Cricket......

[Garfield2010]

Ingram is good too. But he and Millar seems to be ODI players of choice at present. Elgar has better technique and scores big runs regularly in the longer format. And he scored like 2 hundreds in his last 3 tests if I am correct.

 

They will select Elgar and Peterson for the Wanderers......

[JGR]

And see how that worked out for India.

 

Remember flat track bullies can have stroke makers for openers! I rate Elgar. We must be careful not to try and play test cricket to aggressive due to all the IPL cricket the guys play.

 

And also before we all get too excited, India's bowling attack at present is about as dangerous as DaveM on the run leg of any triathlon

Before this series their opens were the form batsmen in world cricket .... Gibbs was a stroke maker, there are many stroke players opening the innings. Before them was Sewag and Gambir (Both stroke makers)

 

Exactly the point I made earlier - let him open against them at his own ground. Surely there is no better occasion.

 

From recent reports no one is working harder at his game that this lad. To say he doesn't have the technique for test cricket is a little silly when all and sundry are think of the best way to get him in there. He perhaps needs to learn the application and mental fortitude but that can only be done by getting him in there.

 

Anyways let the selectors do there thing .... great team with or without him

Edited December 9, 2013 by JGR

[JGR]

Ingram is good too. But he and Millar seems to be ODI players of choice at present. Elgar has better technique and scores big runs regularly in the longer format. And he scored like 2 hundreds in his last 3 tests if I am correct.

 

They will select Elgar and Peterson for the Wanderers......

His record in tests - take away the 100 no and it would be dismal. He got a pair on debut in the the test that SA scored hundreds of runs.

 

Test Career Batting and Fielding (2012/13-2013/14) M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 SRate Ct South Africa 7 9 2 215 103* 30.71 1 0 47.67

6

[JGR]

Take away the 103 no (dead rubber against NZ)

 

That's 112 from 8 innings - avg of 14.

['Dale]

My line-up:

 

Smith, capt

Peterson

Amla

Kallis, batting all-rounder

AB

JP, off-spin opion

Quinton, can build an innings, relieves AB

Steyn, raw pace

Philander,

Morkel

Tsotsobe, left hand option

Edited December 9, 2013 by ' Dale

[Cellar]

I see no armchair selectors interested in Faf? Is it just cause he's a lying cheat, or is something else going on?

[DJ84]

My line-up:

 

Smith, capt

Peterson

Amla

Kallis, batting all-rounder

AB

JP, off-spin opion

Quinton, can build an innings, relieves AB

Steyn, raw pace

Philander,

Morkel

Tsotsobe, left hand option

 

Pretty much how I see it,

although JP would have to bowl a lot of overs without Tahir there.

we definitely have to think about a full time spinner to soak up the overs on one side while the pace men attack from the other.

So depending on the test drop Tsotsobe for Tahir.

[DJ84]

I see no armchair selectors interested in Faf? Is it just cause he's a lying cheat, or is something else going on?

 

His form has been atrocious in the test arena.

His ODI stats are not good either although he is a bit of a mixed bag here for me.

T20 is his only area he is doing well.

['Dale]

Pretty much how I see it,

although JP would have to bowl a lot of overs without Tahir there.

we definitely have to think about a full time spinner to soak up the overs on one side while the pace men attack from the other.

So depending on the test drop Tsotsobe for Tahir.

 

Tahir is an attacking option.

Wanderers ground, reputedly, doesn't really support his kind of bowling.

 

JP's off-spin far more of a containing role.

 

Hmmmm....

[Garfield2010]

I see no armchair selectors interested in Faf? Is it just cause he's a lying cheat, or is something else going on?

 

Faf is struggling with season 2 syndrome. Year one you always look good... year two the opposition figures your game out... he will be back... I also think the problem is with Kallis on the way out SA is looking for more than just a batsmen at that slot..

[Garfield2010]

Take away the 103 no (dead rubber against NZ)

 

That's 112 from 8 innings - avg of 14.

 

Look there is arguments for and against every player and every scenario

 

Kallis also had a crap start to his career and averaged even less at some stage yet they persisted with him. Elgar has now found his feet and needs to produce. If he doesn't only then consider the other options. Remember we are the number 1 side so obviously they are doing something right.

 

De Kock has his ODI game figured out. I say leave him to focus on that for now. he is still young. If we must play him as number 7 in tests. Pushing him to open now could be very detrimental to his game. Test cricket is a lot harder than ODI.

 

Just because a guy scores runs in ODI does not make him a test batsmen - De Kock has a LONG way to go before he gets there. Graeme is tough as nails and so are Kallis, Amla and the rest.

 

Fair enough Gibbs was a shot maker but the problem with those kinds of batsmen is that they only come off once in a while. (Sehwag & Gayle etc). Whilst these guys all have good averages I would prefer a opener who scores 35 every single innings to a guy who scores 250 once off every 4 tests.......

 

But that's just my view...

 

I am however pretty sure they wont change a lot from the test squad as again we are number 1.......

[Cellar]

Kallis also had a crap start to his career and averaged even less at some stage yet they persisted with him.

 

Which is something that CSA seem completely incapable of doing these days.

[JGR]

My line-up:

 

Smith, capt

Peterson

Amla

Kallis, batting all-rounder

AB

JP, off-spin opion

Quinton, can build an innings, relieves AB

Steyn, raw pace

Philander,

Morkel

Tsotsobe, left hand option

Nice team although Lobsy isn't a very good change up bowler and with Vern being number 2 - I don't see him opening

[Shebeen]

Bloody marvellous at how deep the talent is trying to get into the proteas team right now. I don't think QdK will get a test cap this season, give him time to learn the art of building an innings rather than bash down the door. (he cleaned up at school level two years ago, imagine bowling to this guy!

Peterson played well up until the last few series and it handy but in the bigger picture he is in his 30's already - they need to bleed QDK at the top now while they have Biff there. I don't think they should chip and changed his spot in the order. Let him develop and make mistakes in the opening role.

 

Maybe they could share the keeping? Changing every session or two. Or AB takes over the gloves when they are 7 down to give QDK a rest before batting? I know it is something that hasn't been done but why not?

That's actually not a bad idea. It has sort of been done with Daryn Smit at the dolphins, he bowls legspin. so come to over 30, he would give the gloves to someone else and turn his arm over a bit. How's this for his record in first class cricket. 82 games, 3000+ runs @ 31, 67 wickets @40, 240catches, 13 stumpings(hard to keep off your own bowling).

 

Anyway, I think it's a good idea, only because we need to find a way to wean AB off the glove duties.

 

 

Kallis also had a crap start to his career and averaged even less at some stage yet they persisted with him. Elgar has now found his feet and needs to produce. If he doesn't only then consider the other options. Remember we are the number 1 side so obviously they are doing something right.

)

I think the best example of someone who didn't make the grade at first is the bearded one himself.

3matches - average 10, dropped

gets back into team 16 months later, but after 15 tests still averages 25. they stuck with him.

 

since 2007 he's averaging 60 (and 70 over the last two seasons)

[Garfield2010]

Nice team although Lobsy isn't a very good change up bowler and with Vern being number 2 - I don't see him opening

 

Agree. Lopsy is a good ODI bowler. He takes wickets cause the opposition targets him as he is the weakest link in our bowling attack. He is also not fit enough for test cricket nor fast enough.

['Dale]

The two-Test series kicks off on December 18 at the Wanderers while the second match will be played in Durban, from December 26.

South Africa Test squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile (wk)

cricinfo