South Africa team selection

[StephenZA]

Can’t have Dane scoring lots of runs while not being selected… makes CSA look bad.

 

[Bahseph]

Do they really think Kapp is going to stick around when they are treating her significant other like this? Just so ridiculous.

 

[Stefan9]

Do they really think Kapp is going to stick around when they are treating her significant other like this? Just so ridiculous.

Do we really think that rather significant detail ever crossed their minds? Wouldn't be surprised if they all realized it when the twitter storm hit them.

 

[Socerer 01]

this is next level incompetency from a cricket board. even bcb looks wise next to all of this

 

[Marius]

Can’t have Dane scoring lots of runs while not being selected… makes CSA look bad.

*Stares in Ryan Rickelton*

 

[Molehill]

OK, so evidently this has nothing to do with her fitness test anymore. CSA just hates her for some reason?

Came to that conclusion watching Magala yesterday who I suspect would also fail a 2k test.

 

[StephenZA]

Came to that conclusion watching Magala yesterday who I suspect would also fail a 2k test.

Magala has had his own issues on this... was not selected for the last series because he failed the fitness tests, has now passed them. He has been working hard on this.

 

[StephenZA]

I am all for increased fitness, and I am a big believer that one of the things that set SA apart early days was Kepler Wessels fanaticism around fitness (and fielding), which carried over into the SA team culture for many years. SA franchise system has struggled with these problems and it needed sorting; eventually it crept over into SA team. But ultimately cricket is also about many other skills and you can't drop players who have really good other skills because they not quite making a 2 km run. If they have a bad attitude and refuse to even try improve that is one thing, but to drop a player that is pushing her fitness to higher levels and can bring many additional skills to the team then you are just throwing the baby out with the bathwater and losing the point of the entire exercise. Tick boxes are pointless without reasoning.

One wonders if Philander would have ever been selected... he had a enough problems getting selected in the first place.

 

[Molehill]

I guess it may depend on why she couldn't complete the 2km in the allotted time. I could get my general fitness to the required level, but a history of ankle problems would prevent me from doing the run. I wonder if she has a similar issue following the break which would be a major issue for a cricketer.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Rules will never be respected if it does not have room for flexibility and compassion, CSA shot themselves in the foot by setting rules cast in stone ..

 

[StephenZA]

I guess it may depend on why she couldn't complete the 2km in the allotted time. I could get my general fitness to the required level, but a history of ankle problems would prevent me from doing the run. I wonder if she has a similar issue following the break which would be a major issue for a cricketer.

Only if it effected her ability to score runs... which it does not appear to have done. And considering she was one of SA's best players when she was apparently 'less fit' for years i.e. she has just run her best personal time in the 2 km... it is largely nonsense.

 

[StephenZA]

Rules will never be respected if it does not have room for flexibility and compassion, CSA shot themselves in the foot by setting rules cast in stone ..

I understand wanting to create a line to try improve overall fitness levels and give players goals... but rigid lines at the expense of your best players is just stupid.

 

[Dendarii]

I guess it may depend on why she couldn't complete the 2km in the allotted time. I could get my general fitness to the required level, but a history of ankle problems would prevent me from doing the run. I wonder if she has a similar issue following the break which would be a major issue for a cricketer.

She's never run it that time. She's lost weight, met all the other criteria and ran her personal best at 2km, so she's fitter than she's ever been.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having fitness standards, but they need to be tailored for individual players rather than a one size fits all approach and need to be combined with metrics derived from performances in matches.

 

[Molehill]

If she's now fitter than ever before when she was previously one of SA's best 2 cricketers, then it's an utter nonsense that she's been left out. I wouldn't be surprised if both her and Kapp retire and head off to the franchises.

 

[StephenZA]

So speaking about yesterdays game and the series in general... it has been a much improved performance by the team; glad to see it overall. But I am not convinced of Markram and Klaasens ability to actually close out a match under pressure.

