From: colin@physci.uct.ac.za (COLIN HENDERSON)
Subject: Possible S.A. team vs. India
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 92 10:02:03 GMT
Organization: University of Cape Town
Keywords: my selection

There has been the odd request for news from "the land of Apartheid" so 
here is my team to take on the Indians.  I'm sticking my neck out a 
bit here, as the season's only just begun and it's difficult to tell who'll 
pop up in form over the next few weeks.

1  J. Cook  (Transvaal)
2  A. Hudson (Natal)
3  K. Wessels (E.Province) (c)
4  P. Kirsten (Border)
5  W. Cronje (Orange Free State)
6  B. McMillan (W. Province)
7  D. Richardson (E. Province) (w/k)
8  R. Snell (Tvl)
9  T. Shaw (E. Province) for ODI / C. Eksteen (Tvl) for Tests
10 M. Pringle (W. Province)
11 A. Donald (OFS)
12 J. Rhodes

(O.K. Boooring! :-)

As you can see, mostly players selected for world cup.

The exclusion of Kuiper is partly due to his poor form at the world cup (
though his gritty 39 against WI showed character) and partly because he is 
recovering from an operation on his ankle.  But I believe he'll do well 
against what I've seen of the Indian bowling when he recovers. Omar Henry, 
while wily and capable at a provincial level, looked very ordinary in Oz.

The main worries are the susceptibility of the team against spin, and we're 
talking Kumble here.  You can bet on it that the wickets will be greentops 
so prepare for some surprises from the Indian quickies.  But wickets like 
Newlands (in Cape Town) are known to start turning prodigiously later in the 
day, and the spinners will also possibly have the south easter to play 
around with.  I can just see the topspinners drifting towards the inside 
edge! St. George's Park in Port Elizabeth (E. Cape) is usually brown, but 
the Wanderers (Jo'burg) will be a "green mamba" - a very quick 
moving and poisonous snake.

Players #2-4, 6,7 and 11 select themselves automatically.  I added Jimmy 
Cook because he is the most experienced and classy opener in the country, 
whatever the selectors say :-( AND he can play spin.  He also can score runs 
right from the word go.  Anything straying towards leg stump will end up 
driven through midwicket. Hudson and spin is a real worry, but I think he's 
very capable and will overcome this flaw.

Richard Snell's place is being challenged by the likes of Stephen Jack, Rudi 
Bryson and Craig Matthews.  His much vaunted accuracy deserts him at times, 
but he can move the ball very awkwardly off the seam, and was unlucky not to 
take more wickets down under. Pringle or Snell might be replaced by any of 
these three.

The spinner is the biggest problem. I believe one is essential, and we have 
a dearth of them at present, though there do seem to be some promising 
youngsters making their mark in the provincial teams. Tim Shaw can keep the 
runs down well and will be an asset in the late overs slog, but doesn't seem 
to have great penetration.  I'd tip him for the ODIs, based on his 
experience.  For the tests, Clive Eksteen (left arm) can be lethal at times, 
but his place might come under fire from R. McGlashan (the only leggie 
around) if he can get his act together, or Dave Rundle (ditto). The latter 
is an offie from W. Province, and is in the young President's XI to play 
India in November.

For the all-rounder spot, I'd loove to bring back Ricey, but McMillan has 
both strike ability as a bowler and the necessary temperament to shore up 
batting collapses, so he wins it by a nose.

The number five spot has many contenders, including Louis Koen, Roy Pienaar, 
and Jonty Rhodes.  Pienaar, an attractive strokemaker, would be better 
employed higher up, but there's no room.  Jonty Rhodes' batting always looks 
a little fragile, but he invariably came in at awkward times in the WC and 
so couldn't build his innings. He almost invariably did what was 
required, though.  The breathtaking running between the wickets against the 
Sri Lankans when runs were a premium and the six which IMHO swung the WC 
match finally out of the Indians' grasp are fine examples. But Hansie makes 
it on consistency.  If Jonty can stick around a little, he might be the 
successor to Kirsten, who is running out of cricket years. Though of course 
he has nowhere near the class.  (but then I'm a Kirsy fan).


Well, sorry chaps, this has got rather long.  As cricket is one of the 
three national religions here (after Soccer and Rugby) there are bound to be 
other S. Africans on this net who'll comment. Where are they?
--

Colog "nku-e-shweleng" the Henderdog
Physics Dept, UCT, South Africa.