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’.

Would you have picked Robin Peterson in your Proteas squad for the ICC Champions Trophy?

Consider that he’s the third spin bowler in the squad behind Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe, add to that JP Duminy is also coming on as a spinner in recent times, so he’s possibly the fourth spin bowler.

Peterson has in my opinion a poor average in ODI cricket, 58.35. Compare his average to that of Johan Botha’s 38.41 and add to that, he’s over 30 years old and has only played 35 ODI’s, doesn’t inspire confidence in me to be honest.

Mike Procter was quoted as saying: “Planning for the 2011 World Cup is very much part of our thinking but there is a lot of cricket to be played before then. We must take our selections series by series and not get ahead of ourselves.” How is picking a 30 year old with very little experience a plan for the future? By the time the world cup comes around Peterson will probably be at the end of his career, and looking to earn some pounds in county cricket.

If I we’re planning for the future, I would play a young fast bowler like Ryan Mclaren or promote Paul Harris to the ODI team.

Proteas’ Standard Bank ODI squad: Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors, vice-capt), Hashim Amla (Nashua Dolphins), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Herschelle Gibbs (Nashua Cape Cobras), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Makhaya Ntini (Chevrolet Warriors), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Robin Peterson (Nashua Cape Cobras), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Chevrolet Warriors), Roelof van der Merwe (Nashua Titans).

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday welcomed the decision by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to give Proteas spin bowler Johan Botha the green light to continue his career.

In terms of the decision of the ICC’s review process Botha has been asked not to bowl the doosra but will be able to continue his career normally in all other aspects.

The review process showed that the amount of elbow extension in Botha’s bowling action for both his off-break delivery and arm-ball was within the 15-degree level of tolerance. The mean elbow extension was 12.2 degrees for the off-break and 11.1 degrees for the arm-ball with no single delivery of those types proving to be illegal. None of his doosra deliveries fell within the legal limit.

“We welcome the positive outcome of the tests on Johan Botha after his citing by match officials towards the end of the recent tour by Australia,” commented CSA CEO Gerald Majola.

“CSA has the utmost confidence in Johan’s ability as a top-class off-spin bowler.

“The ICC tests have found fault with his doosra, and CSA and Johan will abide by this finding.

“But what is most important is that Johan remains available to play cricket at the highest level and continue to be an asset for the Proteas and his country.”

Botha said he was relieved and happy that the process had been completed. “I am looking forward to playing my next match for the Proteas and linking up with my team mates for the forthcoming ICC World T20 in England,” he commented.

“I have been bowling regularly in the nets and am happy with the way everything has been going.”

Proteas’ bowling coach Vinnie Barnes was also pleased that Botha had been cleared. “I don’ think the fact that he can no longer bowl the doosra will affect his career negatively. It is a delivery he does not bowl a great deal and, in fact, he only bowled it four times in the four home ODIs he played against Australia according to our research.

“We have an outstanding group of spin bowlers in our squad for the ICC World T20 and it is an exciting period for spin bowling in South African cricket.”

Johan Botha, reported last month for a suspect bowling action, was included as vice-captain when South Africa named their squad on Monday for the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June.

The off-spinner was reported by the umpires after the fourth one-day international victory over Australia in Port Elizabeth.

Botha’s action is now undergoing an independent analysis by the International Cricket Council’s panel of human movement specialists.

“We expect the results in two weeks. Until then we assume he is available (for selection),” Cricket South Africa media officer Michael Owen-Smith told Reuters.

The 27-year-old Botha, who has played 45 one-dayers, two tests and nine Twenty20s for his country, was also reported for a suspect action in January 2006 and suspended from bowling.

KALLIS BACK

All-rounder Jacques Kallis, who missed the home Twenty20 matches against Australia in March, is also back in the squad.

“I am delighted with the squad the selectors have given me,” coach Mickey Arthur said in a news release.

“It has plenty of options, great depth to the batting and plenty of bowling options. It is also an outstanding fielding unit.”

Selection convenor Mike Procter said: “Our cricket is entering an exciting period.”

“We are top of the one-day international rankings but have never won a major trophy and this presents the opportunity to do so in a limited-overs format.”

Proteas’ Standard Bank Pro20 International squad:

Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors, vice-capt), Yusuf Abdulla (Nashua Dolphins), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Herschelle Gibbs (Nashua Cape Cobras), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Morne Morkel (Nashua Titans), Justin Ontong (Nashua Cape Cobras), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Robin Peterson (Nashua Cape Cobras), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Roelof van der Merwe (Nashua Titans).

The squad will gather for a training camp at the end of the month.

