The end of the road for SA and my last thread on proteas.

[Goughy]

Not just that, though. I saw JP in his first OD game for SA and I don't know how anyone can see a player like that and not think he's going to be class. Looked the goods from ball dot for me, was only a matter of time.

Really? How could you tell from that?

 

[DaRick]

Really? How could you tell from that?

I can actually identify with his feelings. Even when a player may underperform on debut or have a scant FC record, there is something about them that is difficult to articulate - a 'spark' if you will. You just know that they're gonna do well one day. I felt that way about Dale Steyn when I first saw him bowl in 2004.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm going to hold you to your promise in the thread title.

 

[Top_Cat]

Really? How could you tell from that?

Well, of course one can never predict exactly the way a career will pan out (Greg Blewett, for example, looked world-class from his first Test) but with certain players, sometimes you can tell just by how they go about their game. Was evident from that early on that JP had 'time'.

 

[Jono]

100% agree with Top Cat.

Whether you agree or not, you can see why players are selected based on how good they look.

Rohit Sharma looks bloody good as well, and was chosen for ODIs very early. Can't say its because he's from Mumbai and that alone. Its because he looks bloody good whenever he plays.

 

[G.I.Joe]

100% agree with Top Cat.

Whether you agree or not, you can see why players are selected based on how good they look.

Rohit Sharma looks bloody good as well, and was chosen for ODIs very early. Can't say its because he's from Mumbai and that alone. Its because he looks bloody good whenever he plays.

He looks and behaves like a cheap Telugu B Grade movie star.

Oh, you meant his batting...

 

[Protean]

Honestly jboss, just move to England already, we really don't need people in this country who can do nothing but whinge and whine about everything.

 

[GIMH]

Honestly jboss, just move to England already, we really don't need people in this country who can do nothing but whinge and whine about everything.

Then why did you take Hingeh off us?

 

[Prince EWS]

Then why did you take Hingeh off us?

 

[Protean]

 

[silentstriker]

Re: Rohit.

He's from Mumbai.

 

[shivfan]

I think today we witnessed what will hopefully be an end in racial interference in cricket in SA. I have been banned by CSA from thier fan page for voicing my disgust strongly at thier racist motives and now have the last laugh as almost everry fan is turning thier back on CSA. I have also read on very popular news24 that most fans are calling it a day like I did and will let empty stands do the talking through the money that will be absent in future. It's been a long time coming and luckily I didn't put myself through seeing such a pathetic excuse for a test cricket team and have distanced myself from this team for good.

I know to well how this story ends: CSA will have the media and polls again next year asking why te empty stands. Greame Smith (the white SA captain) and one of the most successul captains of all time will be sacked, creating a futher scandal in future years when people realise that this team was not picked on merit in the first place. Given the most likely scenario of a change in captain, we can assume that the whole team will be rebuilt and finally the mickey mouse club of Arthur, Boucher and Smith come to an end. JP as mentioned before series can't bat either and I am enjoying having the last laugh. We need some Aussie selectors in SA that can chose young talent on merit and don't take ****. Only problem is a the declining number of proteas supporters got bigger.

You sound a bit bitter, IMHO....

Surely, until this series, both Ntini and Duminy earned their places in the side on merit. Ntini even outbowled Morkel in the last home Test series against Australia. Personally, I think Morkel was the one who was lucky to retain his place in the side ahead of deWet, not Ntini. However, now that Morkel has siezed his chance, Ntini looks like th one to make way....

Duminy earned his place with a Test batting average of 45 from seven Tests, which would be good enough to get into most Test sides. The fact that he's struggling now is beside the point.

And why are the Saffers playing in front of empty stands? It could be because black Saffers see the sport as an apartheid sport that is for the whites, and not the blacks. Given that so many white Saffers are leaving the country over the past decade, that might have something to do with your poor crowds....

More needs to be done by CSA to sell the game to black Saffers, or this is the last good team South Africa may have.

 

[shivfan]

Honestly jboss, just move to England already, we really don't need people in this country who can do nothing but whinge and whine about everything.

There are so many Saffers in my neck of Hertfordshire who just whinge and whine about every non-traditional selection to the South African team. If they had their way, Prince, Amla, Duminy and Ntini would all be dropped....

 

[shivfan]

That was in 2008. His ODI debut was in 2004 when he batted 8 and was not close to being ready.

