Hashim Amla - Man of the series - Picture from Graeme Smith's Twitpic

The Proteas beat the West Indies 5 -0 in the One Day International series for the third time since readmission to international cricket, the West Indies should be relegated to the ‘b’ league. According to CricInfo’s stat’s guru, since 2000 the West Indies have lost 46 games from 75 played… at home! That’s a disgrace. Never mind the useless West Indies lets look at our boys, the controversial decision to drop Mark Boucher become a farce when David Miller was injured in practise, they brought Boucher back into the team as a specialist batsman. Boucher has played 292 games as a keeper and they bring him back into the team to field at third man? what a disgraceful end to a magnificent ODI career.

Boucher did stick it to the management by taking a blinder of a catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Darren Bravo and claim his 400^th ODI catch.

How can the team management allow themselves to get into a position where they are left exposed by the injury of one player? They released Loots Bosman early, on the same night as the 5^th ODI he scored 94 off 49 balls for Derbyshire in FP T20 in England. More poor leadership and team management …

Enough criticism, oh wait Graeme Smith only managed to score 119 runs in five innings, this man is under pressure – but we believe Graeme, we wait in anticipation for your return to form.

AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, world class batsmen, both of them played fantastic cricket. Amla scored 402 runs at an average of 80.40 and a strike rate of 101.25. Which is a new record for a South African batsman as his 402 is the highest total score over a 5 match ODI series. Amla received the man of the series award and 5 Blackberry’s for his efforts, he shot up the ODI rankings to no. 4 in the world.  Could Hashim Amla be come the best batsman South Africa has ever produced?

de Villiers scored 283 runs at 70.75 and a strike rate of 95.60 – and kept wicket, the importance of this batting display is that keeping wicket hasn’t affected his abilities with the bat. AB needs to work on his keeping, he gave away a few runs and a catch or two behind the stumps.

It was a good outing for our bowlers as well, Morne Morkel took the most wickets in the series even though the didn’t play every game.

There are two areas of our game that concern me, firstly when the West Indian batsmen did get in and started scoring runs freely, we didn’t seem to have a plan to stop them. It’s as if we wait for the batsmen to get themselves out… And the run chase in the last game, that was dismal, our middle to lower order did not perform with the bat.

Well played boys, 2 from 2 in the T20 series, 5 from 5 in the ODI series, now can we take the Test series as convincingly? I think we can.

It’s been a few days now since the Proteas were knocked out of the ICC World T20, following a string of losses. There’s been a real backlash from the media, fans and past players about the way the Proteas succumbed to the opposition. Let’s be honest we played poor cricket, the leaders in the team did not perform and the strategy seemed to be nonexistent.

That being said, the cracks in our Proteas team are only starting so show. Understand that players will fail, and we will get knocked out of future tournaments, players are human after all. During the hard times, such as the Proteas currently find themselves, a team, and when I say team I mean from Gerald Majola the head of Cricket South Africa, all the way down to the baggage handlers need to unite and stand together, instead we have a diabolical situation unfolding.

Players are covering their asses, administrators and players alike are washing their dirty laundry in public, the cracks are starting to widen….

The national captain is criticizing the stand in selector:

Recently Graeme Smith criticized Kepler Wessels via his Twitter stream saying: “find it amazing that kepler can sit and say should have picked a younger squad when he was 1 of the selectors who chose it! unbelievable!”

link to original tweet : http://twitter.com/GraemeSmith49/status/13988779333

Graeme Smith then went on to have a dig at ex-players, again via his Twitter stream:

“Atleast we own up to playing poorly. but all these so called experts/ex players im not sure I see a winners medal hanging round there necks!”

link to original tweet : http://twitter.com/GraemeSmith49/status/13989111066

Poor form Graeme, you should be setting the example not alienating yourself and the team from past players and administrators. Some of those past players do have a medal handing in their trophy cabinet at home, ask Pat Symcox (@Symmo77)

Then we have our newly appointed coach Corrie van Zyl again talking via the media calling for change, he didn’t go as far as saying we’ll be dropping players, but we can read between the lines:

“I don’t want to come down on individuals, but the time is right for change. We have to sit down and think about what is important to change and which players are the right ones to fit in with that change.

