s career and achievements deserve far more recognition and respect than is the case, and that is in part due to the lack of questioning he received during his captaincy. He was a brilliant leader of men. Everyone from Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Herschelle Gibbs to Mark Boucher said so at the time of his match-fixing demise and would have continued to do so had the "atmosphere" been more conducive to do so. As one who did question, albeit with trepidation rather than with temerity, I experienced the backlash. It is with this background that we should assess the leadership of Faf du Plessis who has done more than most to turn around the fortunes of the national Test team. His captaincy has been a vivid illustration of what can be achieved when an individual finds himself in a place of clear, fearless vision.Before ...
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