Greatest South Africa Test Team of all time (Including uncapped players)

[capt_Luffy]

If any country has some quality players to have never played a single test; then yeah, it's South Africa.... I mean, if we can include Barry Richards and Mike Procter in SA all time teams despite playing less than 10 tests; then why not Clive Rice.

So yeah, here is my South Africa Team:
1. Graeme Smith (c)
2. Barry Richards
3. Jacques Kallis
4. Graeme Pollock
5. A B De Villiers (wk)
6. Clive Rice
7. Aubrey Faulkner
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Mike Procter
10. Hugh Tayfield
11. Dale Steyn


Team A:
1. Bruce Mitchell
2. Gary Kirsten
3. Hashim Amla
4. Dudley Nourse (c)
5. Herbie Taylor
6. Trevor Goddard
7. Denis Lindsay (wk)
8. Vernon Philander
9. Ernie Vogler
10. Kagiso Rabada
11. Alan Donald


Team B:
1. Eddie Barlow
2. Herschel Gibbs
3. Darryl Culinan
4. Jimmy Cook
5. Colin Bland (c)
6. Brian McMillan
7. John Waite (wk)
8. Peter Pollock
9. Garth Le Roux
10. Makhaya Ntini
11. Paul Adams


Team C:
1. Jackie McGlew
2. Dean Elgar
3. Frank Roro
4. Faf Du Plessis (c)
5. Kepler Wessels
6. Jimmy Sinclair
7. Mark Boucher (wk)
8. Cyril Vincent
9. Morne Morkel
10. Neil Adcock
11. Fannie De Villiers


Team D:
1. Eric Rowan
2. Aiden Markram
3. Ashwell Prince
4. Dave Nourse
5. Hancie Cronje (c)
6. Quinton de Kock (wk)
7. Lance Klusner
8. Vincent Van Der Bijl
9. Charles Llewellyn
10. Alan Kourie
11. Peter Heine


Team E:
1. Henry Fotheringham
2. Neil McKenzie
3. Peter Kirsten
4. Alan Melville (c)
5. Lee Irvine
6. Jock Cameron (wk)
7. Steven Jefferies
8. Nicky Boje
9. Arthur Langton
10. Sid Pegler
11. Vincent Barnes

 

[Adorable Asshole]

Smith c
Mitchell/Richards
Amla
Kallis
Pollock
De Villiers +
Faulkner
Pollock
Tayfield/Procter
Steyn
Donald

 

[sledger]

Paul adams

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Luffy (c)

 

[Prince EWS]

Conway IMO.

 

[Line and Length]

Why is this in the non-cricket section?

 

[ataraxia]

G Smith* /
B Richards /
Kallis / o
G Pollock /
Nourse /
de Villiers + /
Faulkner / o
S Pollock o /
Tayfield o
Steyn o
Donald o

AB keeping and Procter not finding a spot both iffy. Bruce Mitchell almost makes it.

 

[Coronis]

How is van der Bijl below such bowlers as Ntini and Morkel lol (no offence to them at all)

 

[capt_Luffy]

How is van der Bijl below such bowlers as Ntini and Morkel lol (no offence to them at all)

See, I watched both Ntini and especially Morkel (whom I feel is a bit underrated) play; so I felt more confident including them over Bijl, who lacks a test cap, despite his superior domestic performance. I probably should had him in that team over FDV though, who imo, is much better in limited overs......

 

[Bolo.]

See, I watched both Ntini and especially Morkel (whom I feel is a bit underrated) play; so I felt more confident including them over Bijl, who lacks a test cap, despite his superior domestic performance. I probably should had him in that team over FDV though, who imo, is much better in limited overs......

If you are sticking Rice in the 1st team based on his FC record, you may as well drop S Pollock/Steyn for VD Bijl as well. There is no comparison in their FC records.

 

[Coronis]

Yeah I’d probably go van der Bijl > Procter > Le Roux >> Rice (in terms of pure bowling ability)

Maybe being a bit harsh on Rice but in my mind he would’ve been more like the Miller to the others Lindwall or a touch below (not that that’s an insult tbh)

 

[Bolo.]

Yeah I’d probably go van der Bijl > Procter > Le Roux >> Rice (in terms of pure bowling ability)

Maybe being a bit harsh on Rice but in my mind he would’ve been more like the Miller to the others Lindwall or a touch below (not that that’s an insult tbh)

Don't think you would find many people to disagree with those rankings.

Miller is a pretty good comparison for Rice- more batting centric ARs who had bowling averages that made people think they were bowling ARs. Which is not to say that Rice was as good in domestic, or would have been even remotely as good in tests, but similar types of players.

 

[trundler]

AB keeping is a cop out. Either pick him as a batsman or drop him. Waite is an ATG keeper bat. I'll go with

Mitchell
Smith
Kallis
Pollock
Nourse
Faulkner/De Villiers
Waite
Pollock
Steyn
Tayfield
Donald

Adcock unlucky. Mitchell is the first opener picked for me. Tempted to drop the #6 and play Amla too. Tests only obviously.

 

[The Sean]

If we're picking non-Test players then surely Ray Jennings is worth consideration behind the stumps too.

 

[Coronis]

Dammit I already forgot his name - but there was a great post recently about the first great African batsman - never could play first class and doesn’t even have a cricinfo page but certainly merits a place in this thread…

Think he played between the wars?

 

[The Sean]

Dammit I already forgot his name - but there was a great post recently about the first great African batsman - never could play first class and doesn’t even have a cricinfo page but certainly merits a place in this thread…

Think he played between the wars?

Yeah, Frank Roro - good shout.

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

ATG Xi

Richards
Smith*
Kallis
Pollock
Nourse
De Villiers+
Faulkner
Pollock
Steyn
Tayfield
Donald

 

[ma1978]

This team would compete with the Aus and WI AT XIs for the best of the AT XIs. Ridiculous team. Loved Clive Rice.

 

[Marius]

Daryll Cullinan needs to be in one of those five teams, SA's best batter in the 1990s, averaged just shy of 45, and despite popular belief could play spin, he just couldn't play spin.

Denys Hobson could have a claim too, possibly. Would have him above Nicky Boje for example. Wouldn't have Nicky Boje in there at all actually, especially when you have Maharaj and Harmer still knocking about. Paul Harris also a better shout than Boje.

 

[ankitj]

Why is Clive Rice there in first XI? Already too many all rounders. I would play Dudley Nourse instead.