Cricket......

[Shebeen]

Needless to say I'm really happy they went with Amla as test captain.

 

I think he's shown over the years that he is more than just a good player (averages about 60.0 for the last 4/5 seasons).

* he took a lot of criticism over his technique when first in the test team, got dropped, worked at his game and came back stronger.

* he handled the dean jones ' terrorist' affair really well, depoliticised it immediately

* stuck up for his principles/religion and found a compromise about having castle lager as a sponsor

These are all side issues now, can you even remember them?

 

I get the feeling he has the full support of the players, and I hope he's able to lead them well. Who would have ever though a soft spoken muslim guy with a funny wristy technique who takes pleasure in destroying bowling attacks became our test captain? This is the rainbow nation Arch Desmond was talking about back in 1994, and it should be celebrated.

 

Also happy to see Stiaan van Zyl in the squad. A) he's a left handed opener so we'll keep the left/right combination if he's picked directly in place for Biff. B) he's knocked on the door by being top of the batting stats for the past two seasons in Supersport series.

Similiar for dane piedt, but think he's maybe still got a way to go and would get a spot only because tahir is so inconsistent from game to game.

[Shebeen]

Well done Sri Lanka(that was a bit close)

Well done WIndies

[fabes]

Well done Sri Lanka(that was a bit close)

Well done WIndies

Lekker, I sat glued to the TV. James looked solid...until the second last ball haha

[Vetseun]

Lekker, I sat glued to the TV. James looked solid...until the second last ball haha

And a scorcher of a ball it was!

[Shebeen]

Sooooo, our boys are on their way to the tea island now.

 

When the aussies took our top spot on the test rankings with a mean straight cover calculator..it looked like we'd need to win both tests to get back on top. But since SL just beat Eng in Eng, their ranking has improved.

 

So if we win the 2 test series, 1-0 we go back to #1.

Aus currently on 123.43

SA currently on 123.08

 

SA win 1-0 = 123.8

SA win 2-0 = 125.7

 

well that's according to this - http://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings-predictor/test

[Shebeen]

spotted at wimbledon. Looks like Sachin is enjoying retirement

 

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02957/wdon_28_wiggins_2957853k.jpg

[JGR]

Sooooo, our boys are on their way to the tea island now.

 

When the aussies took our top spot on the test rankings with a mean straight cover calculator..it looked like we'd need to win both tests to get back on top. But since SL just beat Eng in Eng, their ranking has improved.

 

So if we win the 2 test series, 1-0 we go back to #1.

Aus currently on 123.43

SA currently on 123.08

 

SA win 1-0 = 123.8

SA win 2-0 = 125.7

 

well that's according to this - http://www.icc-crick...-predictor/test

That very marginal if we win 1-0. less than .8 of a point for winning an away series in asia seems a little low

[milky4130]

Anyone know why Kallis is playing in ODI team I though he retired from all international cricket?

['Dale]

Anyone know why Kallis is playing in ODI team I though he retired from all international cricket?

 

He made himself for ODIs; just retired from tests

Still harbors hope of a WC title

Edited July 12, 2014 by ' Dale

[milky4130]

 

 

He made himself for ODIs; just retired from tests

Still harbors hope of a WC title

he should give up on that hope & do the right thing, give other players a chance.

[GLuvsMtb]

he should give up on that hope & do the right thing, give other players a chance.

 

My playing 11 would be:

1. Amla

2. De Kock

3. De Villiers

4. van Zyl

5. Duminy

6. Miller

7. McLaren

8. Steyn

9. Morkel

10. B Hendricks

11. Tahir

 

Rest of squad:

Du Plessis

Kallis

Phangiso

Parnell

Philander

 

It is quite a tricky situation to give a player like Kallis some game time against the likes of Zim to give him enough opportunity to hit his straps and blooding young talent like van Zyl. If you play both of them, it would mean that either De Villiers or Duminy may have to sit out a few games. With De Kock doing the glove work it is possible to have De Villiers on the side in games where a series is already decided. Kallis may not be in my strongest 11, but his experience would be invaluable, even if it is from the bench.You don't leave a guy with 328 ODI's to his name and an average of 44 at home if he still wants to play.

