*Official* England in South Africa

[popepouri]

Good players to watch out for in bold in the 50-over 'A' team. Of course you know about Amla, McLaren and Morne Morkel.

Not a fan of CJ? He looks a talent. About 6'6, has a good action and can move the ball both ways.

 

[Pup Clarke]

I'd like to see SA going in with something like...

Smith
Peterson
Kallis
De Villiers
Duminy
Morkel
Boucher
Van Der Merwe
Parnell
Steyn
Langeveldt

 

[SeamUp]

Not a fan of CJ? He looks a talent. About 6'6, has a good action and can move the ball both ways.

He is too inconsistent domestically and doesn't play List A cricket for the Eagles. I believe his stock ball is far too slow for international cricket at 134 kmph. He is a poor man's Morne Morkel.

Rusty Theron is the man too watch out for. Got an akward action but takes wickets. He can also be in your face and run in all day for the team ala Siddle and Bollinger for Australia. I feel we are missing that type of bowler.

 

[SeamUp]

I'd like to see SA going in with something like...

Smith
Peterson
Kallis
De Villiers
Duminy
Morkel
Boucher
Van Der Merwe
Parnell
Steyn
Langeveldt

It seems Petersen will bat five and Kallis will open with AB and JP moving up one.

Basically Botha, VdMerwe, McLaren and Parnell are fighting for 2 places.

Amla can only come into the team if he bats in the top order and Tsotsobe can only get into the team for either Steyn or Langers.

 

[popepouri]

It seems Petersen will bat five and Kallis will open with AB and JP moving up one.

Basically Botha, VdMerwe, McLaren and Parnell are fighting for 2 places.

Amla can only come into the team if he bats in the top order and Tsotsobe can only get into the team for either Steyn or Langers.

I like Virus but I don't know how he can leap-frog Amla for a spot when Amla has done well in his relative-short ODI career.

 

[popepouri]

He is too inconsistent domestically and doesn't play List A cricket for the Eagles. I believe his stock ball is far too slow for international cricket at 134 kmph. He is a poor man's Morne Morkel.

Rusty Theron is the man too watch out for. Got an akward action but takes wickets. He can also be in your face and run in all day for the team ala Siddle and Bollinger for Australia. I feel we are missing that type of bowler.

Yep. I have high hopes for Rusty. He already has done well against international opposition when he took 5 against NZ.

 

[aussie]

Cook is in the squad now and given that England are playing SA and touring Bangladesh next, I expect Cook will be given a chance to prove he is a one day cricketer again.

And he will fail when he plays without a doubt this winter..

I take it you are someone who believes in the selectors. I am someone who has little faith in the English selection process in general. I do not believe in English one day cricket in general.

I also have little faith in the ENG selectors when it comes to ODI cricket, who wouldn't after more than almost 2 decades of poor ODI performances.

so do not for one moment think I am of the opinion that Cook is a superior player than Denly in one day cricket IMPO, both are equally abject players against the worlds very best at this present moment in time but since they are included in the squads, it would be a pleasant notion if they were to succeed as they are both young cricketers.

But Cook in his last stint in the ODI set-up proved very clearly he is not an ODI cricketer, he is the 2009 version of Atherton opening in ODIs. So recalling him based on two domestic hundreds againts attacks of 2nd division attack standard, just defies logic.

Denly yes ATM has alot to prove but at least he has shown in phases in the ODIs he has played has has some raw material & deserves persisting with for the near future.

I hate this literal copy cat comparison that England seem to want to replicate Australia's Gilchrist theory, the truth is England don't have a Gilchrist but England do have plenty of good wicket keeper batsmen, Prior, Davies, Foster and Kiewswetter are all equally gifted. Its pointless to make them open however, opening for England is a job that specialist openers can handle at the moment. Perhaps in time that attitude will change but at the present moment, I doubt players who are forced in there to just give the run rate a push will be successful e.g Prior, Bopara etc etc.

England need to build on their success and their most successful one day opening partnership was Trescothick and Knight or Trescothick and Strauss, the rest were absolutely dismal.

Agreed. England like most nations have tried to get that copy AUS with the keeper opening the batting. But at the same time since the Trescothick/Knight partnership has broken up & Trescothick retiring for obvious reasons. The top order really has had no one capable of being aggressive (at international quality) as openers, so in a SMALL way you can understand why various players have being experimented at the top by the selectors.

Its all about balance. Davies & Kieswetter have done well opening domestically so if they even play for ENG they should open. Prior or Foster should bat down the order.

Right now with Flintoff out i'd happy to let Strauss & Denly open.

I agree Denly deserves a chance but so does Cook and hopefully in time both could open together with Cook holding anchor and Denly pushing the runrate up. Langer and Hayden, Gambhir and Sehwag sort of thing.