For what it is worth, my thoughts on Duminy, Amla and Prince. Duminy has earned his place on domestic form and as (previously) a young very talented player. Amla is there on his Superseries record and deserves to be there despite technical glitch and all. Weight of runs should count for something. Prince has turned into a decent Test cricketer. I have never (and still dont) rate him. Someone who is no longer young (he is less than a year younger than the 'ancient' Boucher) and has been groomed for Test cricket (and captaincy) and given every possible advantage. His record is good though and although I dont see the point of his inclusion it would be wrong for him to be dropped right now.
The real concern is that I dont see depth or talent in the SA domestic ranks. Batting is thin, fast bowling is thinner and spin bowling options are wafferlike. There are still good players but talent is not coming through like it used to, IMO.

To be fair to Prince, his Test batting average is 45, which is better than deVilliers, whose Test batting average is 43....

The problem is that Prince has been moved up to open the batting, while he was more effective as a middle-order batsman. When SOuth Africa put together that outstanding unbeaten run in Test cricket from 2006-2009, when they didn't lose a test series, Prince was scoring loads of runs in the middle order. His average from 1 April 2009 until now is 51.6, including eight centuries, while during that same period AB averaged 44.7 including six tons.

Now, SOuth Africa's batting frailties seem to have coincided with promoting Prince to opener. It would make much more sense to put Prince back where he belongs - in the middle.

 

[Stapel]

As much as it pains me to say it Forget English speaking whites and Black Africans, South African cricket will remain strong as long as Afrikaners play the game in high numbers and their culture remains rooted in discipline, hardwork and determination.

So, which (white) SA players are Afrikaners (raised in Afrikaans) and which ones are Anglo-white (and thus raised in English)?
Judging by their names, Morkel, Steyn, De Wet and Van der Merwe are Afrikaners, but Boucher or Kallis? No idea really...

I've been wondering about this for a while. What do they speak on the field? Do Cape-blacks (coloured) speak Afrikaans? Which languages does Ntini speak? Did he have to learn to speak Afrikaans?

 

[jboss]

Honestly jboss, just move to England already, we really don't need people in this country who can do nothing but whinge and whine about everything.

Sure I will move to England just for you. That a very good attitude you have there but ONLY PROBLEM is that is why SA stinks cause no one whines enough anymore and the people that do are told to move abroad. Enoy earning rands and suportingth the chokers.

 

[jboss]

JP may have earned place as well as Amla did on merit but is Amla a better number 3 thqn Rossouw? Perhaps but Roaaouw ahouls be tried. Is Elgar a better opener than Prince? Yes. Is Alviro a better batsman than JP wih no short ball issue. Yes. Did De Wet deserve a place over Ntini in this last match yes.

 

[shivfan]

JP may have earned place as well as Amla did on merit but is Amla a better number 3 thqn Rossouw? Perhaps but Roaaouw ahouls be tried. Is Elgar a better opener than Prince? Yes. Is Alviro a better batsman than JP wih no short ball issue. Yes. Did De Wet deserve a place over Ntini in this last match yes.

Amla averages 40 in Test cricket, which is better than Ian Bell....

And in the last Test series, Ntini took 10 wickets at an average of 34, while Morkel could only manage six at an average of nearly 50! So, it could be argued that deWet could've come in for Morkel instead of Ntini. It's only since this series started that it's looked like Ntini needs to be dropped, and Morkel retained....

Duminy earned his place with his performances against Australia. So, he's going thru a bad patch, and the SA selectors need to make up their mind whether to stick with him or go for Alviro. But Duminy had an average of 45 from seven Tests going into this match, which isn't bad....

I don't know Rossouw and Elgar, but I'd think they'd get a look in if the Saffer batting continues to fail miserably. I think you doth protest too much, because how many Test series have the Saffers lost since 1 April 2006?

 

[shivfan]

Come on, jboss, put your money where your mouth is....

If you could select your ideal Saffer XI for the next Test, what would it be?

 

[shivfan]

JP may have earned place as well as Amla did on merit but is Amla a better number 3 thqn Rossouw? Perhaps but Roaaouw ahouls be tried. Is Elgar a better opener than Prince? Yes. Is Alviro a better batsman than JP wih no short ball issue. Yes. Did De Wet deserve a place over Ntini in this last match yes.

I've just looked them up....

You're an Eagles fan, are you?

I gather you're talking about Dean Elgar and Rilee Rossouw, aren't you? If so, their FC batting averages aren't that great. Elgar has played 40-odd matches for an average of 43, and Rossouw has played 21 FC matches for an average of 41. They don't seem to be better options than Prince and Amla, who average more than them in Test cricket, which is a higher level. In FC cricket, both Prince and Amla have higher averages than these two as well....