SA Squad to Australia
 

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Is it too late to give Kieswetter the call-up?

I don't think it's been long enough since he last played for England even if he wanted to.

If there's a place where you keep the leggie in over the more accurate finger spinner, it's Australia.

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.