***Official*** England in South Africa 2015/16

[Howe_zat]

I do think CricketWeb has something missing. Often one short of a full set

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Wait what, seriously?

Oh no

favoured the leg-side too much iirc

yeah infract me

 

[Stefan9]

Better late then never. Stephen Cook added to the squad.

Cook added to Proteas squad
2016-01-18 11:58 SHARE THIS

Stephen Cook (Gallo Images)
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Cape Town - Cricket South Africa (CSA) has added Stephen Cook to the Proteas squad for the final Test against England, starting at SuperSport Park on Friday.

The Highveld Lions opening batsman currently tops the Sunfoil Series batting averages with 415 runs at an average of 83 including two centuries. If he does gain selection for the final XI he will part of the first ever father and son combination to represent the Proteas in a Test match.

His father, Jimmy, played in three Test matches against India and Sri Lanka between 1992 and 1993.

“Stephen has been in excellent form this season,” commented CSA Selection Convener, Linda Zondi, and gives us another option at the top of the order.”

Proteas Test squad

AB de Villiers (Titans, captain), Kyle Abbott (Dolphins), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Temba Bavuma (Highveld Lions), Stephen Cook (Highveld Lions), Quinton de Kock (Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (Titans), Dean Elgar (Titans), Morne Morkel (Titans), Chris Morris (Titans), Dane Piedt (Cape Cobras), Kagiso Rabada (Highveld Lions), Rilee Rossouw (Knights), Dale Steyn (Cape Cobras), Stiaan van Zyl (Cape Cobras), Hardus Viljoen (Highveld Lions)

Cook added to Proteas squad | Sport24

 

[Daemon]

Looks like van Zyl's time has run out. Pity he was required to open imo, I think he's a a pretty decent middle order batsman and better than Bavuma.

 

[91Jmay]

Wait what, seriously?

Oh no

Wasn't he rumored to be playing away? If true can't really blame her.

 

[Oduodu]

So who will be left out ??? Faf ?? And just 3 players of colour again ??

 

[Garson007]

just 3 players of colour again ??

Piedt will play.

 

[91Jmay]

Piedt should never have been dropped. Made no difference to the result but just another example of bad, muddled selection policy.

 

[Stefan9]

So who will be left out ??? Faf ?? And just 3 players of colour again ??

Viljoen will be dropped for piedt,van zyl makes way for cook, if fit qdk will come back in for vilas. Think they will drop faf and give either jp or rossouw a game.

 

[91Jmay]

Elgar
Cook
Amla
Ab
Rossouw
Bavuma
Vilas
Piedt
Rabada
Abbott
Morkel

Would be my team.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

If Footit doesn't play this game I doubt, given his age, he'll play a Test.

The Windies, in their pomp, used to pick a new young bowler and expect nothing from him. The old heads would do the damage and they could just bowl. With Anderson and road at least steady and Stokes as the wild card Footit could slip in quietly.

By the summer a fit Wood added to the others would block him early and if they want a left armer before long Topley will be talked about, and Curran isn't far down the road if things go well.

SA have to play Abbott and bring back Piedt. The two newest seamers have to be canned.

When he got got there was a report that Steyn had a rotator cuff issue. If that was the case he was never going to feature again in the series.

 

[Stefan9]

Also just a correction cause see all the news articles are trying to claim that if stephen gets picked he and jimmy would be the first father/son combo. That is inaccurate but the SA media seems to want to forget that SA played international cricket before 1992. The Pollocks and Nourse were before the Cook pairing.

 

[Furball]

Broad has played all three?

Excellent, I had GIMH in the smart arse sweepstake

 

[cnerd123]

Wasn't he rumored to be playing away? If true can't really blame her.

This is all news to me.

WAC.

Although if this is all true, he could definitely help SA improve their away record. *badum tish!*

 

[Marius]

Also just a correction cause see all the news articles are trying to claim that if stephen gets picked he and jimmy would be the first father/son combo. That is inaccurate but the SA media seems to want to forget that SA played international cricket before 1992. The Pollocks and Nourse were before the Cook pairing.

The Lindsays too I think, off the top of my head.

EDIT: Currently five father-and-son pairs for SA: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283744.html

Vince van der Bijl and his father, Pieter, would have been another, if it wasn't for isolation.

 

[Marius]

So who will be left out ??? Faf ?? And just 3 players of colour again ??

I agree with the others - will be four players of colour, because PIedt will play.

But what is more important, picking the best XI, or trying to shoehorn a player of colour in to meet some arbitrary representivity threshold?

 

[Oduodu]

It depends on the selectors If guess if they want to enforce the quotas . But selection policy is selection policy. You can't drop it.

I would be happy with faf going out and van zyl going to 5 cook to 1 and piedt in hardus's place. Abbot should come in for morris.

 

[FBU]

van Zyl - should have used his bowling more, 3 wickets at 23.00

 

[Marius]

It depends on the selectors If guess if they want to enforce the quotas . But selection policy is selection policy. You can't drop it.

I would be happy with faf going out and van zyl going to 5 cook to 1 and piedt in hardus's place. Abbot should come in for morris.

I reckon Van Zyl should be moved out totally for now, and either JP or Rossouw comes in at five.

My team:
Cook
Elgar
Amla
AB
Rossouw
Bra T
QDK
Piedt
Abbott
Rabada
Morkel

 

[Prince EWS]

It depends on the selectors If guess if they want to enforce the quotas . But selection policy is selection policy. You can't drop it.

All four POC should be picked on merit/performance at this point anyway so it's a bit of a red herring right at this moment, at least as far as the Test side is concerned.