***Official*** South Africa in England

[TT Boy]

I'm honestly amazed anyone thinks the matter of captaincy against the might of PCA Masters' XI means so much as a thing.

Botha is also captain today against the 'Lions'...

 

[gettingbetter]

Botha captains the Warriors and is a regularly fixture in the one day side. It seems a pretty logical choice then to make him captain.

It would be if was in fact a regular in the ODI side, but I don't think he is. 27 games in 2years and the likes of Peterson, Harris, Tshabalala, Ontong and one or two others playing then, he's hardly been a regular.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

It would be if was in fact a regular in the ODI side, but I don't think he is. 27 games in 2years and the likes of Peterson, Harris, Tshabalala, Ontong and one or two others playing then, he's hardly been a regular.

Fairly sure he spent about a year remodelling his action.

 

[TT Boy]

It would be if was in fact a regular in the ODI side, but I don't think he is. 27 games in 2years and the likes of Peterson, Harris, Tshabalala, Ontong and one or two others playing then, he's hardly been a regular.

Ontong played against the West Indies as a batsman, Harris as a second spinner to Botha in Bangladesh, Tshabalala hasn't featured for South Africa since August 2007 whilst Robbie P hasn't played ODI cricket since the World Cup. Botha in contrast has been apart of South Africa's last five ODI squads.

 

[Richard]

Botha is also captain today against the 'Lions'...

Yeah - so it's now that you start to ask these questions. If he'd not captained today, it'd have been pointless to ask them IMO.

I presume Smith is resting his back today BTW?

 

[TT Boy]

Yeah - so it's now that you start to ask these questions. If he'd not captained today, it'd have been pointless to ask them IMO.

I presume Smith is resting his back today BTW?

Yup. Smith will be back on Saturday alongwith Boucher and Kallis.

 

[TT Boy]

Was a fair effort from the ‘Lions’, from being 107 for 2 of twenty odd overs to 184 all out. The full team would be proud of that job.

I’m interested to see how Kabir Ali gets on. His been excellent with the new ball domestically this year and Dale Steyn apparently was swinging the ball big this morning and Ali does get the ball to swing appreciably away from the right handers and bowls just as full if not fuller length than Steyn.

 

[gettingbetter]

I've always wondered about these 'A' teams, I assume it is the next best XI on the park. But I really do hope Kabir Ali does get another shot for England again.

 

[Goughy]

I've always wondered about these 'A' teams, I assume it is the next best XI on the park. But I really do hope Kabir Ali does get another shot for England again.

Not an England fan then?

 

[Scaly piscine]

I've always wondered about these 'A' teams, I assume it is the next best XI on the park. But I really do hope Kabir Ali does get another shot for England again.

Well Prior is playing and he's more like an F team player.

 

[gettingbetter]

Not an England fan then?

So-s0. Just would like to see Ali play Tests and ODIs again.

 

[GIMH]

Was a fair effort from the ‘Lions’, from being 107 for 2 of twenty odd overs to 184 all out. The full team would be proud of that job.

I’m interested to see how Kabir Ali gets on. His been excellent with the new ball domestically this year and Dale Steyn apparently was swinging the ball big this morning and Ali does get the ball to swing appreciably away from the right handers and bowls just as full if not fuller length than Steyn.

 

[itduzz]

SA ODI team for Eng ODIs

Smith
DeVilliers
Gibbs
Amla
Kallis
Duminy
A Morkel
Boucher
Ntini
Steyn
Nel

 

[Richard]

So-s0. Just would like to see Ali play Tests and ODIs again.

ODIs?

You aaaaaaaaare kidding?

Tests he's certainly far from the worst candidate and that the likes of Plunkett, Mahmood etc. were picked ahead of him was pretty criminal. But I can't say I'm expecting him to be a rip-r0aring success should he play again.

 

[popepouri]

Kirby and Wright...how do these people get selected as the England 2nd team? Are they selected from one-off seasons?

 

[steds]

Only eleven available players in County Cricket. Everyone else is Kolpak.

 

[Richard]

Kirby and Wright...how do these people get selected as the England 2nd team? Are they selected from one-off seasons?

Kirby hasn't even done terribly well this season. Off the top of my head, I can't remember him doing much since 2001, though I'm fairly sure he did at some point.

Wright is selected because "he's a big hitter". He isn't the first and he sure won't be the last.

 

[Richard]

Only eleven available players in County Cricket. Everyone else is Kolpak.

Disagree vehemently. There are a large number of players with British (or occasionally somewhere else in the EU) ancestry but who are not qualified to represent England. These take-up the majority of the 360 or so professional places in the English game.

 

[gettingbetter]

ODIs?

You aaaaaaaaare kidding?

Tests he's certainly far from the worst candidate and that the likes of Plunkett, Mahmood etc. were picked ahead of him was pretty criminal. But I can't say I'm expecting him to be a rip-r0aring success should he play again.

I find it hard to gather who you think would be a success in the England whites.

On the topic of ODIs, probably less so, but once again, as you say, atleast in ODIs, I think there are worse candidates than him.

 

[Richard]

I find it hard to gather who you think would be a success in the England whites.

Right now, considerably smaller a number than the eleven players which are needed.

On the topic of ODIs, probably less so, but once again, as you say, atleast in ODIs, I think there are worse candidates than him.

Well yeah, but there's also a good number of better ones. Kabir Ali, like so many Englishmen, is a proven failure in ODI cricket.