“If we need to make a few hard calls, it will be done. The point is that we cannot continue down this path. “

Source:http://www.supersport.com/cricket/article.aspx?headline=Time%20has%20come%20for%20renewal%20-%20Corrie%20&id=349170

We also have former South African convenor of selectors Omar Henry throwing around the names of players that need to be dropped:

“I would axe Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and even Graeme Smith from the T20 team. I believe we need to build a new side and head in a new direction,” said Henry. “

Source: http://www.supersport.com/cricket/article.aspx?id=349168

How does that help Omar? Really? you would drop the three most experienced players in the squad just like that, how can you make a statement like that from outside the team?

Instead of criticizing players after poor performances, why not manage the players, discuss the possibility of them not being part of T20 cricket, and assist them by getting them into county cricket to keep in form during the off season? In my opinion your premier test players should not be playing T20 cricket, they definitely should not be playing in the IPL.

How can a test player adjust their mind set from T20 to Test cricket, the two disciplines are polar opposites of each other. Have a look at the Australian team, Ponting does not play T20 cricket and India’s Sachin Tendulkar also stays away from international T20’s.

Many administrators and ex-players have commented that we lack aggression specifically amongst our batsmen, but if we look at one of the dominant teams in this ICC World T20, England, you’ll note the names of three South African batsmen, who you would describe as aggressive by nature, Pietersen, Lumb and Kieswetter. Perhaps if the very administrator that are sling mud in the media had done their jobs, those three players would be playing for the Proteas, and maybe just maybe the Proteas would have won a trophy with those players.

We have a new coach, a new convenor of selectors, a new sports psychologist and an assistant coach in Vincent Barnes looking to leave the national setup to take up a coaching position for a domestic team. This is a brand new coaching and management team, relax, clam down and give them a chance.

We’re about to start and ODI and Test series against the West Indies, get behind the team that you love and give them your unconditional support, FOREVER PROTEAS – through the thick and the thin.

What a glorious victory the boys produced in the first test on their tour to India, it truly is a great feat beating India by an innings in India, this has now been done by the Proteas three times.

It must however be noted that this test was won by three South Africans, the rest didn’t really feature.

Jacques Kallis, scored a magnificent century (173) and seems like the was well on his way to score his maiden Test double century. The class and elegancy with which Kallis played, with was only match by this third wicket partner Hashim Amla.

Hashim Amla’s double century was one of the finest batting performances I have and will probably ever watch. Amla played with total control, his patience is astounding and ability to concentrate is unsurpassed in South African cricket. Amla was on track to beat Graeme Smiths record of 277 as the highest test score by a South African until the team declared on 6558/6, which left Amla on 253*.

Some naysayers have commented that Smith declared so that Amla didn’t beat his record, this is unfounded speculation. The team needed to declare and I thought that allowing Amla to get 250 was a great gesture. Hashim Amla is a team man, and I’m sure he’s happy that he got the opportunity to post one of the highest totals scored in South African test history.

Dale Steyn also produced a personal best, he took 7 wickets in the first innings to destroy India single handily. He went on to take another 3 wicket in the second innings to end with 10 wickets in the test match, a truly remarkable performance.

Having mentioned those three players, the rest didn’t inspire confidence, except de Villiers knock of 53. Looking forward to the second test we can expect a stronger Indian side, playing on a pitch that will suit them. We’ll need a team performance to pull this one off; we can simply rely on the same guys that pull it off each game.

The South African management need to make a call on Prince, the man is not up to playing Test cricket anymore and needs to make way. I would drop Price, replace him with Alviro Petersen, Petersen gives us the additional advantage of another spin option. Mark Boucher could also find himself sitting this one out, which in my opinion wouldn’t be the worst thing; it would allow Johan Botha to play. If Botha and Petersen play the Proteas will have an excellent chance of winning on what WILL be a spinner paradise.

Cape Cobras bowler Charl Langeveldt has been called up to the Proteas ODI squad for the tour of India. Langeveldt was originally left out the ODI squad, this could be seen as one of ‘those’ decisions that represents the breakdown between Cricket South Africa and Mickey Arthur’s ‘vision’ and structure.

