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Dynamite de Villiers looms as danger man

Wide World of Sports stars pick their players to watch ahead of ODI series against South Africa

Batting wizard AB de Villiers has been identified as South Africa’s danger man in the Carlton Mid ODI series, but unfortunately for Australia, he’s not the only one they must watch out for.

The Proteas welcome back a galaxy of stars for the five-match one-day international series that starts in Perth on Friday, with de Villiers joining fast bowlers Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, along with top-order batsmen Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis, after sitting out the preceding KFC T20 international series won by the hosts 2-1.

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So it was no easy task when cricket.com.au asked Channel Nine’s Wide World of Sports experts to name South Africa’s biggest threat.

Australia’s dashing opening batsman from the 1990s, Michael Slater, opted for the Proteas one-day skipper.

“AB de Villiers is a real danger man,” he told cricket.com.au at the Wide World of Sports season launch on Monday.

“He seems to continually score runs. He’s dynamite really.

“He can set the pace, he’s very smart in a run chase as well.

“But then you’ve got Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Amla, who’s one of the best batsmen in the world.”

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One of the commentary team’s newest members, Mike Hussey selected the ‘usual suspects’ in Steyn, Morkel, du Plessis and Amla, and expects the series, that features the two best ODI nations in cricket, to be a summer blockbuster.

“It’s going to be a huge series,” Hussey said.

“No.1 and No.2 in the world, there’s going to be a lot of motivation because there’s a World Cup coming up at the end of the summer, so all the guys will be pushing their claims.

“I’m expecting a very fierce series. There’s a little bit of ‘etchiness’ between the two teams and I’m sure that will come out.”

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Former wicketkeeper Ian Healy agrees with Hussey, and is eager to see the two teams shape up against each other following the well-publicised feud between Michael Clarke and Dale Steyn that came to a head during the third Test in Cape Town earlier this year.

“They’ve got strength and weapons across the park,” said Healy.

“AB de Villiers continues to make runs in whatever form he’s playing in, against Australia especially.

“Hashim Amla, if he’s not No.1 in the world he must be close.

“And then there’s Dale Steyn. They’re talking about this average relationship between the two sides and it stems from Dale Steyn their spearhead and our captain, who’s our spearhead.

“That will be interesting to watch and see how it develops. South Africa will probably play a real gang mentality with Morne Morkel and Philander and Dale Steyn.”

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Arguably Australia’s fastest ever bowler, Brett Lee unsurprisingly likes the look of the Proteas pace attack, the same battery that had the Australian captain ducking and weaving for his life in Cape Town.

“I reckon their fast bowlers will be ones that Australia has to deal with,” Lee said.

“We’ve seen what’s happened in the Test match when guys like Steyn and Morkel try to pepper our captain Michael Clarke, and he did find a way to get through it and get a hundred.

“I was chatting to Dale Steyn last night (Sunday) and he’s looking forward to it (the ODI series), he’s up for the challenge. I think there’s going to be some fireworks in Perth.”