South Africa team selection

[Bolo]

Gibson's tenure twist: from honeymoon to nightmare - ESPNcricinfo

Moonda one of the worst I've read of hers.....

Implying that Gibson has done no right, considering he has done exactly what he said he would do? And the comment on QDK being dropped if he had not been injured is just laughable.

One of the worst you have read by moonda is a bold statement .

The angle of the article is ridiculous though.

Ottis: we need to test our bench strength to see where we stand with an eye on the future.

Moonda: bench strength lacking and therefore ottis has failed.

The core of her articles are usually correct and pretty well written. Her habit of adding a bunch of bildge to either sensationalise or push an agenda, not so much.

 

[StephenZA]

One of the worst you have read by moonda is a bold statement .

The angle of the article is ridiculous though.

Ottis: we need to test our bench strength to see where we stand with an eye on the future.

Moonda: bench strength lacking and therefore ottis has failed.

The core of her articles are usually correct and pretty well written. Her habit of adding a bunch of bildge to either sensationalise or push an agenda, not so much.

No just no!..... occasional she stumbles on a salient point, but normally regurgitating nonsense. This article is particularly dire.

 

[Bolo]

No just no!..... occasional she stumbles on a salient point, but normally regurgitating nonsense. This article is particularly dire.

Dammit man, don't put me in a position of defending Moonda. I feel like I'm a food critic being told to review a plate of vomit and needing to come to the conclusion that it is fine-dining.

In general, I think she writes fine, almost certainly above average quality of writing for a cricket journalist, if you can look past what she is actually saying. Usually correct is a moot point though- all that it takes to be usually correct in her position is to know the rules and have watched the game.

Other than this, ya, everything she writes is dross.

This article is dire in the sense that it is almost bankrupt of any redeeming features. Poorly written, errors, horrible sensationalist spin...

It has one redeeming feature though. The fact that it was written by moonda and could therefore have been much worse. Irrespective of how much effort she put into butchering this travesty of words, this piece is basically a homage to journalistic integrity compared to some of her past abortions of the truth.

 

[marc71178]

No just no!..... occasional she stumbles on a salient point, but normally regurgitating nonsense. This article is particularly dire.

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day...

 

[vcs]

Moonda's article making tortured puns about fairy tales was her magnum opus. Here it is in all its glory.

A happy ending to a fairytale series - ESPNcricinfo

 

[vcs]

TBF to her though, if India ever won a Test series down under, I'd probably be dancing naked in the streets, leave alone making tortured puns.

 

[Bolo]

I remember that one. It was ESPNs brief attempt at cross promotion with a laxitive company. As noteworthy an attempt at stylistic genocide as that is, I still vote for this one:

Siphe Mzaidume - A migrant with a difference | Cricket | ESPNcricinfo

Because it doesn't really matter if there's any truth at all to a story. As long as it fits moonda agenda of sewing racial discord, it's gonna be printed.

 

[Bahseph]

Just read an article by Luke Alfred about the state of our game. He is suggesting de Bruyn was supposed to play at the Wanderers but his selection got vetoed in favour of Andile. More an outright claim than a suggestion though. You guys might want to check it out.

 

[StephenZA]

Just read an article by Luke Alfred about the state of our game. He is suggesting de Bruyn was supposed to play at the Wanderers but his selection got vetoed in favour of Andile. More an outright claim than a suggestion though. You guys might want to check it out.

I can believe that... it was a surprise selection, and I said at the time if Bavuma had been fit he would have played instead of Phehlukwayo.

I am happy for him to be in the LO side, and hasn't done to badly but not test material at this stage and with the introduction of Ngidi don't think he needs to be in the squad.

 

[StephenZA]

So looking at our B and C team selections for the LO's we can see our lack of depth particularly in the batting. Also shows that we need to get some of our young batsmen onto the subcontinent to face some wrist spin!

Good things from the tour overall are Ngidi and Klaasens, shows that we still have depth in our bowling along with a decent reserve and even possibly future wicket keeper if QDK if gives up the gloves. Markram still needs development but think he is going to be a stalwart for the SA team in the future, the runs he scored in the second test was critical for that game and probably the series. Shamsi has been impressive in the LO's.

Our same old problems exist though; Duminy and Miller as the more experienced members of the LO team are still inconsistent and not leading or standing up when needed. At least one of them needs to be dropped outright as we can not afford both to be in the team. I`m not sure if we can play both Phehlukwayo and Morris in the team, each have different strengths in bowling and we need to figure out what we want from the 7/8 position. Tahir's form is a concern. Zonda has actually not been to bad and has looked assured against the spin, but he does not solve our 5/6 problem at the moment.