It was reported that between Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell they have played only 67 matches, where Charl Langeveldt has played 64 ODI games. Langeveldt has also been selected with a view towards the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies and then next year’s ICC World Cup.

Langeveldt will have to pick up his game before he heads to India, this figures of 3 overs for 45 runs against the Titans in the Standard Bank Pro20, on Sunday evening were not the most inspiring. He did however demolish the Lions in the previous game, taking 3 wickets from 4 overs for just 18 runs, but that was against the Lions……

ODI squad: Graeme Smith, Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.

South Africa start the Test series today against India, the team is as follows:

Graeme Smith (capt), Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris.

So my prediction that Johan Botha would pip Paul Harris was wrong, also thought that they might play both spinners.

The Proteas cricket team left for India this past weekend for a series that consists of three ODI games and two Test matches. For the Proteas this series offers the opportunity to regain the number 1 ranking in Test cricket.

The recent news of the resignation of coach Mickey Arthur and the temporary appointment of Corrie van Zyl must have added pressure to the team. It’s going to take a massive step up from the senior players to pull this team together. Winning a test series on the sub-continent is not to be taken lightly. Our spin bowlers are going to have to perform if we have any chance. Paul Harris had a shocking series against England, the answer from Cricket South Africa to the spin conundrum is the call up of Johan Botha into the test team. I’ve mentioned before that Botha can not bowl the doorsa, which I believe makes him predictable.

Good news from a South African perspective is the injury concerns from the Indian squad. It’s reported that Rahul Dravid has recently had surgery to his cheek bone, and will more than likely not play in the series. Yuvraj Singh and Sreesanth have also been ruled out of the series due to injury.

Related articles:

South Africa India tour schedule

South African squads to tour India

Our boys are off to India in February, and I was looking at the squads that have been selected. There are some interesting selections here, but most of the squad remains the same:

Test squad Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

I find the inclusion of Johan Botha strange to be honest, I agree that you need a second specialist spin bowler when playing in the sub-continent, but why Botha? Remember that Botha is not allowed to bowl the Doosra, which makes him predictable. Where is van der Merwe is the test squad, or how about backing Petersen to step up as a main bowler? As for Prince, who really knows why he’s there, I don’t think his inclusion is based on pure cricketing reasons.

ODI squad Graeme Smith (capt), Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.

Welcome back Herschelle Gibbs, who must be seen to be taking the place of Hashim Amla, which I think shows that the selectors are moving Amla into a specialist Test cricketer, as they have done with Paul Harris.

Both squads are great, this is going to be a massive test for this mixture of experienced and young cricketer alike.

How can I put into words the frustration that we’ve experienced while supporting our team in this Castle Test series against England? The first test came down to the last over, needing just one more wicket. The second test was a joke from a South African perspective, we got whipped by an innings and 98 runs. The third test, oh so frustrating, again it came down to the last over and again we didn’t have the firepower to win the test.

Other than the dismal second test, it would seem that the Proteas have the better of England, our batting has been awesome, even with the no show that is Ashwell Prince. Prince has scored a whopping total of 78 runs in the series at an average of 13, he’s only got above 20 once. I don’t know how this man is still playing test cricket for South Africa. So it would seem that the batting department is doing their jobs, which unfortunately can’t be said for the bowlers.

The irony of dropping Makahya Ntini for the third test because he didn’t strike is beyond me, because his replacement, Friedel de Wet only took one wicket in the Newlands test. And guess what, we still couldn’t bowl England out twice.

So now we’re heading into the fourth and final test at the Bidvest Wanderers, needing a win to draw the series. Cricket South Africa managed to cock things up when they announced the squad, they included Imran Tahir, even though his paperwork wasn’t up to scratch. With Paul Harris bowling like a lame mule, and the inclusion of Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell, I would suggest and recommend that the Proteas pick an all out pace attack.

