Champions Trophy kick off

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 kicks off today at SuperSport Park Centurion. Sri Lanka will take on the hosts South Africa.

There is some talk about there being some spin in the pitch which should see both teams fielding two spinners, in Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe for South Africa and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis for Sri Lanka. The inclusion of the second spin bowler will probably keep Wayne Parnell or Mhakaya Ntini out the side.It would be difficult to leave Parnell out, remember how he took Australia apart at the same ground a few months back?

The home ICC Champions Trophy is probably South African crickets best opportunity to win an ICC trophy, and shake the tag of ‘chokers’ and ‘nearly boys’.