South Africa announced a ICC Cricket World Cup squad with no surprises, keeping the 15 players who gained a convincing series win over Pakistan.
Graeme Smith will captain a side strong in all-rounders, seam bowling and fielding but with no top-quality spin bowler.
Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola said: "We are sending a 15-man squad that will provide a formidable challenge. All these players have been involved in high level domestic or international competition and have also been part of a high performance programme since last season."
Coach Mickey Arthur said the selected players had proved their ability. "Our recent victories against India and Pakistan are an indication of the work put in by everyone."
Smith said: "We have worked together to make a formidable team over the last 18 months and everyone knows what their specific responsibilities are within the team. We back each other and we will go out and give our best for our country."
South Africa have risen to second place in the international one-day rankings, closing the gap on champions Australia.
The squad announced Thursday has with minor changes been together for the past year, during which South Africa reached the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals and won 10 out of 11 one-day internationals during the home season.
Left-arm spin bowler Robin Peterson played in only one of the side's five matches against Pakistan as South Africa used an all-seam attack.
Loots Bosman, 29, a hard-hitting opening batsman, played in only one match, while seam bowler Roger Telemachus, 33, did not play at all.
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini will not travel with the team on February 28. He will join them after the birth of his second child in time for the second warm-up match against Pakistan in Trinidad on March 9.
South African squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis (vice-capt), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Roger Telemachus
Coach: Mickey Arthur
_________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Two world cups on a trot. This would be a very busy two months! _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
Alright, Andre. Which country do you think have the best chance of winning the world cup in the Carribeans?
AUSTRALIA
Batting:
Solid batting order when they are at their peak. The tail is as capable of knocking in the runs as the top and the middle order. Four extraordinary batsmen in Hussey (Mr Cricket), Ponting (who looks a lot like George Bush), Symonds (if he recovers on time) and Clarke.
But they have lost their last 4 ODIs. They were bowled out for 120 odd runs by New Zealand just a few days ago. They lost their Commonwealth Bank trophy title to England the previous week. They are now undergoing a rare and inexplicable slump in form. Perhaps the playing field is now more even for the rest.
Bowling:
Brett Lee is 50-50, but he can be rather expensive at times. Although Shane Warne is gone, they still have a right arm fast bowler in Shaun Tait, a seamer in Glenn McGrath who would be hoping for a nice swansong at the Carribeans, a left-arm seamer in Johnson, a left-arm seamer in Nathan Bracken and a potential left chinaman in Brad Hogg.
If there is a weakness, it has to the void left behind by Shane Warne. Be it a off-spinner or leg-spinner, I can't see any competent successor to fill in those big shoes. Cullum tries hard, but I am not sure if he is even been named in the squad.
Loic's take:
Despite their recent slump, they're still the bookie's favourites. If you are risk-averse, bet on Oz.
England
Batting:
The recent Commonwealth Bank Trophy triumph has unearthed quite a few gems. Ed Joyce is a competent opening batsman. Paul Collingwood has retrieved his form and should acquire the nickname of Mr Cricket in the English side. Bopora is touted as the Theo Walcott of cricket, injected into the squad to give the game a bit of explosive pace and capable of increasing the run rate if needed. Further down the order, Andrew Flintoff has started to bat more comfortably at number 6 while Andrew Strauss has demonstrated ability in the middle-order as well.
Of course, England still need KP to perform at his best if England were to go all the way in the tournament.
Bowling:
Liam Plunkett at his swinging best. James Anderson as a backup. Monty Panesar as an attacking spinner. Flintoff, ever reliable and industrious, who bowls his heart out for the Three Lions.
Loic's take:
Their recent Commonwealth Bank triumph has increased their odds, but it is still a risk-loving investor who would mortgage his house to wager on England. But well, your returns would be high if England were to reproduce their recent one-day form in Australia.