Going to contrast it with the win in the first game, SA behind the 8 ball and Nortje and Rabada come on and do something special (with English batsmen help!) but its almost expected that can happen. Won't always, but the bowlers are capable of it. For all Klaasens work yesterday and Markam looking good, once Miller was out I though it was just a matter of time. I understand the modern mindset, but clearly seeing how well Archer was bowling you just needed to put the hook shot away for him. Both Markram and Klaasens got out rather than just thinking a bit about what they where doing. And for me it is clearly an issue. We won the second game because Miller took us home... nobody else looks likely under pressure, to do similar.

This is just a comment, but also shows my feeling about watching SA back and the general expectations I have when we bat. Think the team is better and setting scores right now.

 

[StephenZA]

If she's now fitter than ever before when she was previously one of SA's best 2 cricketers, then it's an utter nonsense that she's been left out. I wouldn't be surprised if both her and Kapp retire and head off to the franchises.

This is not a case of her not recovering fitness... this is a case of CSA following more stringent fitness standards, but throwing good players under the bus because of the increased fitness standards.

 

[Molehill]

So speaking about yesterdays game and the series in general... it has been a much improved performance by the team; glad to see it overall. But I am not convinced of Markram and Klaasens ability to actually close out a match under pressure.

Going to contrast it with the win in the first game, SA behind the 8 ball and Nortje and Rabada come on and do something special (with English batsmen help!) but its almost expected that can happen. Won't always, but the bowlers are capable of it. For all Klaasens work yesterday and Markam looking good, once Miller was out I though it was just a matter of time. I understand the modern mindset, but clearly seeing how well Archer was bowling you just needed to put the hook shot away for him. Both Markram and Klaasens got out rather than just thinking a bit about what they where doing. And for me it is clearly an issue. We won the second game because Miller took us home... nobody else looks likely under pressure, to do similar.

This is just a comment, but also shows my feeling about watching SA back and the general expectations I have when we bat. Think the team is better and setting scores right now.

Not sure I'd blame those batting yesterday. The game got away from SA in the middle overs of England's innings. I suspect had Nortje been playing, he'd have picked up the odd wicket and restricted England to 300 or under.

Unlike a lot of these series, this was a good one with two well matched teams and I suspect both will have taken a lot out of it. All 3 games must've seen the losing side be favourite at some point in the second innings.

 

[StephenZA]

Not sure I'd blame those batting yesterday. The game got away from SA in the middle overs of England's innings. I suspect had Nortje been playing, he'd have picked up the odd wicket and restricted England to 300 or under.

Unlike a lot of these series, this was a good one with two well matched teams and I suspect both will have taken a lot out of it. All 3 games must've seen the losing side be favourite at some point in the second innings.

I don't deny that... was not a full compliment team. But I`m not basing it just on yesterdays match. I`m using yesterdays match as an example of something I`ve observed often from the SA batting. Even Miller only became consistent in the last 2 years. Been doing brilliant for SA. But Klaasen and Markam often get out at bad times, particularly when chasing. Markam wicket was the start of the mini-collapse and it was a poor shot to play at that stage against Archer. This is a often occurring event across many different matches. That tells me they are not learning... or learning very very slowly.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

For me the biggest concern in the odi team is the spinners ..Next World cup is in India but Maharaj and Shamsi have not been great , Shamsi especially since he's a liability in the field and can't bat so really does need to be doing better with the ball..What steps are we taking to groom the next white ball legspinner ? Shamsi has been the only leggie we've used in the last 6 years bar Tahir, Caleb Seleka has shown potential in white ball cricket and Brevis is a decent 6th bowler option batting in the top 6 , the only youngster we have really thrown in the deep end recently was Marco Jansen and look how that has turned out , current spinning options just not good enough , Rashid embarrassed Shamsi last game .

 

[trundler]

Maharaj is great. Shamsi sucks. Linde is the man SA needs.