If South Africa were taking a watered-down ODI squad to Bangladesh on the back of host’s nominally poor results against big teams‚ eyebrows would not be raised.

However‚ Chandika Hathurusingha’s charges have suddenly looked unbeatable with subcontinental superpowers India and Pakistan suffering unexpected series defeats with full-strength sides.

Normally‚ Bangladesh have tended to explode and dissipate with equal measure but they have shown a remarkable consistency that is not associated with the Tigers.

Former Proteas paceman and current Easterns coach Andre Nel said picking an under-strength side for the limited overs leg will ask serious questions of South Africa’s depth.

AB de Villiers‚ Hashim Amla‚ Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy will all make the trip for the three-match ODI series but with no Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander‚ the bowling looks a little light even though Ryan McLaren‚ Kyle Abbott and Morne Morkel will be leading the Proteas attack next month.

“They have a nice mix of slightly older and younger players who are gelling well‚ which is why it is a bit of a concern that we are taking a slightly weaker team to Bangladesh. Their senior players are not older than 30 and they have morphed into a dangerous senior core that delivers consistently. They need to be taken more seriously now but I hope the younger guys can stand up and be counted‚” Nel said.

“Just because their Champions Trophy qualification is secured doesn’t mean they will be less of a threat. After beating Pakistan and India‚ they will want to continue with that momentum. If they can beat South Africa and India in back-to back series‚ that’ll prove how good they are. They’ve always been compared to Zimbabwe and they’ll want to shrug that off.”

Despite snaring career-best ODI figures of 5-45 in Providence against Bangladesh in Guyana during the 2007 Cricket World Cup‚ Nel had to watch on in horror as the army of left-arm spinners tied an inextricable web on a tacky surface.

The 67-run reverse remains South Africa’s sole defeat against Bangladesh in all formats of the game‚ with Mashrafe Mortaza‚ Tamim Iqbal‚ Shakib-Al-Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim all fresh faces. They are now the leaders of a side whose youngsters are proving to be the aggressors.

Their newfound‚ in-your-face brand of cricket has been encapsulated in the performances of 19-year-old left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman‚ who’s taken 11 wickets through a “six-fer” and a “five-fer” in his first two games.

Pace bowling has been one of their long-standing weaknesses but the muscle of Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain has added teeth to their penetrative spin bowling. It is an improvement that has impressed Nel even though he expected AB de Villiers’ side to rise to the challenge.

“Their bowlers under Heath Streak and Hathurusingha have been very good but some credit needs to be given to the guys who came in before them. The biggest thing that has come from them are their improved skill levels as you need skill to thrive on those pitches. That is one department where they have become really good at‚” Nel said.

“Because the senior players are persistently taking responsibility‚ the younger players are also realising that they need to contribute in their way. They’ve learnt the art of establishing and building partnerships. They also play for each other now and they are getting smarter in the way they play their cricket‚ which is why they are far more effective now.”

The two-T20 and three-ODI series begins on July 5.