*** Official *** West Indies in South Africa 2014/15

[Niall]

I don't know how SA can fail to win the world cup here. They have the two best ODI batsmen of all time, and I don't think that's a crazy claim to make.

The same side were beaten by Australia 4-1 not to long ago.

Its a West Indies side who are not in good ODI form without their 3 best bowlers, on a postage stamp, people shouldn't get to carried away just yet.

 

[jonbrooks]

This is just ballistic stuff from de Villiers.

 

[Dan]

Let this game not fool us. RSA are not gonna win the WC with this squad.

A champion material team needs much more than two outstanding batsmen to win a WC. The bowling is average and if people have noticed, Proteas have done well until 35-40th over of an innings and have been sub-standard when it comes to the last 10 overs or so. This has been the trend over the last few months.

Not when every single other team looks more ****, tbh.

 

[ankitj]

Don't know if it is mentioned, this was the first time when 3 batsmen scored centuries in the same innings.

 

[anil1405]

Not when every single other team looks more ****, tbh.

There is something about this current Proteas team which gives the impression that even with two top quality batsmen the team is still unbalanced.

For starters Farhaan Behardien and Wayne Parnell are two players whom I wouldn't pick in any test playing nation's 15 man squad. And to think that one of them would be starting in most games for Proteas sounds ridiculous for a Protea fan like me.

No matter what team they put up, they are either short by a bowler or a batsman on paper. In reality there is nothing to be excited about this bowling unit either.

Steyn is not the same bowler that he is in tests. (Still better than most ODI bowlers though but not by much).
Morne Morkel looks the sort of bowler who would bowl really well in one game and then be average for next two.
Am not too convinced with Vern or Abbott either.
Parnell is a piece of garbage.
Spin department looks good to me...I like Tahir and Phangiso who have the capability to not just restrict runs but can actually pick wickets.

Having said that the fifth bowler for Proteas is Duminy. If one of the top four bowlers and/or Duminy are going for plenty then am afraid there is no plan B.
Here is the major difference between Proteas and other teams. Most other teams do have resources to chalk out a plan B but South Africa doesn't. Thats why they have been appalling in the last 10 overs of some ODIs recently.

 

[Athlai]

Can't believe more people aren't defending Dwayne Smith's honour.

 

[Dan]

My feeling is that every single team has some pretty big holes (and rubbish players that shouldn't be in the 15), but the individual brilliance of AB, Amla and Steyn gives South Africa an edge in overcoming them, imo.

 

[viriya]

AB reaches highest ever ODI batting current rating (breaking Viv Richards' record), Hashim Amla breaks into the top 5:
cricrate | Current Top ODI Batsmen

 

[Antihippy]

My feeling is that every single team has some pretty big holes (and rubbish players that shouldn't be in the 15), but the individual brilliance of AB, Amla and Steyn gives South Africa an edge in overcoming them, imo.

Highest run scorer in the recent ODI series against australia yet they still lost.

Also I don't rate steyn that much in ODIs. Still incredibly good obviously but I wouldn't call him the best ODI bowler currently.

 

[Marius]

The poster Marius is at the game for this.

Yeah, was amazing to be there, was also a great atmosphere.

What a knock, what a player.

I think in the future he may be considered our greatest ever batsman, ahead of Kallis and Pollock.

 

[Dan]

Highest run scorer in the recent ODI series against australia yet they still lost.

Also I don't rate steyn that much in ODIs. Still incredibly good obviously but I wouldn't call him the best ODI bowler currently.

Yeah sure, but look at the non-Australian teams in the comp. Test Steyn >>>>>>>> ODI Steyn, but ODI Steyn >>>> the vast majority of fast bowlers playing this World Cup.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah sure, but look at the non-Australian teams in the comp. Test Steyn >>>>>>>> ODI Steyn, but ODI Steyn >>>> the vast majority of fast bowlers playing this World Cup.

Did the > key get stuck?

 

[marc71178]

I don't know how SA can fail to win the world cup here. They have the two best ODI batsmen of all time, and I don't think that's a crazy claim to make.

Two best if you ignore the other one's that were better you mean?

 

[viriya]

There's a good argument that AB and Amla are in the top 5/10 ODI batsmen of all time pretty comfortably already. Doesn't stop SA from choking again of course.

 

[BigBrother]

Two best if you ignore the other one's that were better you mean?

There aren't many you could say is better than De Villiers when consider the quantity of games he has already played; something people need to start giving a lot more credit to.

 

[Spark]

Did the > key get stuck?

this happened to me just now with the . key

protip: fork and felt tip pen makes for a fine keyboard maintenance kit

 

[dogwalker]

I broke my 2 key trying to dig out a lentil with a knife.

Protip: don't try and dig lentils out your keyboard with a knife.

 

[BigBrother]

I don't know how SA can fail to win the world cup here. They have the two best ODI batsmen of all time, and I don't think that's a crazy claim to make.

I kind of thought the same thing in 2011. They managed beat India in India and yet lost to NZ (that's not too bad, they are good world cup performers and not given enough credit for that) and that England squad above all people. SA have been quite the underwhelming world cup performers.

 

[dogwalker]

No ****.

 

[BigBrother]

People still exaggerate the amount they actually "choke" though. Like in 2007. Back then they just weren't good enough to beat Australia.