Pick a South Africa XI readmission to 2008

[Richard]

Following-on from the England and West Indies ones... let's have a SA side from readmission to the end of last year.

Reckon I'd go for:
GC Smith
G Kirsten
JH Kallis
DJ Cullinan
WJ Cronje (c)
BM McMillan
MV Boucher (w)
SM Pollock
PS de Villiers
AA Donald
DR Steyn

This is on the presumption that the match wasn't played in the subcontinent - in the subcontinent (or on occasional other pitches elsewhere) I'd bring in N Boje or P Harris for either Pollock or Steyn (can't really decide which). In the squad I'd also have HH Gibbs, L Klusener, AB de Villiers and DJ Richardson (could hardly be anyone else could it?). If anyone objected to Cronje's presence, which in a way would be understandable, he'd be replaced with AG Prince (though probably in time JP Duminy).

What about everyone else?

 

[krkode]

That's an almost identical team to what I would've picked. The one change I would make is to probably replace McMillan with one of the more recent South African batsmen who are showing great promise - DeVilliers, Prince or Duminy. I think one solid all-rounder in the form of Kallis is enough... better off going for a better batsman at #6, IMO. Although I don't really know how good of a batsman McMillan was, never saw him play. I'm only judging by his average which is worse than the other batsmen I mentioned.

 

[Simon]

Needs more Pat Symcox.

 

[Corbin]

Needs more Pat Symcox.

I've seen games of him on FoxSports in ODI's. Didn't have anything on Boje or Harris IMO.

 

[aussie]

This is on the presumption that the match wasn't played in the subcontinent - in the subcontinent (or on occasional other pitches elsewhere) I'd bring in N Boje or P Harris for either Pollock or Steyn (can't really decide which).

Firstly agree with your team 100%. But on this point:

Symox should definately be the main spinner for me, son was a better option than Boje & Harris (although Boje basically was SA's Giles in SRI & IND).

Also, although i have never seen De Villiers bowl live, but from what i've seen on film i always got the impression he was swing bowler, so i'm leaning towards the spinner replacing him. Instead of Pollock & Steyn, who at their best have the tools to bowl on sub-continent pitches.

 

[sanga1337]

Smith
Kirsten
Kallis
Cullinan
Prince
Cronje (c)
Boucher (w)
Pollock
Steyn
Donald
Ntini

 

[Prince EWS]

Firstly agree with your team 100%. But on this point:

Symox should definately be the main spinner for me, son was a better option than Boje & Harris (although Boje basically was SA's Giles in SRI & IND).

Also, although i have never seen De Villiers bowl live, but from what i've seen on film i always got the impression he was swing bowler, so i'm leaning towards the spinner replacing him. Instead of Pollock & Steyn, who at their best have the tools to bowl on sub-continent pitches.

Symcox may or may not have been better than Boje in most conditions, but if you were only going to pick a spinner in the subcontinent (as has been stated), you'd have to pick Boje, IMO. Symcox only took ten wickets in six Tests in India and Sri Lanka at an average of over 55; Boje averaged in the mid 30s there and showed he could be a serious threat when conditions suited him on more than one ocassion.

 

[Prince EWS]

Following-on from the England and West Indies ones... let's have a SA side from readmission to the end of last year.

Reckon I'd go for:
GC Smith
G Kirsten
JH Kallis
DJ Cullinan
WJ Cronje (c)
BM McMillan
MV Boucher (w)
SM Pollock
PS de Villiers
AA Donald
DR Steyn

This is on the presumption that the match wasn't played in the subcontinent - in the subcontinent (or on occasional other pitches elsewhere) I'd bring in N Boje or P Harris for either Pollock or Steyn (can't really decide which). In the squad I'd also have HH Gibbs, L Klusener, AB de Villiers and DJ Richardson (could hardly be anyone else could it?). If anyone objected to Cronje's presence, which in a way would be understandable, he'd be replaced with AG Prince (though probably in time JP Duminy).

What about everyone else?

TBH, I don't see the need for both McMillan and Cronje in the middle order, particularly when Kallis is there as well.

They are both certainly two of the best cricketers South Africa have produced post-readmission but you hardly need seven right-arm seamers and I don't really think either would make it on batting alone ahead of De Villiers, Gibbs or even Prince.

 

[NUFAN]

I agree with Prince here that you wouldn't need both Cronje and McMillan. I would be looking at including Gibbs somewhere.

Also Richard what's with your batting order for the bowlers?

I've seen all of them bat and Steyn is certainly not the worst. I feel the need to point this out considering you went on about Strauss and Trescothick listed in the wrong order in my team.

