Biff back in Proteas mix
23 Mar 2009
Graeme Smith has returned from injury to lead South Africa in the coming ODI series against Australia.
The Proteas host the Aussies at The Wanderers in the first T20 match on Friday before moving up to Centurion to play the second. The five-match ODI series will begin on 3 April with Kingsmead the venue for the opening game. Smith will be available for this fixture after recovering from a hand injury.
Johan Botha (vice-captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell and Vaughn van Jaarsveld join the squad while Test specialists Paul Harris and Ashwell Prince bow out. Imraan Khan, who made his debut in the third Test at Newlands, is also not considered.
SA ODI squad – Graeme Smith (c), Johan Botha (v/c)), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Vaughn van Jaarsveld.
30 Comments
23 Mar 2009, 11:54 am
Ashwell Prince would be an enormous asset to the ODI team. Can’t understand why they leave him out. He’s the banker, who keeps things going, scores at a good clip, and can be devastating if he need to be.
I miss a back-up wicketkeeper (other than De Villiers). We should train one to take over from Boucher, and it should not be De Villiers.
The case against AB as WC: He would have to drop down to No 7 in test matches, which will have a negative influence on his batting. (It could drop his average by 10). He should ideally be a number 4. And his fielding will be sorely missed!
23 Mar 2009, 12:05 pm
Just ain’t cricket without Biff
23 Mar 2009, 12:12 pm
#1 DaveyJ:
Excuse my ignorance, but why would AB “have” to drop down to No 7?
There’s no rule that says a wicketkeeper must bat at No. 7.
23 Mar 2009, 12:15 pm
Shame about Prince, I would have picked him above Amla. But then who cares anyway, they will sure open with cappie and boozer Gibbs so its a moot point. Why the heck did I post this then?. Must be that time of the month!!
23 Mar 2009, 12:17 pm
#1 DaveyJ: There is no need to drop AB to number 7 if he keeps. We could bat someone else there. Concerntrate on keeping as well is what would diminish his batting average.
He had a brilliant series to prove his worth as a batsman.
23 Mar 2009, 12:25 pm
Good to see GS back. Think he will need these two 20/20 games to get match fit for the odi’s
Good luck Proteas. For the odi’s. Not really worried about the 20/20 but it is fun to watch.
23 Mar 2009, 13:11 pm
Maybe it’s just me but I’d rather have Johan Botha as Captain than Graeme right now. We haven’t won a match, since the first two Tests in Ozland, when Graeme Smith is captain. Maybe it’s just me?
Us being the best ODI side in the world we should win this one rather easily.
Who wants to put money on someone hitting six sixes in an over at the Wanderers??
23 Mar 2009, 13:12 pm
conflicting reports… supersport.co.za says biff will be back for odi’s not t20. when they interviewed biff during the test he said he’s be back for odi’s.
23 Mar 2009, 15:03 pm
#7 Ezee-23: Please don’t talk nonsense. Smith has only lost 2 tests since then. You don’t become a **** captain in just two tests. Wrong attitude.
23 Mar 2009, 16:49 pm
#7 Ezee-23: Smith is a great captain. Also will have Johan Botha in the team as vice captain.
23 Mar 2009, 23:22 pm
#9 Mike Brass: Relax bru. Maybe sarcasm isn’t easily recognizable in a blog.
24 Mar 2009, 01:35 am
#1 DaveyJ:
De Villiers can comfortably keep wicket and bat at five, no problems whatsoever. Hell, Alex Stewart kept and opened the innings…
#9 Mike Brass:
Smith is an ordinary captain. Improving from the absolute shite one he was five years ago but still a long, long way off being a great.
You need a bit of cricketing nous to be a great captain…and that’s seriously lacking from someone nicknamed ‘Biff’.
Your Honour, I rest my case.
Finally, let’s hope that Gibbs scores some runs. This, surely, must be his last chance saloon. The disdain with which he has treated the game – against the backdrop of his enormous talent – is scandelous.
Play the game or spare us the sight of your nonchalance, Herschelle. The choice is yours.
