JP Duminy had initially been sentenced to a full Test tour of England but has been released early due to good behaviour and bad batting.
Duminy has been around a while. He made his one-day international debut in 2004 and his Test debut in 2008. Somehow he has played 46 Test matches, which is both more and fewer than you would imagine.
He has at various times been a batsman, a quasi-all-rounder and just a name on the team sheet. He averages 32 with the bat and 38 with the ball.
Newspapers have not for the most part expanded on his release from the South Africa squad, so we’re unclear whether it was intended as a kick up the arse, an act of mercy, or a merciful kick up the arse.
There’s also the possibility that it’s an out-and-out discardation, in which case ‘release’ seems even more euphemistic than normal.
Not so long ago, this South Africa batting line-up looked stronger than Geoff Capes crossed with a grizzly bear. Now? Not so much.
JP Duminy’s Test record is improving: one in his first innings, 50 not out in his second and 166 in his third.
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