The Wanderers pitch is quick at the best of times, and with the consistent rain around Johannesburg we really can expect a belter of a pitch, so let’s drop Harris like a bad habit, replace him with McLaren, and put Parnell in for the injured Friedel de Wet. That gives captain Graeme Smith five quick bowlers with JP Duminy putting in a few overs of spin. If the Selectors really have the balls they’ll drop Prince and include Alviro Petersen, the Lions opening batsman, who would be playing on his home ground. Petersen also offers us another spin bowling option, he has an average of 34.66 with the ball in the SuperSport Series. But they are more likely to promote Amla to number 2 and drop Ashwell Price down the order.

My team for the fourth test: Graeme Smith, Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Ryan McLaren, Dale Steyn,Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell.

What a great display of test cricket! After five days the game came down to the last over. As we’re all aware by now we couldn’t bowl England out twice and to be honest, if it weren’t for England throwing their wickets away after tea, they probably would have secured the draw comfortably.

Going into the test match I was concerned about our bowling attack, three pace bowlers, of which one was on debut, Paul Harris our no. 1 spin bowler and a part timer in Duminy. I suggested that Harris would need to bowl brilliantly for us to bowl England out twice, he did just that in the first innings taking 5, but couldn’t repeat it in the second innings.

A positive from a bowling perspective was the performance from Friedel de Wet on debut, he was expensive in his first spell, but brought his economy rate down as the game progressed. What a display it was after tea with this new bowler landing up with four wickets in the second innings. I’m sure that, had there been time, he would have gotten 5. A bright talent for the future.

This test was Makhaya Ntini’s 100^th, he didn’t play all that well and as previously noted probably won’t be around long enough to break Shaun Pollock’s record of 421 test wickets, but what a gesture from Graeme Smith to let Ntini bowl that last over. The man is most certainly a legend.

Let’s not forget the centuries scored by Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, without those two brilliant stands we wouldn’t have even been in the game.

Having gone down to SuperSport Park on the first and fourth days myself, been part of a good crowd turn out after a poor ODI series, getting to watch The Ndingi Express in his 100^th test, and then witnessing a Battle Royale in the last session of the fifth day, I can honestly say cricket won this test. I bet there are a few more people who noticed this game called ‘test cricket’, and a few naysayers who are eating their words about the death of test cricket.

Cricket South Africa on Friday named Ryan McLaren and Heino Kuhn as new caps in their various limited overs squads for the series against Zimbabwe and England.

McLaren, has been included in the ODI squad for the two-match MTN series against Zimbabwe as well as the first three matches of the MTN series against England and the two Standard Bank Pro20 Internationals.

This is one of three changes to the Proteas’ Standard Bank ODI squad. McLaren takes the place of Robin Peterson while two long-serving Proteas’ players, Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini, drop out to make room for Alviro Petersen and Charl Langeveldt. Loots Bosman also makes a comeback to the Proteas’ squad for the Pro20 series.

The omission of Herschelle Gibbs means that Jacques Kallis will be used as an opening batsman in the ODI’s, according to the convenor of selectors for the South African team, Mike Procter.

Kuhn, a wicketkeeper-batsman from the Nashua Titans franchise, gets his chance in the 20 overs format of the game for the two Standard Bank Pro20 Internationals against England. I’d suggest that Kuhn has been selected as the under study to Mark Boucher as approaches his 33^rd birthday on 3 December.

The selectors have also named the two South Africa A sides to play against England. There are interesting captaincy choices in Hashim Amla and Justin Ontong while Rilee Rossouw and CJ de Villiers have both been rewarded for their outstanding performances in the Champions’ League tournament.

Proteas Suads:

Proteas’ Standard Bank ODI squad: Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Hashim Amla (Nashua Dolphins), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Charl Langeveldt (Nashua Cape Cobras), Ryan McLaren (Diamond Eagles), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Alviro Petersen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Chevrolet Warriors), Roelof van der Merwe (Nashua Titans).

Proteas’ Standard Bank Pro20 squad: Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Yusuf Abdulla (Nashua Dolphins), Loots Bosman (Nashua Dolphins), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Heino Kuhn (Nashua Titans), Charl Langeveldt (Nashua Cape Cobras), Ryan McLaren (Diamond Eagles), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Roelof van der Merwe (Nashua Titans).