24 Mar 2009, 03:04 am
Last chance saloon indeed… even Aus have finally given up on Symonds…
24 Mar 2009, 03:49 am
#13 money_man:
I reckon there’s a B-grade movie in the offing.
I can see the title already…’The Three Lust-for-Beers’.
The plot’s still a bit thin but the stars are there…Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds and that suip-gat from NZ, Jesse Ryder.
Perhaps we’ll have them heading off on a fishing trip, boat weighed down by crates of Castle, XXXX and Steinlager.
A kinda cricketers’ blurry version of ‘Deliverance’.
Worth developing?
24 Mar 2009, 04:18 am
#14 Joe Maher:
ROTFLMAO… perhaps a small role in there for Steve Walsh as the crabby deckhand…
24 Mar 2009, 04:48 am
#15 money_man:
And vet “Jan” squeeling like a piggy!
24 Mar 2009, 04:55 am
#16 whatever:
They can harpoon him off the coast of Mozambique…
24 Mar 2009, 05:51 am
Yes but who will they get to play the Banjo ?
I think an Acadamy award is in the offing here.
24 Mar 2009, 06:12 am
#18 Manlybok:
Give the banjo to Ricky January after a few pap-saks?
24 Mar 2009, 06:19 am
#18 Manlybok:
Or to one of the many rugby league players – if they can be distracted from their bar brawls, raping and pillaging long enough to strum a few chords.
As the ad says, you’ve gotta love your league.
Yeah, right!
But seriously, a few leaguers could be just what the movie needs, to create a sub plot, or perhaps a sub counter plot, to keep the story ticking along while Hersch, Roy and Jesse pass out, recover from the most recent binge.
A bit boring watching three okes snore away the suip, don’t you think?
24 Mar 2009, 06:30 am
#20 Joe Maher:
How about the likes of Sonny Bill, Willie Mason et al as South Sea pirates in hot head-hunting pursuit…
24 Mar 2009, 06:46 am
#21 money_man:
I like it, Money_Man.
And in a crazed shootout, Piet ‘Boep’ van Zyl of Kings Park notoriety gets mowed down while on his way to his first banjo lesson
And thus ends his cameo role.
24 Mar 2009, 07:51 am
Maybe we can throw a bit of “Jaws” in as well by getting Steve Walsh(the crabby deck hand) to say “I think were going to need a biiger boat” when he see’s Symonds backing the beertruck up to the jetty?
24 Mar 2009, 08:30 am
#12 Joe Maher:
yeah and what was his average
24 Mar 2009, 08:40 am
#24 gunther:
First of all, he got the name wrong – it’s Alec Stewart.
Secondly, Stewart’s Test average was 39.54…
24 Mar 2009, 08:59 am
#25 WP Till I Die:
exactly thats what Ab ‘s av erage will be if he is made to keep, he is pretty much the best batsman in this team (look at his average in the home and away vs Aus and for the year before, he is going to become a special batsman for SA but ot if he keeps. I grew up in the UK watching Alec Stewart he was a pretty ordinary keeper
24 Mar 2009, 09:25 am
#24 gunther:
An awful lot better than Boucher’s…a paltry 29.
#25 WP Till I Die:
Thanks, I admit to the error, expect I’ll be marched to the gallows forthwith
#26 gunther:
AB’s a far better cricketer than Alec Stewart ever was…and besides, we’re not asking him to open but bat at five.
24 Mar 2009, 09:26 am
One of the beautiful cricket predictions, from Shane Warne, on 27 February 2009:
“Bryce McGain is clearly the best spinner in Australia and I was disappointed that he was not picked for the first Test in South Africa. The South Africans don’t play wristies well.”
Yeah, right, Shane!!!
Tell that to Bryce when he gets back to Melbourne.
24 Mar 2009, 10:15 am
#28 Joe Maher: LOL. That prediction is classic.
Besides the sub-continent batsmen and a few Aussies I think Prince, Kallis, Amla and AB are the best players of spin in the world right now. Since we came back from India and Pakistan our guys have played spinners with such disdain it’s ridiculous. I have yet to see a spinner who can trouble us.
24 Mar 2009, 11:22 am
#28 Joe Maher:
Almost akin to Glen McGrath’s before the Aus series…
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