Source

Proteas off-spinner and vice-captain Johan Botha’s bowling action is again under scrutiny after he was reported to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for suspected illegalities during the fourth ODI against Australia in Port Elizabeth earlier this week.

On-field umpires for Monday’s one-dayer, Brian Jerling of South Africa and Asoka de Silva of Sri Lanka, cited Botha’s quicker ball and “doosra” as the problem areas.

Botha, 26, will be available to play in the final ODI against Australia at the Wanderers on Friday, but will have a bio-medical assessment of his action. The testing will only take place once Cricket South Africa (CSA) receive formal instructions from the ICC.

“Johan was reported at the end of play in PE. We are waiting on the ICC to clarify the procedure that needs to take place. But we are confident that he will be cleared. He didn’t even bowl a single doosra on Monday,” Proteas bowling coach Vincent Barnes told the Cape Times yesterday.

Barnes said the Proteas team management are currently analysing videos of Botha’s bowling performances in comparison to Monday’s and are calling in experts and top scientists for assistance.

“We’ve called in Shafiek Abrahams, he’s worked with Johan quite a lot in the past, so he’s coming on Thursday.

“I’ve also called up the guys at the Sports Science Institute for footage when Johan was tested there the last time, and they’ve consulted with Tim Noakes, so we are doing everything on our side to get Johan ready should he be called up for testing in Perth,” Barnes added.

An official verdict on Botha’s action in the fourth ODI can only be issued after the analysis takes place. The ICC will rule on the information supplied to it by an appointed specialist.

Botha has undergone intensive testing before as he was reported for a suspect bowling action during his Test debut against Australia in Sydney in January 2006. The testing on that occasion ruled Botha’s action to be illegal and he was suspended for a month.

After months of re-working his action, it was again deemed illegal in September 2006. He worked extensively on his action during the next few months before being re-tested in 2007, and he returned to the Proteas team in 2007/08.

CSA chief executive Gerald Majola expressed disappointment following the reporting to the ICC by the match umpires.

Majola said: “This is disappointing as Johan was cleared after working very hard on his action following the ICC finding fault before.

“CSA will stand by the ICC rules and procedures, and we hope that there can be finality to the new set of tests that will follow this report.”

Source

SuperSport Park Centurion played host to South Africa and Australia in the first ever Pro20 International played at this stadium. The stadium employed extra grand-stands to ensure the crowd could swell to 20 000 cricket fans. With the atmosphere electric, the South African team came out to bat first.

Traditionally, SuperSport Park Centurion averages 140 runs in a Pro20 innings, which is not bad for a field on the Highveld that produces plenty of dew after dark. Robin Peterson was promoted up the order to open the batting with Herchelle Gibbs, which wasn’t a problem as he’s been opening the batting for the Warriors in the Standard Bank Pro20 series. Gibbs looked the part as he played freely, but fell quickly for 20 runs from 13 balls to the bowling of Nathan Bracken. Robin Peterson took the initiative from Gibbs and played to 34 runs off 27 balls, before he was bowled by Hopes trying to engineer a shot. Before Peterson was out, AB De Villiers came and went very quickly for a duck. Again he’s failed in the 20/20 format of the game. With the lack of runs starting to build pressure on the South Africans, Roelf van der Merwe stepped up on debut and hit 48 runs from just 30 balls on his home ground. The Proteas African ended their innings on a total of 156/5; a respectable total. A good bowling effort was needed to defend it.

The ever confident Australian batsmen came out and established control over the game from the first over. Assisted by some loose bowling from the South African openers Louw and Abdulla, the Aussies were looking good. Clark and Warner were playing shots and hitting boundaries, which came to an end when Warner was bowled by Albie Morkel for 20 runs from 15 balls. Ricky Ponting was next in and next out as he was caught behind by Mark Boucher for 1 run giving Abdulla his first wicket in international cricket. Clark continued through a partnership with David Hussey taking Australia to 101 before Hussey was out; caught. Captain Johan Botha came in to bowl and took control from the Australians in his first over, conceding only two runs from it. The slow paced bowling continued from the other end with Roelf van der Merwe also keeping the runs to a minimum. With the slow bowlers restricting the runs the Australians started to manufacture shots, as a result wickets tumbled from 101/5, 106/6 and eventually ending the innings 17 runs short on 139/8.

The speed at which van der Merwe scored his 48 runs and the control of Johan Botha’s 4 overs, for 16 runs taking 2 wickets were the influencing factors in The Protea’s victory. South Africa will go into the MTN ODI series confident on the back of 2 International Pro20 series victories.