CRICKET: Jon Swift
IT WAS, as Ali Bacher commented before the announcement of the squad for the short tour of Zimbabwe next month, “an interesting side”. It was made even more intriguing by the rationale offered by convenor of selectors Peter
The squad which will travel north between October 10-23 is, Pollock maintains, “an experiment in strength” and has effectively been split into two distinct segments – – those in the running for a Test place, and those who will “definitely play” in one or both of the two one- day internationals.
But then all of the thinking, all the seeming omissions for the Zimbabwe tour are geared towards one thing and one thing only: giving England the business when the Poms arrive later this year.
Pollock made this abundantly clear. “The most important issue now is beating England,” he said. Nothing could be more plain. Perhaps a little more obscure, but leading to exactly the same end point, was Pollock’s emphasis on the fact that the South Africa A side to play Zimbabwe A in Durban from October 6-9 “is not necessarily a B side”.
In this, Pollock was pointing out that there were some faces missing from the tour to Zimbabwe who were in the teams which faced New Zealand here last season — most noticeable among them, the omission from both teams of John Commins and Clive Eksteen and the inclusion of Steven Jack in the “A” side.
It must also be remembered that Commins is in Australia, and while he is doubtless available, bringing him back would only aggravate what has obviously been a difficult time in picking the squad.
Similarly, Eksteen has not been discarded and Jack is very much in the hunt as is Brett Schultz if he is fit. All but Jack — who will be on playing duty — have been included in the South African fitness camp in Johannesburg from October 6-9.
But it is the foreshortened aberration of the world’s most glorious game rather than the five-day Test sides that bears the closest examination in the light of the World Cup on the Indian sub-continent next year.
Three members of the 15-strong tour party — veteran Adrian Kuiper, Gerhardus Liebenberg and Nicky Boje — will not get a look-in for the five-day game. It is part of the four-point plan the selectors have pencilled in.
The selectors, says Pollock, are looking for a “pinch hitter”. Someone, says Pollock, who can make 30 quick runs coming in anywhere in the middle order “not just on an easy wicket where the ball comes on to the bat and normally when a wicket has fallen”.
It is a tall order, but Pollock’s borrowing of the ugly baseball phrase has, nevertheless, some encouraging connotations. It means that the selectors, urged on no doubt by coach Bob Woolmer’s analysis of the South
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African limited overs whitewash in Pakistan, are at last applying in practice what they have long espoused under the much quoted “horses for courses” theory.
It seems sad though that in looking for a man to come in and lambast the bowling at virtually any position in the order, that Mike Rindel has seemingly been discarded. While Kuiper is undoubtedly, as Pollock says, “asset No 1 when he is fit and firing” he is at 36 hardly an investment for the future.
Polloc and co do no agree. “kuiper is fit and highly motivated and captaining Boland and he still has the ability to turn a match,” says Pollock.
Indeed, Australia’s Craig McDermott would testify to this after getting a fearful lathering from Kuiper in the one-dayer at Centurion Park two seasons ago. It was an almost scornful dismissal of McDermott and must have come as a heart-stopperfor a man of his undoubted
In this category, the promotion of Liebenberg back to the squad he joined for the England tour, is relevant. He made three centuries on the Under-24 tour of Sri Lanka and is surely on the way to the heights as an international cricketer.
Whether he has the strike power of a Kuiper at full stretch remains to be seen.
Pollock is also eyeing Pakistan and the World Cup when he looks at Kuiper. “The grounds are smaller there,” he says, bringing back memories of that momentous day at Centurion Park. “Kuips can miscue them there and they’ll still be out of the park.”
Another of the points that Pollock makes is the need for a fluent opening partnership “capable of 60 runs in 15 overs”. To this end, there are three openers going to Zimbabwe. Gary Kirsten is one. Andrew Hudson, who has battled at Test level of late, is another.
Rudi STeyn, who performed more than adequately in the series against the New Zealanders, is the third opener. Steyn, it must be pointed out, has still to become a regular for his new province, Natal.
One suspects that it will be from among these three that the drinks carrrier for the single Test in Harare between October 13-17 will come.
Similarly, the selectors want two spinners for the one- dayers — only one presumably for the Test — with the second of them “preferably able to hold his own as an
In this category, Nicky Boje — another success at Under-24 level — takes a bow alongside the veteran Pat Symcox. Boje can surely bat. Anothc up, we shall await his continued rise as a cricketer of real class.
“We have never really been anti spinners,” says Pollock, conveniently forgetting that Symcox and Tim Shaw were both selected for the tour of England on the convenor’s emphatic statement that they would both be challenging for a Test place. History records the outcome of that one.
Also of note is the fourth of the selection panel’s priorities. “Genuine all-rounders who can come in at No 9 and play Waqar Younis,” is the way Pollock paints that section of the canvas.
Big Brian McMIllan then deserves another look at this role in one-day cricket. And Boje’s chances rise a notch. But whether either can play Waqar with the smell of brimstone in his imperious nostrils is open to
But all told, at least things are moving. The selectors have a more open look to their plans and the South AFrican side to its eventual membership. It is a healthy situation.
All that remains now is to await England. For, as Pollock rightly points out, there can be no other short-term aim — not even nesxt year’s World Cup — more important right now than giving the Poms a rousing
SA to Zimbabwe: Hansie Cronje (Free State, captain), Gary Kirsten (WP), Andrew Hudson (Natal), Rudolph Steyn (Natal), Daryll Cullinan (Border), Jonty Rhodes (Natal), Brian McMillan (WP), Dave Richardson (EP), Pat Symcox (Natal), Craig Matthews (WP), Fanie de Villiers (N Tvl), Allan Donald (Free State), Gerhardus Liebenberg (Free State), Adrian Kuiper (Boland). Manager: Mustapha Khan. Coach Bob Woolmer.
SA “A” v Zimbabwe “A”: Dale Benkenstein (Natal, captain), Adam Bacher (Tvl), Mark Bruyns (Natal), Jacques Kallis (WP), Neil Johnson (Natal), Pieter STrydom (Border), Lance Klusner (Natal), Lulama Masikazane (EP), Mark Davis (N Tvl), Shaun Pollock (Natal), Steven Jack (Tvl), Roger Telemachus (Boland)