Bob Woolmer from the pavilion South African cricket is in the process of re-establishing itself in the eyes of the world. The Hansiegate scandal and the ensuing mudslinging during the King commission ensured an enormous amount of rebuilding had to take place. Part of the rebuilding is in the hands of Shaun Pollock and Graham Ford, and with the aid of the team this started in Sri Lanka and will continue in Australia. While the Sri Lankan tour was a test in itself – spinning wickets against very competitive sides – the measure is always Australia. That the three one-day internationals will be played indoors is an exciting prospect, an initiative that would suit the English climate perfectly. My renewed association with English cricket has coincided with the wettest summer on record I am sure most peole will be fascinated by this concept. For a start, the acoustics will create a lot of interest – especially if the usual amount of sledging takes place. Many questions will be asked: will the ball swing more? How will the pitch react? What levels of humidity will there be with 60E000 people in the auditorium? There should be no dew factor, but can they get the lighting to the standard allowing the use of a red ball? What happens if the ball hits the roof: is that four or are you out caught by the roof? Can you be out “caught off the rebound”? All these and many other questions will be answered in due course. The real question for South African sport is whether the team can maintain the levels of performance they have achieved.
Will young Nantie Hayward start to fill Allan Donald’s shoes? How will Darryl Cullinan handle the cauldron of Shane Warne and a crowd inevitably on top of you? Cullinan is the best batsman in South African cricket and he has yet to display his skill to the Australian public. Pollock and his charges know that they can beat Australia; they have recently done so. They too are in more practice than the Aussies, although some of the Aussies are in Britain playing for their respective counties. South African sport has taken some bitter pills recently. Like all slumps they can be short- lived or hang around for ages. It will be the character of the South African players that can lift the mood of the country. Like Australians, South Africans are sport-crazy and it is the heroes on the sporting field that are under pressure to perform. In Pollock, Lance Klusener and Jacques Kallis South Africa have the best all-round trio in world cricket today. Mark Boucher is among the best wicketkeeper/batsmen and in Gary Kirsten, Cullinan and Jonty Rhodes there is a depth in experience and ability that most sides would envy. It is the new recruits who will have to make an impression. Makhaya Ntini has had a wonderful return to the game and was a significant factor in the first three matches of the series in South Africa, and his progress now will be interesting. Australia will be looking towards the fastest bowler in the world, Brett Lee, to build on his great start in the game while the Waugh brothers, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Michael Bevan make up a powerful batting line-up. One thing is certain, especially for the so-called sceptics, who said cricket has been devalued. These two teams will be at each other’s throats: Australians and South Africans have a fierce pride when representing their country. Watch out, the sparks are going to fly!