As well as South Africa played at the Wanderers last weekend (and let’s not carp about this: the bowlers bowled with common sense on a helpful pitch, the fielding looks to have sharpened up and, with the exception of most of the middle order, the batsmen applied themselves) the most significant development of the week was Daryll Cullinan’s apology.
Cynics will no doubt point out that the imminence of a World Cup concentrates the mind wonderfully, but it would be a harsh judgement of Cullinan to attribute his remorse solely to self-interest. Of course he wants to play in a third World Cup. Who wouldn’t? In Cullinan’s case it would be surprising if he didn’t see next year’s tournament as perhaps a final chance to leave his stamp on the game.
The finest South African batsman of his generation, Cullinan has ever been his own worst enemy, particularly in dealing with those beyond his inner circle. Proud of his ability, over-sensitive to any criticism, however mild, he has often appeared to be playing out his career to the beat of a different drum.
Seen in this context, for Cullinan to say he’s sorry represents a massive stepdown. It cannot have been easy for him to admit that he was wrong in turning his back on the Test team earlier this year, not publicly anyway, and his apology should be taken for what it is worth.
It seems almost certain that Cullinan’s name will be among the provisional World Cup squad of 30 when it is announced later this month. Whether he actually plays in the tournament will depend on his teammates accepting his apology and his form.
As far as the first of these considerations is concerned, an in-form Cullinan would, almost self-evidently, strengthen the squad. In all likelihood, he will have only the domestic one-day competition to demonstrate this, although the possibility of his getting a Test match against Pakistan cannot be discounted entirely.
As much as some of the South Africans may have been angered by his withdrawal from the Newlands Test, if Cullinan is available and is in form, it shouldn’t be too difficult a task for the South African management to persuade the side to give him another chance. Self-interest, after all, is a powerful motivating force for many sportsmen.
Despite playing in two World Cups, Cullinan has never quite shone on this particular stage. In 1996 the South African top-order tended to hog the runs against the weaker sides and although he made a 65 against Pakistan and a 69 against the West Indies in the losing quarterfinal, South Africa’s early demise cast a pall over the performances of the entire team.
In 1999 he had a modest time of it, despite making a 50 against Australia in their Super Six match to at least dispel some of the shadow cast over him by his bêtes noirs.
With hindsight it is possible to believe that 1992 might have been Cullinan’ s tournament.
He had still to make his big scores then, and there was a tendency to give it away just as he seemed to have set it up for himself. But his sheer quality was obvious for all to see and his omission is still difficult to understand 10 years down the line. Perhaps his place was taken by Peter Kirsten, originally omitted from South Africa’s squad, and there would be something nicely symmetrical if Cullinan were to fill the role next year that Kirsten played in 1992.
After 1999, Cullinan offered the opinion that he wanted to bat at three in the one-day team, a berth then usually filled either by a pinch-hitter or Jacques Kallis. Kallis has slipped comfortably down to four in the Test side, and it is difficult to believe that Cullinan would not be a secure option.
The other pretenders, of course, played in the Test match last weekend with very little success. There is still time for Ashwell Prince, Neil McKenzie and Martin van Jaarsveld to consolidate their claims, but all three are under intense pressure.
Don’t expect, however, this particular leopard to completely change his spots. Cullinan is a complex man who seeks respect rather than affection from the public and his peers. Even so, it is hard to believe the World Cup would not be richer for his presence.