England tour to SA: 2015

[stefan9]

Its the home ground of Bavuma,Radaba and Viljoen. It used to be the home ground of morris and QDK, they both switched to the Titans this season.

 

[Noob-Noob]

Can't see the team being changed now for The Wanderers (despite double tons from Duminy and Vilas). Philander still ruled out, Steyn is 50/50. Should he be passed fit, bringing him in for Piedt might be a viable option. Wanderers is usually conducive to an all pace battery so you could probably get away with not playing a spinner here. However, think I'd still rather Piedt in ahead of Abbot should Steyn not make the grade. With Wanderers being the homeground of Bavuma, Morris, QdK (and I think Rabada), it would make sense to retain the all.

van Zyl
Elgar
Amla
du Plessis
de Villiers
Bavuma
QdK
Morris
Piedt/Steyn
Rabada
Morkel

If Steyn is not fit, that bowling attack wont strike fear in the English batsman. If Steyn is not fit, they should have rather opted for 4 pace bowlers + Piedt.
Personally i would have liked to see Tabraiz Shamsi instead of Piedt. But Piedt has not really done anything wrong, just lacks the X-factor for me. Same as Morris. Rabada has the X-factor, same as Steyn. Rabada just needs more game time, under Steyns wing he will achieve great things.

 

[WaxLyrical]

Personally i would have liked to see Tabraiz Shamsi instead of Piedt. Bm

Agreed. Took a ton of wickets recently but if he continues like its a given he'll be selected. Left arm finger spinner with a nice action.

There'll be only one change going forward with Steyn coming in for Morris.
We need to blood KR for the future.

Actually Viljoen needs to come in for Piedt as well. Van Zyl and Elgar can send down a few.
If Piedt wasn't effective in CT he's going to get plastered in Jhb.

 

[Drifter]

Time to get rid of Steyn, his body is wasted. No use picking a bowler that is good for one session in a test match.

 

[dunkyd]

Time to get rid of Steyn, his body is wasted. No use picking a bowler that is good for one session in a test match.

Strained his arms with all the stupid stabbing and jabbing after a wicket.
Perhaps more suited to sitting in the team seats ....

 

[DanDango]

Agreed. Took a ton of wickets recently but if he continues like its a given he'll be selected. Left arm finger spinner with a nice action.

There'll be only one change going forward with Steyn coming in for Morris.
We need to blood KR for the future.

Actually Viljoen needs to come in for Piedt as well. Van Zyl and Elgar can send down a few.
If Piedt wasn't effective in CT he's going to get plastered in Jhb.

Tabraiz Shamsi is left hand wrist spinner(left hand leg spin bowler) it's very rare bowler art.
Elgar is a finger spinner, turn ball away from right hand batsman. Shamsi turn ball into righ hand batsman legs.
YES on Shamsi nice action.

 

[stefan9]

Time to get rid of Steyn, his body is wasted. No use picking a bowler that is good for one session in a test match.

When the other bowlers can do what he does sure, till then I rather have him. Did more in the one innings bowled this series then most of the others did in all 4 innings.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Tabraiz Shamsi is left hand wrist spinner(left hand leg spin bowler) it's very rare bowler art.
Elgar is a finger spinner, turn ball away from right hand batsman. Shamsi turn ball into righ hand batsman legs.
YES on Shamsi nice action.

I'm not convinced on left arm leg spinners. They're effectively a right arm off spinner since majority of batsmen are right handed...

 

[MickeyD]

I'm not convinced on left arm leg spinners. They're effectively a right arm off spinner since majority of batsmen are right handed...

Very difficult to face them as a batsman...

 

[Neoprod]

I'm not convinced on left arm leg spinners. They're effectively a right arm off spinner since majority of batsmen are right handed...

Can be difficult if they have even a semblance of a googly, given the natural angle from around the wicket a left-arm bowler delivers with.

 

[stefan9]

Convener of selectors on the exclusion of stephen cook

Zondi: Cook is not forgotten

January 8, 2016
138 4
Stephen Cook Stephen Cook
Despite picking an unchanged squad for the final two Tests, convener of selectors Linda Zondi says Stephen Cook remains part of their plans.

However, they want to give Stiaan van Zyl a fair chance to prove himself.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced an unchanged squad for the Tests at the Wanderers and Centurion, much to the dismay of cricket supporters who want to see Cook get a chance at the top of the order.

Zondi told SACricketmag.com it wasn’t an easy decision to keep the squad unchanged.

‘Stephen Cook is very close in our thinking, but we want to give Stiaan a run and back him, especially at the Wanderers. South Africa have only batted three innings in the series so far,’ hinting that the India tour isn’t really a factor, because all the batsmen struggled there.

Cook (33) has been one of the standout batsmen in domestic cricket over the last year or so and seems an obvious choice at the top of the order, but he’ll have to wait his turn, just like Van Zyl did before he first got picked.

‘It’s a very nice problem to have,’ Zondi said. ‘It shows our franchise cricket is strong.’

He did not, however, discount the possibility that a player from outside the squad could be called up for the final Test if the selectors deemed it necessary.

‘Absolutely. Announcing an unchanged squad doesn’t stop us from doing that and bringing someone in for Centurion, but it is very important to give stability to the team.

‘I understand the frustration that has been aired on social media. All the players we are looking at are part of the South African A squad so Cook is definitely in our plans. His age is not a concern. If a player is good enough his age doesn’t matter.’

