The Proteas - Our Team!

Why not let AB keep?
Why burden your best batsman (and arguably the best in the world) with keeping if you have boucher? Who himself has a record that most keepers would dream of. 1000 dismissals ? how can you leave him out ?

Edit: Where do we really rate boucher as a keeper internationally. I'd argue he's defs in the top 10 in the modern era... his batting kept steve palferman out of the team. And at the time he was as the better keeper IIRC
 
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1. Smith
2. Kirsten / Gibbs (or Mackenzie)
3. Hash
4. Kallis
5. ABD
6. Boucher
7. Pollock
8. Big Vern
9. Rabada
10. Steyn
11. Donald

12. Maharaj (I can't think of any other spinner that really stands out for us)

13. Morkel
14. Zulu Klusener (because you'd at least want him in the squad)
15. Prince (Ngam as a throw-back to what would've been an outstanding career if not blighted by injuries)
 
Why burden your best batsman (and arguably the best in the world) with keeping if you have boucher? Who himself has a record that most keepers would dream of. 1000 dismissals ? how can you leave him out ?

Edit: Where do we really rate boucher as a keeper internationally. I'd argue he's defs in the top 10 in the modern era... his batting kept steve palferman out of the team. And at the time he was as the better keeper IIRC
AB averaged 57 as keeper, and 48 as batsmen only.

We could use a spinner.
 
AB averaged 57 as keeper, and 48 as batsmen only.

We could use a spinner.

Fair enough. But our list of all time spinners for an all time team is so short... not much to pick from.

Symcox
Eksteen
Boje
Adams
Harris
Tahir

only worth it one could be Maharaj

Edit: I'd rather have Zulu for the smash and grab.
 
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only worth it one could be Maharaj

Edit: I'd rather have Zulu for the smash and grab.
People with short memories?

Adams rates higher in the stats. Maharaja is good, but he's got a way to go before he catches or surpasses Adams in n umber of wickets, and the all important economy, Adams is a long way ahead.
 
All time team since readmission, not including before as never saw any of them play:

1.Smith cpt
2.Kirsten
3.Amla
4.Kallis
5.Cullinan
6.ABD
7.Ashwell Prince
8.Pollock
9.Maharaj
10.Steyn
11.Donald

Unlucky to miss out philander & kg.
 
People with short memories?

Adams rates higher in the stats. Maharaja is good, but he's got a way to go before he catches or surpasses Adams in n umber of wickets, and the all important economy, Adams is a long way ahead.
Adams is 14 wickets ahead in 11 more tests. Kesh will be well ahead when he gets to adams amount of games.
Economy rate they played in different eras. Adams was expensive for the era he played. Its not a big difference either, kesh is 0.25 more expensive per over.

Adams had a great start but struggled when batsmen started to figure his action out.
 
People with short memories?

Adams rates higher in the stats. Maharaja is good, but he's got a way to go before he catches or surpasses Adams in n umber of wickets, and the all important economy, Adams is a long way ahead.
I considered him. Adams as a pure spinner i suppose can work... theres enough batting in my team.

Maharaj is a better all round package imho where as adams is purely an attacking option. Swap him for polock or klusner depending on the track.
 
Can’t remember the guys name, he was captain of Northern Transvaal in the 90’s who was a spinner.

Someon asked him what type of spin he bowls, to which he replied: “Straight spin”.

I think that goes for most of our spinners.
 
Why burden your best batsman (and arguably the best in the world) with keeping if you have boucher? Who himself has a record that most keepers would dream of. 1000 dismissals ? how can you leave him out ?

Edit: Where do we really rate boucher as a keeper internationally. I'd argue he's defs in the top 10 in the modern era... his batting kept steve palferman out of the team. And at the time he was as the better keeper IIRC

In my opinion, if we only look at his behind the stumps game, Boucher was the best of his era.

As batsmen, Gilchrist, Sangakarra and Dhoni were streets ahead.

He was definite top-10 in his era and more than likely top-5.

I think Boucher was better than Palframan in all aspects. The one that lost out was Nic Pothas. He was the much better batsmen but touch and go on the 'keeping.

EDIT: Just checked their First Class stats.

Boucher: 2.44 dismissals per innings; 33.34 batting average
Palframan: 2.01 dismissals per innings; 24.55 batting average
Pothas: 1.94 dismissals per innings; 40.85 batting average
 
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Can’t remember the guys name, he was captain of Northern Transvaal in the 90’s who was a spinner.

Someon asked him what type of spin he bowls, to which he replied: “Straight spin”.

I think that goes for most of our spinners.

Was it maybe Mike Rindel, he was on opening batsman that bowled spin for Northern Transvaal.
 
In my opinion, if we only look at his behind the stumps game, Boucher was the best of his era.

As batsmen, Gilchrist, Sangakarra and Dhoni were streets ahead.

He was definite top-10 in his era and more than likely top-5.

I think Boucher wsa better than Palframan in all aspects. The one that lost out was Nic Pothas. He was the much better batsmen but touch and go on the 'keeping.

I remember in 97/98 Pothas taking a catch of a batman that was sweeping, was a brilliant catch. It not that Pothas was a bad keeper, he was maybe too tall for a keeper. I cant find info on how tall he is but in the picture is Pothas and Upul Tharanga. Tharanga is 180cm.


2017-08-21t042803z_1_lynxnped7k07q_rtroptp_4_cricket-odi-lka-ind-800.jpg
 
I remember in 97/98 Pothas taking a catch of a batman that was sweeping, was a brilliant catch. It not that Pothas was a bad keeper, he was maybe too tall for a keeper. I cant find info on how tall he is but in the picture is Pothas and Upul Tharanga. Tharanga is 180cm.


2017-08-21t042803z_1_lynxnped7k07q_rtroptp_4_cricket-odi-lka-ind-800.jpg

According to espncricinfo, he is 6'1, so yeah, above average for even the regular person.

I wonder how much of Boucher being a ''click'' player played a role in this as well?
 
I wonder how much of Boucher being a ''click'' player played a role in this as well?
i dont think you really need to wonder. :p They were all playing golf together.

Comes back to what i said about opportunities. That said, boucher was an absolute soldier for Smith. those guys were and still are fiercely loyal. Imagine how much confidence these guys took into games knowing that their spots were never under threat, as opposed to other players in the team.

We all love to eat the burger but we dont wanna see the patty get made neh?
 
According to espncricinfo, he is 6'1, so yeah, above average for even the regular person.

I wonder how much of Boucher being a ''click'' player played a role in this as well?

This, as a batsman Pothas, Kuhn and Van Wyk was better. Daryn Smit was the best bowler/keeper we had with 106 First class wickets lol.
 
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