Edited July 12, 2014 by GLuvsMtb

[milky4130]

 

My playing 11 would be:

1. Amla

2. De Kock

3. De Villiers

4. van Zyl

5. Duminy

6. Miller

7. McLaren

8. Steyn

9. Morkel

10. B Hendricks

11. Tahir

 

Rest of squad:

Du Plessis

Kallis

Phangiso

Parnell

Philander

 

It is quite a tricky situation to give a player like Kallis some game time against the likes of Zim to give him enough opportunity to hit his straps and blooding young talent like van Zyl. If you play both of them, it would mean that either De Villiers or Duminy may have to sit out a few games. With De Kock doing the glove work it is possible to have De Villiers on the side in games where a series is already decided. Kallis may not be in my strongest 11, but his experience would be invaluable, even if it is from the bench.You don't leave a guy with 328 ODI's to his name and an average of 44 at home if he still wants to play.

after this Sri Lanka series you will have to leave Kallis at home yes maybe more game time will get his wheels turning again but that's just a maybe, I say let the youngsters come in & gain the experience.

[GLuvsMtb]

after this Sri Lanka series you will have to leave Kallis at home yes maybe more game time will get his wheels turning again but that's just a maybe, I say let the youngsters come in & gain the experience.

If you look at the age split of the squad above it reads as follow: AGE PLAYER 21 DE KOCK 24 HENDRICKS 24 PARNELL 25 MILLER 26 VAN ZYL (FIRST CLASS) 29 M MORKEL 29 DU PLESSIS 29 PHILANDER 30 DE VILLIERS 30 DUMINY 30 PHANGISO 31 AMLA 31 MCLAREN 31 STEYN 35 TAHIR 38 KALLIS

 

I recon all players under 30 years of age should be around for the next world cup bar injury or serious loss of form, the players from 30 years to 32 are maybe's and the 2 players over 32 are definitely not going to another world cup.

So 8 youngers out of 15 should be there in 5 years time.

As a matter of interest, who would you pick instead of Kallis baring in mind that you would want to pick a guy in his 20's to be able to make a good long term investment before the next world cup.

[Joeboy69]

I'm a fan of King Kallis so will definitely have him into squad but only in starting XI if he bowls as well .... And only bat him if an opener falls inside first 5 overs ...

[Shebeen]

That very marginal if we win 1-0. less than .8 of a point for winning an away series in asia seems a little low

stand under correction, but i don't think the formula takes the location of the game into account...only the opposition current score.

 

I'm a fan of King Kallis so will definitely have him into squad but only in starting XI if he bowls as well .... And only bat him if an opener falls inside first 5 overs ...

I don't think Kallis is going to hang on if it's not going to work out, he is undroppable...really think he should have canned 1day cricket and stuck with the odd T20 hit and giggle in between test cricket.

 

 

ANYWAY back to the serious stuff. No warm ups nothing for the first test on WED. same vibe for the slankans though.

 

South Africa (from): Alviro Petersen, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla (captain), Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Stiaan van Zyl, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Kyle Abbott, Quinton de Kock, Dane Piedt.

 

Reckon Stiaan van Zyl gets his debut as QdK will be the batsman to sit out, really not sure how they will go with bowling attack. double spin and leave morkel/philanderer out? would depend on the pitch.

[milky4130]

As a matter of interest, who would you pick instead of Kallis baring in mind that you would want to pick a guy in his 20's to be able to make a good long term investment before the next world cup.

I'm not saying these names are replacements for Kallis as there never will be, but they should be in the squad, Colin Ingram 29 & Dean Elgar 27 they have the experience of being part of the squad before, Van Zyl could be given his debut, not sure of other youngsters as I havent been following domestically since i stopped playing myself & cycling more these days, but for the Sri Lankan series Faf should've played in place of Kallis, not sure if there were injury concerns that he got left out?