Zondi said it was a concern that Hashim Amla is coming in too early on a regular basis. He also said there was a big gap between domestic and SA A cricket and SA A cricket and international cricket.

Zondi was asked to clarify who picks the starting XI for any particular match. It is well known that the selection panel selects the squad, but who has the final say on the team that plays?

‘The final XI is picked by the coach and the convener of selectors, which is me, but if I am not available then one of the other members of the panel will be involved. For example, Ashwell Prince was our representative for the New Year’s Test because he is based in Cape Town.

‘The captain’s input is always taken into consideration and 99% of the time they usually get the team they want, so we always speak to them to find out what their thoughts and needs are for a specific game.’

Zondi said while there is an established pecking order in place when new players are considered, there is flexibility within that order.

That is why, for example, Hardus Viljoen was called up to the squad for the second Test instead of Marchant de Lange, who was the back-up bowler for the India tour.

In terms of selection for the third Test, Zondi admitted there was a temptation to play four seamers, but that depended on the input of the new captain, AB de Villiers, and the track record of the Wanderers over the last few years.

- See more at: http://www.sacricketmag.com/zondi-cook-forgotten/#sthash.2rSm2ha1.9HXGOtDG.dpuf

http://www.sacricketmag.com/zondi-cook-forgotten/

 

[DanDango]

Video of Tabraiz Shamsi for anyone never seen him bowl

[video=dailymotion;x2x6gf2]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2x6gf2[/video]

 

[DanDango]

[video=dailymotion;x2x1r6y]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2x1r6y[/video]

 

[DanDango]

[video=youtube;1BAeIf4nU1w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BAeIf4nU1w[/video]

after 1.26 min see Shamsi bowl

 

[OzzieCapie]

Calling him a liar is bloody disrespectful to the man and anyone who does so should be ashamed of themselves.

Wow, what an over-reaction. Dropping your pants in public is shameful, mistrusting a human being is normal. People in more honourable positions have lied under oath.

You and MyBBOutk simply have your axes to grind - I was fortunate enough to have been inoculated against that old SACOS mentality early in my life.

You can only grind an axe if you were in a position of power to do so, I am not aware we have been put on the selection panel.

However, if you were 'previously disadvantaged', you should be thankful that not everyone were 'sell outs'. Every person that stood up to the old regime played a part in the change, in fact if you are looking for an example of 'shameful' the ones that didn't, fit the bill.

Anyway, whatever the history, fact is that players within the squad reported at the time that the Pollock team was divided on racial grounds. I am not going to quote names here, but only one of 'players of colour' (Gibbs) was not sitting around the table in that small Sydney restaurant (Spice Boys) back in 2001/2.

 

[MyBBOutkast]

While guys discount what I keep saying, it continues to be fact at ever turn. A team stats count for more than domestic form http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-england-2015-16/content/story/959635.html. The only irony is why the woeful A team players Vilas, Morris&Viljoen were picked. The first two have already proven to be out of their depth. It also explains why Cook's selection is resisted. His 50 against England amongst his overall poor A team record not enough. The flexibility mentioned in the article stefan quoted regarding Viljoen ahead of Marchant is pointless though because like Marchant, Viljoen can only replace Rabada or Morkel who were both going to play anyway. Drop Morris, Viljoen&Stiaan. Pick Hendricks, Paterson&Parnel!!!

 

[MyBBOutkast]

Talk of dropping Piedt and picking Shamsi is baseless. Piedt is going nowhere. In any event, even if Piedt were to be dropped, the pecking order is - Harmer, Phangiso, Leie, Maharaj...with Tahir the desperate outlet somewhere in there.

 

[MyBBOutkast]

Actually Viljoen needs to come in for Piedt as well. Van Zyl and Elgar can send down a few.
If Piedt wasn't effective in CT he's going to get plastered in Jhb.

If Piedt or any of the other bowlers were plastered, Viljoen will get double plastered. We have 3 attacking bowlers - Morris, Ranada&Piedt. Because Morris failed miserably attacking, Morkel was forced to be defensive. Drop Piedt fir Viljoen, both Morkel&Rabada will be forced to be defensive. I think we all know perfectly well from his ODI&T20 exploits that Rabada can be tight if a captain asks him to be, like Amla was forced to do with Morkel. We must stop picking players who must be nursed &accomodated in order to succeed at this level. Drop them until they are good enough to replace their direct competition instead of suggesting ways to fit them in!

 

[AfricanTech]

Wow, what an over-reaction. Dropping your pants in public is shameful, mistrusting a human being is normal. People in more honourable positions have lied under oath.


You can only grind an axe if you were in a position of power to do so, I am not aware we have been put on the selection panel.

However, if you were 'previously disadvantaged', you should be thankful that not everyone were 'sell outs'. Every person that stood up to the old regime played a part in the change, in fact if you are looking for an example of 'shameful' the ones that didn't, fit the bill.

Anyway, whatever the history, fact is that players within the squad reported at the time that the Pollock team was divided on racial grounds. I am not going to quote names here, but only one of 'players of colour' (Gibbs) was not sitting around the table in that small Sydney restaurant (Spice Boys) back in 2001/2.

Liar!

 

[AirWolf]

Can we get back on topic please.

Is Steyn confirmed for next test, or still 50/50?