New Zealand
Batting:
Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming are competent opening batsmen. Actually, I am not very familiar with their batting lineup. Fleming did not impress much with the bat at the Commonwealth Bank trophy, but he was left not out in the first match of the Hadlee Trophy against Australia. However, Fleming is a class act as far as his captaincy skills are involved.
If Jacob Oram were not injured, I'd have put him down as a formidable asset whose presence would give a massive fillip to the Black Caps. This hulk tries to hit every ball for a six.
Bowling:
Shane Bond - same Christian name as Shane Warne but diametrically different from his Aussie counterpart. Bond is an explosive bowler who is not only capable of taking wickets, but at taking them at a low strike as well as bowling rate. Franklin is a useful backup for speed. Daniel Vettori can make life very difficult for the middle-order as the ball becomes older.
Loic's take:
Should make it to the Super Eight round along with England. I have this impression that the Black Caps always have something to prove whenever they don national colours.
South Africa
Batting:
A very long batting order with class acts everywhere. Graeme Smith is a talismanistic captain whose knowledge of the game belies his relatively tender age. Jacques Kallis is a rock whose job is to stabilise and build the innings. Ashwell Prince is a good finisher who is as reliable as Kallis. Mark Boucher in the middle whose batting average for the last 12 months is a healthy 36. The veteran and never-say-die Shaun Pollock who can bat anywhere or everywhere and who would be looking forward to hitting a 4 or a 6 in those short Carribean boundaries.
Of course, there's still Hershelle Gibbs. Despite experiencing a slight slump in form recently, he still averages 35 witht he bat last year.
Bowling:
All seamers. No spinners. This is what I find strange in South African cricket. But it is not so strange if you pause to consider that the omnipotent West Indian side of the 70s and early 80s all made to do without any spinner as well.
Ntini seems to get better, doesn't he? An example of a black cricketer who is more than qualitied to make it into the national side without being given a leg up. Andre Nel, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp do seem to get those wickets too.
Loic's take:
Currently ranked the top one-day side along with Australia. Should make it to the semi-final at the very least. In the likely event that they do make it to the final, let's hope that Australia aren't waiting for them. The Proteas seem to have a mental block whenever they play against the Aussies.
India
Batting:
Rahul Dravid is playing like a born again batsman. He has moved permanently into 5th gear and he impressed me a lot in the recent series against Sri Lanka. Dhoni is also dependable and we can rely on him to increase the run rate and stabilise the innings.
Unfortunately, that is all I can only comment. My erstwhile hero Sachin Tendulkar is a fallen star. He reminds me a bit of Zinedine Zidane before he found form against Spain and Brazil in the recent world cup. For his high standards, Tendulkar has been a flop recently. Sehwag doesn't play intelligently and behaves like a baseball slogger who swings wildly at every ball without care for the kind of ball delivered or fielding positions. He is particularly weak against swing bowlers.
India has a weak tail. As weak as England's during their Ashes tour. Once the top and middle order is eviscerated, the tail can actually start raising the white flag.
Bowling:
Agakar the bright spot. Harbajhan Singh is always a threat with his spin. Kumble might shine when the pitch is slow.
Loic's take:
I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to Indian cricket. I have to go with my gut feeling here and this is based upon past Indian performances that India seldom rise to the occasion when they are playing outside the subcontinent. It is a foolhardy investor who would pawn the shirt on his back to wager on them. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
Of course, there are other countries playing in the World Cup. Apart from the usual suspects, countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Kenya, Scotland and Ireland are also playing.
Traditionally, the best non Test cricketing country has to be Kenya and the ICC have considered conferring upon Kenya Test status once they become better. Canada is a regular in the cricket world cup and in fact, used to be a really good cricketing country before ice hockey eclipsed cricket. The Dutch have two players in English county cricket. Scotttish and Irish cricketers are largely amateurs who have a day job to cope with.
As for Bermuda, this is their first time so let's see how they perform. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
God, the second ODI between NZ and Australia are going down to the wire with the Kiwis needing 11 runs from 12 balls to win!