As i said all talk about the ODI team for now should focus on the 2011 WC. Right now Cook should not be in those plans - period.

 

[aussie]

Harmison would have been crucial - Arthur

Cant help but feel deep down Arthur is right. Of course its understandable why the selectors dropped Harmo because of his inconsistent test form & his tourning tendancies. But as Arthur rightfully said IMO, SA pitches are the most bowler friendly in the world & for those who saw AUS tour to SA early this year - you cant help but feel this is one tour where Harmo could have been real lethal.

 

[GIMH]

Aye, he sure was magic out there last time

 

[aussie]

Nah you really can't compare SA pitches during that 2004 pitches to what ENG will encounter this winter - especially if the pitches are the same as what AUS encountered early this year.

2004 all the pitches where flat except for the 1 session in the Jo'Burg test when Hoggard took 7.

 

[GIMH]

Every time we don't pick Harmison for a series the opposition come out and say it was a mistake. Who are they kidding? They were gutted he wasn't on there as they knew he'd get a game and go to pieces. I love Harmy because he's such a likeable bloke but the team is better without him. I read before that he "performed well" in the last two tests of the Ashes. He bowled a few decent overs at Headingley before reverting to dross, and had a good spell to tie the series up, there was nothing to suggest he was 'back' or whatever, and certainly nothing to deserve being selected over Onions. We have better fast bowlers than him in the squad, that's the end of the matter for me.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Every time we don't pick Harmison for a series the opposition come out and say it was a mistake. Who are they kidding? They were gutted he wasn't on there as they knew he'd get a game and go to pieces. I love Harmy because he's such a likeable bloke but the team is better without him. I read before that he "performed well" in the last two tests of the Ashes. He bowled a few decent overs at Headingley before reverting to dross, and had a good spell to tie the series up, there was nothing to suggest he was 'back' or whatever, and certainly nothing to deserve being selected over Onions. We have better fast bowlers than him in the squad, that's the end of the matter for me.

Exactly so. & his post-Ashes public pronouncements "I'll probably tour if I'm asked" didn't suggest a bloke chomping at the bit to get out there.

 

[Uppercut]

That seriously pissed me off at the time, if you remember. I'd cry for days with happiness if my country asked me to tour sunny South Africa in November and spend the entire time playing cricket. And the entire county circuit he's competing with probably feel the same.

Apart from which, he's a crap bowler. Think it's worth bringing up my pre-Ashes prediction again:

England to complete their "abusive lover" cycle with Steve Harmison by welcoming him back into the side, only to unceremoniously drop him again when they realise he's no good any more. Onlookers will say for the millionth time that it's probably the last we'll see of him, but it won't be.

 

[GIMH]

He's not a 'crap' bowler but I don't know why people insist that he is just what we need whenever we don't have him.

 

[Jono]

LOL @ Uppercut. So true.

 

[Uppercut]

He's not a 'crap' bowler but I don't know why people insist that he is just what we need whenever we don't have him.

"Crap" is harsh, but it's all relative. He's not half the bowler Graham Onions is, and that's whose place he would take in the side if he toured.

 

[zaremba]

A big fat yawn from me.

I find this pre-series "mind-game" crap, whether it be deliberate by Arthur, or media hype, or both, so predictable and so tedious. If GBH had been picked, Arthur would have been trotting out precisely the opposite line - "Harmison struggled here last time, he's done nothing for 5 years and we'll be interested to see if his fragile temperament stands up to a difficult tour away from home".

 

[aussie]

Every time we don't pick Harmison for a series the opposition come out and say it was a mistake. Who are they kidding? They were gutted he wasn't on there as they knew he'd get a game and go to pieces. I love Harmy because he's such a likeable bloke but the team is better without him. I read before that he "performed well" in the last two tests of the Ashes. He bowled a few decent overs at Headingley before reverting to dross, and had a good spell to tie the series up, there was nothing to suggest he was 'back' or whatever, and certainly nothing to deserve being selected over Onions. We have better fast bowlers than him in the squad, that's the end of the matter for me.

But the pitches in the Ashes hardly had any real bounce that the pitches in SA are likely to have.

I share the same frustrations with Harmo & i clearly understand why the selectors have left him out. But as i said before if their ANY tour where Harmo will have wickets to his liking its SA, you just had to see Siddle & Johnson bowled in SA early this year to get excited by Harmo's chances.

Without Flintoff ENGs attack is steady, nothing lethal about it. I dont expect Harmo do bring back his WI 04 performances - hell no. Strauss will just have to know how to use him in short sharp spells.

 

[zaremba]

I dont expect Harmo do bring back his WI 04 performances - hell no. Strauss will just have to know how to use him in short sharp spells.

He hasn't been picked, mate.

 

[aussie]

Ha ye duh. I was suggesting what should have been done if he had been picked.