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South Africa's Prelimanary squad of 30

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
30: Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Garnett Kruger, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Roger Telemachus, Alfonso Thomas, Thandi Tshabalala, Johan van der Wath, Morne van Wyk.

Full Article- http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=1&NewsIDAuto=3116
 

adharcric

International Coach
South Africa are sending a 14-man A squad to Zimbabwe ahead of the final reduction to a 15-man World Cup squad. Any chance Prince or Rudolph makes the cut?
As for the spinner, are they likely to include one and if so will it be Botha, Peterson, Harris or Tshabalala? Tshabalala for me.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
Im not sure what an 'A' tour to Zimbabwe is going to achieve towards giving the selectors a better idea of who should be going to the World Cup.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
^^^ Were my thoughts exactly when I heard.

Is probably more about maintaining the pretence that their erstwhile neighbours are still credible international cricketing company.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
South Africa are sending a 14-man A squad to Zimbabwe ahead of the final reduction to a 15-man World Cup squad. Any chance Prince or Rudolph makes the cut?As for the spinner, are they likely to include one and if so will it be Botha, Peterson, Harris or Tshabalala? Tshabalala for me.
Prince will be in the 15 ahead of Boeta you would think (considering AB and Smith will open in the WC). As for the spinners, can't see Thandi going to the West Indies, might feature against Zim A however. But if South Africa do chose a spinner for the World Cup (they may not, Smith may just send down 5 overs a game) it will be someone who can either bat, Robbie P, field, Robbie P, or keep it tight/economical, Harris.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Harris who went for well over 3-an-over on a turning pitch on Test debut...?

IMO South Africa are best served playing to their strengths - and their strength has always been, unequivocally, seam. On form, Pollock, Nel, Ntini, Kallis, AN Other will do the trick nicely whatever the pitch plays like.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Harris who went for well over 3-an-over on a turning pitch on Test debut...?

IMO South Africa are best served playing to their strengths - and their strength has always been, unequivocally, seam. On form, Pollock, Nel, Ntini, Kallis, AN Other will do the trick nicely whatever the pitch plays like.
No, former England captain Lord Harris, who died in 1932.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
There are a number of guys I have issues with there, not least Botha.

Is I mentioned in another thread, Tweedie deserves an opportunity (unglamerous but maybe the best OD bowler in SA) and Tyron Henderson would be far more valuable player than Kruger and Telemachus.

As TT mentioned and I agreed with. Its nice to see Alfie get some recognition with his inclusion in this 30 man squad but he is out of his depth if he gets selected any further.

4 of the specialist batsmen (inc Batsmen that only occasioanlly bowl) in the above squad

Bosman
Prince
Ontong
Duminy

Not one of them have ever scored a List A hundred. To repeat that, not one has ever scored a OD (inc. domestic, tour, international etc) 100. That is in a combined 330 games. Hardly what you would expect from quality top order players.

Dippenaar and Rudolph have 11 between them in a number less games.

Someone like a currently inform Andrew Puttick (who is younger than a guy like Prince) has 6. Puttick should be in that squad of 30.

That puts a massive amount of pressure on the others to play match winning innings.

Personnaly, I hope they pick Morne van Wyk as a specialist bat and ignore the fact he is a keeper as he is possibly one of the top 3 OD batsmen in SA. It will not happen though.

Im not convinced about Steyn as a OD bowler. I can see why they would want him to try and put pressure on by blasting early wickets but I dont think he will be selevted in the final 15.

I dont get the inclusion of Vernon Philander. He has had an ok season. However, he neither his batting or bowling is close to being good enough or ready for this level.

Ive always been a fan of Thandi Tshabalala. His inexpreience and lack of batting ability will count against him and maybe the WC is not the right time for his introduction, but he deserves and opportunity in the near future.
 
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Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Morne van Wyk has got to be the David Terbrugge of batsmen.

How on Earth he's only played one ODI while countless others have played all those is utterly beyond me.

Yes, I know he's white, and obviously were he black he'd have played many. That's not something that takes Einstein to spot.

But equally, there have been white players preferred to him.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Morne van Wyk has got to be the David Terbrugge of batsmen.

How on Earth he's only played one ODI while countless others have played all those is utterly beyond me.

Yes, I know he's white, and obviously were he black he'd have played many. That's not something that takes Einstein to spot.

But equally, there have been white players preferred to him.
The white thing plays into it more as he is a keeper. There are a lot of guys that have and still are pushing Tsolekile to be Bouchers replacement.

The inclusion of van Wyk would push Tsolekile further down the pecking order, which would upset a lot of important people. Fingers crossed that that idea is being increasingly shelved as its obvious the there are a lot of good keeper batsmen in SA and Tsolekile isnt upto it.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
What's van Wyk's wicketkeeping actually like?

Is he a Wayne Phillips or a Deep Dasgupta, or a genuine Alec Stewart or Jeffrey Dujon (not comparing in the batting stakes).
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
What's van Wyk's wicketkeeping actually like?

Is he a Wayne Phillips or a Deep Dasgupta, or a genuine Alec Stewart or Jeffrey Dujon (not comparing in the batting stakes).
Very tidy, not as good as Boucher but his a proper wicket keeper and would keep even if he averaged say in the mid twenties you would think.
 

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