Phangiso is a 'complete package' - provincial team coach

Despite a career overshadowed by Imran Tahir, and the possibility of soon being overtaken by a younger crop of spinners, Aaron Phangiso still has a lot to offer South African cricket, according to his provincial coach. Monty Jacobs, who was in charge of Phangiso at North West and will reconnect with him this weekend at the Africa Cup, sees the left-arm spinner as a "complete package", who could play a major role in the upcoming tour of India, if selected, in any or all formats.

"People tend to get boxed in easily and Phangi has got this label as a limited-overs bowler but that's not exactly the case," Jacobs told ESPNcricinfo. "The season before he got selected for South Africa, he was playing a lot of first-class cricket for me and that is what got him going. He has a lot of skill with the red ball."

Phangiso first played for South Africa in December 2012, in a Twenty20 against New Zealand and has since been a regular limited-overs squad member, although an irregular in the starting XI. In the two summers prior to his debut, Phangiso had his best returns in first-class cricket, taking 15 wickets at 25.13 in 2010-11 and 16 wickets at 28.50 in the 2011-12 season. Those figures were achieved at the provincial, semi-professional level, not franchise cricket where Tahir edged Phangiso out of the Lions side.

A slew of spinners, including Eddie Leie, have since kept Phangiso on the fringes of the franchise first-class XI - he last played for them in the format in October last year - but the national selectors knew of Phangiso's longer-form ability. He was selected in the Test squad which toured Bangladesh in July but did not play either of the two matches. He will be back in contention for the India series and Jacobs said he would not be surprised if Phangiso is picked across all formats, not just the limited-overs' ones.

"Coaches look for consistency and that's what Phangi offers, especially in the longer format," Jacobs said. "In one-day cricket, you tend to bowl with a flat trajectory and target the pads but Phangi is skillful enough to get the ball past the bat as well. He is a good fielder and has even done well with the bat. He is actually the complete package."

Phangiso has seven first-class fifties to his name, more than Dane Piedt (5) or Leie (1), but half that of Simon Harmer, who has 14 and a century. All three are likely ahead of Phangiso in the queue - Piedt and Harmer at Test level, and Leie as a T20 option. This could mean that even if Phangiso travels, as he did at the World Cup, he may not play. And that, according to Jacobs, will be South Africa's loss.

"I do feel a bit sorry for him because sometimes he is more of a tourist and deep down there may be that hurt of not playing but when you see him, Phangi is a happy guy," Jacobs said. "He is a real character and a great guy to have in any team."