 

[vegasbaby207]

J Rhodes 12th man?
Speaking of hypothetical teams, any room for Pieterson in the SA team?

 

[NUFAN]

J Rhodes 12th man?
Speaking of hypothetical teams, any room for Pieterson in the SA team?

I know why you've chosen Rhodes, however I would go for de Villiers.

 

[Matt79]

Smith
Kirsten
Gibbs
Kallis
Cullinan
Prince (I guess)
Boucher
Pollock
Harris
Donald
Ntini
12th Man/Specialist Fielder: Jonty Rhodes

Can't bring myself to include Cronje, although he was a better player than Prince.

Four seamers is enough, especially four as good as Donald, Pollock, Ntini and Kallis. In another season or two, Steyn would push out Ntini, if he keeps going the way he is. That said, it's slightly inconsistent for me to then go for Harris over Symcox, but while I liked Pat, Harris looks to be the bowler better able to play the role for the team.

 

[TT Boy]

Test XI

Smith
Gibbs
Kirsten
Kallis
Prince
AB
Boucher
Pollock
Fanie
Steyn
Donald

 

[Uppercut]

Test XI

Smith
Gibbs
Kirsten
Kallis
Prince
AB
Boucher
Pollock
Fanie
Steyn
Donald

No Cullinan?

I'd go much the same, only with Kirsten opening and Cullinan at four. Gibbs out. Boje to come in on the subcontinent. Certainly couldn't include Cronje, and shocked that some have him as captain. I'd say not-losing-on-purpose is a prerequisite to being a good cricketer, never mind captain.

 

[TT Boy]

No Cullinan?

I'd go much the same, only with Kirsten opening and Cullinan at four. Boje to come in on the subcontinent. Certainly couldn't include Cronje.

No. In regard to spinner, Zulu would be my spinner for Asia. I couldn't include Cronje for he wasn't a good enough batsman and the side doesn't need any more bowling. Ashwell has been immense over the past three years especially when the likes of Smith, Gibbs and Amla were routinely leaving South Africa up **** creek, so he deserves to be selected for carrying the batting alongside Kallis. Cullinan however would come in for Prince for any subcontinent tour.

 

[Uppercut]

No. In regard to spinner, Zulu would be my spinner for Asia. I couldn't include Cronje for he wasn't a good enough batsman and the side doesn't need any more bowling. Ashwell has been immense over the past three years especially when the likes of Smith, Gibbs and Amla were routinely leaving South Africa up **** creek, so he deserves to be selected for carrying the batting alongside Kallis. Cullinan however would come in for Prince for any subcontinent tour.

Sorry didn't make that clear- I'd have Prince in my side too. Gibbs out.

 

[Beleg]

smith
kirsten
gibbs
kallis
cronje
prince
pollock
boucher
steyn
fanie
donald

mebbe amla for gibbs - the others pick themselves.

an attack of pollock, steyn, fanie, donald and kallis is perhaps the best of them all.

 

[Richard]

Test XI

Smith
Gibbs
Kirsten
Kallis
Prince
AB
Boucher
Pollock
Fanie
Steyn
Donald

Can't understand how you'd have Gibbs in your team ahead of Cullinan TBH, never mind that you'd open with Gibbs and have Kirsten at three when Kirsten was a natural opener and Gibbs would be near a sitting-duck at the top against quality new-ball bowlers. ABdeV might be fair enough in a few years time, BTW, but I'd not have him yet.

 

[Richard]

TBH, I don't see the need for both McMillan and Cronje in the middle order, particularly when Kallis is there as well.

They are both certainly two of the best cricketers South Africa have produced post-readmission but you hardly need seven right-arm seamers and I don't really think either would make it on batting alone ahead of De Villiers, Gibbs or even Prince.

Prince is the only one I'd have as a middle-order batsman ahead of McMillan, and as I say if you ignore Cronje's match-fixing troubles I'd consider him a better batsman than Prince. Don't and never have really rated Gibbs, even in the middle-order, and ABdeV has still only been batting well in the middle for five minutes so he's not really up for consideration in my book.

Also I quite like the idea of having two good backup seam-bowlers (Cronje's bowling doesn't really count for a great deal IMO, he was just above part-time level) alongside four top-drawer ones. Easily the best attack going around in the time in question IMO, though as a pure foursome McDermott-McGrath-Hughes-Warne does probably outdo it.

 

[Richard]

BTW, those who've picked a spinner for every Test rather than just for the subcontinent or the odd other turning pitch that might be encountered, or picked Ntini over the heads of at least (in my book) 2 or 3 better-qualified candidates, some reasoning would be interesting?