South Africa Thread

[Richard]

If van der Wath goes to the WC, I'll be worrying about another first-significant-round exit (ie Super Eight).

 

[aussie]

how much of Van der Wath have you seen?, that bloke would walk into the most ODI sides in the world IMO.

 

[Richard]

Uh, then how come he doesn't walk into SA's side, then...?

He's wholly average as a bowler - produces one really good spell then sprays it all over everywhere the next six.

 

[aussie]

It shows how good the SA ODI side are. Yes he has beena bit expensive at times at international level but that doesn't mean he is garbage, you have Sky and would have seen him when he was over here in 2005 and he is very dangerous late order batsman & a effective swing bowler.

 

[Richard]

Effective 1 time out of 7...

Decent late-order slogger, yes, but not good enough with the ball to play regularly for anyone ODI-class IMO.

 

[Langeveldt]

Van der Wath would step into the England side, not that it says a great deal, but I'd have him as backup if any of our pacers got injured.. Id almost have him over Langeveldt

 

[Richard]

Maybe he'd get into our side but I don't see that he'd do enormously better than the Harmisons and Mahmoods.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Confident SA unchanged for WC.

 

[Goughy]

Van der Wath would step into the England side, not that it says a great deal, but I'd have him as backup if any of our pacers got injured.. Id almost have him over Langeveldt

vdW is interesting. Im not his biggest fan but there are guys that rate him very highly here in SA. I would go with Tyron over him but in SA that is unthinkable

 

[Richard]

Tyron (Henderson, I presume you're talking about) hardly filled me with confidence when I saw him last summer.

 

[jot1]

The side picked would have been my choice too except for Telemachus. I would have preferred Thomas or Harris.
Polly mentioned in an interview this will be his last World Cup so I see retirement looming. It will be a great loss for South Africa. He is like fine wine. The older he gets the better he plays.
But just like with Donald, someone like Ntini will step up to the plate. I just wonder who it will be? Predictions, anyone?

 

[Goughy]

The side picked would have been my choice too

Bosman

 

[Perm]

But just like with Donald, someone like Ntini will step up to the plate. I just wonder who it will be? Predictions, anyone?

From what I've seen of Morne Morkel during the one game he played for South Africa he looked a good prospect, quite tall and a solid lad who can get up to a reasonable pace. If he sorts out his problems with wides and no-balls, that were probably due to nerves, I can see him being a very good bowler.

 

[Pup Clarke]

.
But just like with Donald, someone like Ntini will step up to the plate. I just wonder who it will be? Predictions, anyone?

Dale Steyn?.

 

[Goughy]

Dale Steyn?.

From what I've seen of Morne Morkel during the one game he played for South Africa he looked a good prospect.

I think she was asking for players that were in the WC squad. Hard to make an impact when you are sat at home like Morkel and Steyn

 

[Pup Clarke]

Maybe Andrew Hall?.Very underated bowler IMO.

 

[Goughy]

Without wanting target/quotas brought up for the umpteenth time.

I am seriously hoping SAs selection decisions do not derail what I think is their best chance to win the World Cup. They have a great core of an ODI side, its just that the peripheral players are a little dubious.

Starting with Dippenaar. Would any other team in the world leave a player at home (behind Bosman etc) that is still under 30 yrs old, has played in over 100 ODIs and averages over 40 with the bat in them?

Its even more curious when you consider that the last ODI series SA played in WI, Dippenaar was Man of the Series and he also has more ODI hundreds than De Villiers, Bosman, Prince and Kemp combined (he has 4 they have 1 (Kemp)).

Then the spinner selection. In a recent poll Peterson finished a distant 4th out of 4 in the "Spinner that SA Should Send to WC" stakes. Not only cant he play, everyone knows he cant. As mentioned in the CW review of the SA selection, he has 16 wickets in 33 games at an average of virtually 60.

Then the final seamers decision. I wouldnt have taken Steyn, but there are other options that are better than Telemachus. Never more than a journeyman seamer, he will be 34 by the time of the World Cup. Im not van der Wath's biggest fan (there are many that are) but I would see him as a better option.

This post isnt about the politics of selection. More that I really hope the selection policy doesnt damage what I think is a great chance of winning the World Cup.

Its a shame that a squad has been selected that few, if any, would consider close to the strongest possible.

 

[adharcric]

Don't worry, I doubt the selectors can really have much of an impact.

Smith, DeV, Kallis, Gibbs, Kemp, Boucher, Pollock, Ntini and Nel are near certainties. That leaves two openings - one for a batsman and the other for a bowler.
Prince will probably take the former and he's not bad; Hall will hopefully keep Peterson out of the latter.

 

[jot1]

We go into the World Cup at the top of the rankings. I think it will make for added pressure. We also struggle to get the tailenders out. I believe both that and adding Telemachus to the team and so the mix, has weakened our chances, not enhanced them. I only hope I'm proved wrong. (Even be happy to win a Greig! )

 

[Pup Clarke]

I suspect this will probably be SA's WC X1

Graeme Smith
AB De Villiers
Jacques Kallis
Herschelle Gibbs
Ashwell Prince
Mark Boucher
Justin Kemp
Shaun Pollock
Andrew Hall
Andre Nel
Makhaya Ntini