• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

SA Squad to Australia

Marius

International Debutant
So, SA's squad for the tour of Australia has been announced, only change is Rory Kleinveldt for Lonwabo Tsotsobe. I think that makes sense, Lopsy is a good limited overs bowler but he doesn't have that extra pace to be effective at Test level.

I think Tsolekile may play all three games, as apparently AB's back is crocked.

So, the team we will probably see is going to be:
Smith
Petersen
Amla
Kallis
De Villiers
Duminy
Tsolekile
Philander
Steyn
Morkel
Tahir

Full squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robbie Peterson, Vernon Philander, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Is Tsolikele a keeper?
Yeah, played a couple of tests against England on their victorious 04/05 tour of the Republic.

Looked well short of test standard in both disciplines back then, but obviously has had 8 years to hone his skills since.

What's happened to de Wet, by the way? Seems to have dropped totally off the international radar now but looked to have something about him when he played against England on their following tour.
 

Marius

International Debutant
Yeah, played a couple of tests against England on their victorious 04/05 tour of the Republic.

Looked well short of test standard in both disciplines back then, but obviously has had 8 years to hone his skills since.

What's happened to de Wet, by the way? Seems to have dropped totally off the international radar now but looked to have something about him when he played against England on their following tour.
If I recall correctly a back injury forced his early retirement.

Tsolekile is looking better, he averaged 50 in last year's FC competition.

Still not sure he is the right guy to take over from Boucher, he is already 32.

I think Dane Vilas or Heino Kuhn would have been a better option for the short term, and Quinton de Kock for the longer term.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Ah, bummer. Wasn't a stripling, but (if memory serves) he was only like 28/9 when he played against us.

Action did look a stress fracture waiting to happened tho; I may even have commented on it at the time.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Hudders said that Tsolekile has been chosen as reserve keeper but they will assess game by game so it could change but going into the first game AB will keep but you are right that AB's back problems are a concern and he can't be the keeper moving forward.

They did say a while ago that Tsolekile will get his chance vs New Zealand at home.
 

Woodster

International Captain
Yes AB is far too important to SA with the bat. I would like to see the gloves taken off him the sooner the better. He did an ok job with the gloves in England and it depends what's best for the team and the balance they want to have, but de Villiers is one of the very finest with willow in hand and I wouldn't want to see anything compromise that, and inevitably with his back problems keeping is not going to help his situation.
 

LongHopCassidy

International Captain
Batting lineup looks very, very solid even to this parochial observer. Doubts on whoever partners Smith but there are batsmen there (Amla, Duminy) who somehow manage, Laxman-like, to ignore whatever form they're nominally in and lift up a notch against Australia.

Pace trio obviously established and all seem to have injury-resistant actions. Frankly expecting more from Philander than Steyn.

Have a sneaking feeling that Tahir will be overlooked for Petersen in the Gabba Test - SA will probably have their best chance on tour to take 20 wickets with pace alone there. No real point letting an oft-wayward leggie take his chances against the Ponting/Clarke axis on an unhelpful greentop, as opposed to a conservative finger spinner who can hold up an end while Smith can rotate the quicks doing balls-out short spells from the other end.

Frothin' for a good matchup in whites after all this McCricket.
 
Last edited:

LongHopCassidy

International Captain
Yes AB is far too important to SA with the bat. I would like to see the gloves taken off him the sooner the better. He did an ok job with the gloves in England and it depends what's best for the team and the balance they want to have, but de Villiers is one of the very finest with willow in hand and I wouldn't want to see anything compromise that, and inevitably with his back problems keeping is not going to help his situation.
When I saw Tsolekile when England toured he was absolutely pitiful. No other way to put this - he looked like the most convincing argument possible against the quota system. Has he really evolved over eight years into a Test-viable option with the gloves? Is he really the best domestic specialist keeper in South Africa?
 

morgieb

Request Your Custom Title Now!
How come they too Klendivelt? Yeah he probably won't play but it seems kinda useless.

Also don't understand why they persist with AB with the gloves. Not only do they impact on his batting, they also lose his fielding.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Certainly looks a very solid side. Will take some beating.

Brisbane test could be over in a day and a half if they have a week's rain in the lead up, with both teams' pace attacks.
 

morgieb

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Certainly looks a very solid side. Will take some beating.

Brisbane test could be over in a day and a half if they have a week's rain in the lead up, with both teams' pace attacks.
Ditto Perth, last year was really green IIRC.

Where's the other test being played at? The only pitches that were flat last year was Sydney and Adelaide.
 

Marius

International Debutant
How come they too Klendivelt? Yeah he probably won't play but it seems kinda useless.
Taking him as back up in case one of the other guys get injured, seems kinda obvious.

:-/

And he was second in last year's FC averages (1st was Vernon).

Wouldn't have picked him myself, but the same could have been said about Philander to be honest, and we all know what he as done in the past year.
 

Pup Clarke

Cricketer Of The Year
I can see the Australian bowlers making some serious inroads into this Saffie top 6. Think their going to be really worried if they see Amla getting knocked over early on - such a key player for them.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Ditto Perth, last year was really green IIRC.

Where's the other test being played at? The only pitches that were flat last year was Sydney and Adelaide.
I think Hobart.

Mind you last two years have new very wet summers. This year is meant to be hotter and drier.

Really, really don't fancy Watson & Warner against Steyn and Philander.
 

Pup Clarke

Cricketer Of The Year
p00ntang will be having kittens whenever Vern has the ball. Think Warner will be fine personally against him and he's strong at hitting bowlers off their length but Watson will just be such an lbw candidate.
 

Top