Potentials at provincial level, Muthusamy recent form has been a revelation both List A and FC and I'm wondering if now would be a good time to try him in the LO's... he looks the sort that could do well at 6/7 for SA, and extra spinning options in the LO's is always good. Can't do worse than Duminy.

And Mulder needs to come into the Tests setup, we can't wait another year, the all rounders we have tried at 7 just have not been good enough and been given a number of opportunities. The thought of Morris or Phehlukwayo sitting at 7/8 for us against Aus is terrifying...

 

[Heboric]

What about Reeza Hendricks in 50 over game

 

[StephenZA]

What about Reeza Hendricks in 50 over game

Yeah, he has been good and shown some form; but once again top order batsmen, While we still have a top 4 of Amla, QDK, Faf, ABdV... can Hendricks bat 5/6 and we already have Markram in the team/squad?

 

[Heboric]

Yeah, he has been good and shown some form; but once again top order batsmen, While we still have a top 4 of Amla, QDK, Faf, ABdV... can Hendricks bat 5/6 and we already have Markram in the team/squad?

True, but just thinking of the future mulling over prospects

 

[StephenZA]

True, but just thinking of the future mulling over prospects

Is he going to be more than a stop-gap if chosen after the WC? Think van Tonder, Breetkze are more likely options then... with Markram opening with QDK. We need to be looking at the 20-25 year olds to see what is gonna happen in 2/3 years time.

 

[StephenZA]

In that vein, I don't know why we are picking Smuts; tough on the man who is playing well domestically, but if we are using the T20's to test out potential I can't see Smuts getting into the first choice SA LO or Test teams....

 

[Heboric]

Is he going to be more than a stop-gap if chosen after the WC? Think van Tonder, Breetkze are more likely options then... with Markram opening with QDK. We need to be looking at the 20-25 year olds to see what is gonna happen in 2/3 years time.

Reeza I think will be 33 in 2023.

My thought process is the bigger the pool of players who can make it at international level the better for the team overall

 

[SeamUp]

Some very salient points Stephen.

Let's not kid ourselves. Barring Dhoni and possibly a number 5 bat India are in a strong place in 50-over cricket. They have accurate/skillful seamers who force batsman to hit you for 4 and they have two wristies that can bowl wicket-taking balls + aren't easy to attack. Their top 4 is very good and it includeds Kohli who virtually scores a 100 every time he bats.

We were obviously handicapped but it is a blessing in disguise that will maybe make us look past JP, Miller, Behardien and not give such an easy ride to Morris and Phehlukwayo and maybe make us re-evaluate our team balance.

ODI's left before the WC

OCT 2018 : Zimbabwe (H) 3
NOV 2018 : Australia (A) 5
DEC 18 to JAN 19 : Pakistan (H) 5
FEB-MAR 19 : Sri Lanka (H) 5
MAY 19 : Sri Lanka (A) 5

So that leaves 23 ODI's - if they want to introduce some newbies like Muthusamy/Mulder it may have to be asap

 

[StephenZA]

Reeza I think will be 33 in 2023.

I`m not saying Reeza should be ignored or that he is not a good player.

My thought process is the bigger the pool of players who can make it at international level the better for the team overall

But few make it at international level.

Realistically we are going to lose ABdV, Faf and Amla after the WC..... Reeza is unlikely to replace that quality of player. Breetzke, van Tonder, Hamza, Ackermann (as examples) have the potential, with Markram, Elgar, QDK, de Bruyn and Bavuma providing the future back bone. The best potential needs to be given the most chance. Not everybody is international quality, yes, some can start showing later in their career and some highly talented never get to full potential; and for the players/countries sake you want a strong FC, but even in the strongest of FC (looking at Aus) when they pick players for international level, most struggle.

In the end you look at the top 10 batsmen in you country, hoping 6 are international level and probably only 2/3 are world class. When you start doing better than that, that is when you get that world class dominating teams.

 

[StephenZA]

So that leaves 23 ODI's - if they want to introduce some newbies like Muthusamy/Mulder it may have to be asap

I would really like for them to give Muthusamy a go... I have just been impressed with his sudden improvement and I like his temperament.

 

[Bahseph]

I think I mentioned it in the Tour thread but our top four being so good really has masked the deficiencies we have elsewhere in the batting line up.

We have had a bunch of good number 8's who are poor number 7's(Morris, Phehlukwayo, Pretorius, McLaren, Parnell) who we have looked at as genuine allrounders. Maybe it hurts us that none of our batsman bar Duminy have any serviceable bowling skill. I can't see us going the 2015 route. AB, Faf, Duminy, Behardian or Markram filling up 10 overs sounds like trouble if you ask me.