sixes
CRICKET: Jon Swift
ONE of the inevitable things about sport is that as the seasons change, so do the faces of the men out there in the middle.
And so it is with the composition of the two cricket sides announced by the South African selectors this week.
Adrian Kuiper, once such a vital part of this country’s one-day efforts, has been named to go to the slam-bang of the Hong Kong sixes tournament. Hershelle Gibbs, so long a potentially fine player at top level, gets his chance in the squad named for the quadrangular series in Kenya.
It is, one suspects, a subtle hint to Kuiper that his international career has reached the twilight stages and, one would hope, a fervent thank you from the cricketing authorities for the services he has rendered to the game.
For Gibbs, the only new cap in the 14- strong squad to take on the host nation, Sri Lanka and Pakistan from September 28 to October 6, it is the start of what could be a glittering career.
The bouncy 22-year-old Gibbs has admittedly come into the side due to the unavailability through injury of Shaun Pollock — operated on this week — Jacques Kallis and Paul Adams. But his record of two centuries and five 50s for an average of 66,99 to top the averages for South Africa A on the recently completed tour of England, gave notice that after flattering so long to deceive, Gibbs was finally a real contender.
The elevation of the young Western Province player is especially pleasing to national coach Bob Woolmer, who has a high regard for the talents of Gibbs. Woolmer first saw him as a sub-teen schoolboy. “His big hundred against the MCC was an innings of supreme class,” says Woolmer, “and one that said he had arrived and it was time for everyone to take notice.”
The Kenyan safari is also a test-pad not only for Gibbs, but players like Derek Crookes and Nicky Boje to push themselves into contention for the full tour to India in mid-October. The squad will be named after the tournament in Kenya.
“We decided to name the Indian squad later to give us a chance to reassess the three injured players,” was selection panel supremo Peter Pollock’s reasoning behind the decision to delay the announcement.
Whatever the reasoning, the selections show both confidence in the future of the game in the shape of young players coming through and, conversely, when the sixes side arrive in Hong Kong for the September 21 and 22 tournament, an understanding of what and who has gone before.
The game, you feel, is in good hands all round.
The squads
Kenya: Hansie Cronje (captain), Craig Matthews (vice-captain), Dave Richardson, Brian McMillan, Gary Kirsten, Andrew Hudson, Pat Symcox, Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald, Fanie de Villiers, Daryll Cullinan, Derek Crookes, Hershelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje
Hong Kong: Hansie Cronje (captain), Jonty Rhodes, Bradley Player, Richard Snell, Adrian Kuiper, Dean Lang, Allan Donald
With the announcement of a new sponsorship deal with Standard Bank this week, the United Cricket Board effectively has R100- million in the bank.
Group chief executive of the bank Mike Vosloo said: “The Standard Bank has committed R50-million to South African cricket and cricket development over a five-year period. To ensure that this commitment works for the bank, we will support the sponsorship with promotional rands of at least an equal amount.”
The sponsorship deal will cover:
* The domestic interprovincial league played among 11 provinces and involving 55 matches.
* The domestic interprovincial knock-out competition involving the top six provinces from the league plus Kenya and Mashonaland from Zimbabwe.
* All international one-day games, of which there will be 17 in the first season.
* A number of other matches between touring international sides and the provinces, and an eight-match tour by Holland.