What a match this is turning out to be. To chase Australia's total of 336 for 4 is no mean feat.
Come on, NZ!
And thanks to NZ beating Australia...
Quote:
Australia's fifth loss in six matches sees it slip from the summit for first time
South Africa takes the lead in LG ICC ODI Championship table
Brian Murgatroyd
February 18, 2007
South Africa is the new leader in the LG ICC ODI Championship table.
The Proteas have taken over at the summit of the table following Australia's five-wicket loss to New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday which cost Michael Hussey's side two rating points.
And even if Australia wins the final match of its three-match series against the Black Caps, in Hamilton on Tuesday, it will not be enough for it to regain top spot.
It is the first time since the listings began in October 2002 that Australia has not occupied top position.
The side that leads the table on 1 April stands to win US$175,000, with US$75,000 going to the second-placed team and so, with the ICC Cricket World Cup starting in the Caribbean on 13 March, there is still an opportunity for Australia to regain top spot ahead of that cut-off date.
South Africa has taken over thanks to an outstanding recent run of form in the past 12 months. Since it failed to qualify for the finals of the tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka last February it has won 15 of its next 21 matches.
That run includes a 3-2 series win over Australia, sealed when it scored a then world-record 438-9 at Johannesburg, as well as seven wins from its last eight completed matches.
Form like that has lifted South Africa's rating by 10 points since the end of February 2006 while, during that same period, Australia's rating has slipped by seven points, not helped by five losses in its last six matches including Sunday's reverse at Eden Park.
New Zealand's victory, which secures the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, has lifted it to 111 rating points and it now only trails third-placed Pakistan when the ratings are recalculated to three decimal places.
If Stephen Fleming's side can complete a 3-0 clean sweep on Tuesday then it will overtake Inzamam-ul-Haq's side, a timely boost for the side that failed to reach the tri-series final against Australia and England earlier this month.
India, meanwhile, is only two rating points further back in fifth place having moved ahead of Sri Lanka thanks to its 2-1 series win, completed with a seven-wicket victory over Mahela Jayawardene's side in Visakapatnam on Saturday.
To track movements in the table, visit the odi predictor where you can see how it will unfold with all possible combinations of results.
Brian Murgatroyd is ICC Manager - Media and Communications
The list as it stands now...
1. South Africa
2. Australia
3. Pakistan
4. New Zealand
5. India
6. Sri Lanka
7. England
8. West Indies
9. Bangladesh
10. Zimbabwe
11. Kenya
So to answer your question about who's going to win the World Cup.... WE ARE, OF COURSE!!!!! _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Of course, there are other countries playing in the World Cup. Apart from the usual suspects, countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Kenya, Scotland and Ireland are also playing.
Traditionally, the best non Test cricketing country has to be Kenya and the ICC have considered conferring upon Kenya Test status once they become better. Canada is a regular in the cricket world cup and in fact, used to be a really good cricketing country before ice hockey eclipsed cricket. The Dutch have two players in English county cricket. Scotttish and Irish cricketers are largely amateurs who have a day job to cope with.
As for Bermuda, this is their first time so let's see how they perform.
Would indeed be interestin how well the "smaller" countries perform. As for Kenya, I'm sure they're going to surpass Zimbabwe and Bangladesh soon. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
I wonder if this marks the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning of Australian dominance.
Australian poor run in form recently is telling: their depth in squad is not as deep as we thought. Andrew Symonds is pivotal to Australian success. Glenn McGrath is fast becoming quite an average bowler, isn't he?
Well Andre, I am actually hoping that the Windies would perform well on their home turf. Anything short of reaching the final would be an embarrassment for them.
As for Kenya leapfroging Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, I am not sure if Bangladesh would slip up. I am not au fait with the grassroots situation in Zimbabwe, but cricket remains one of Bangladesh's most popular sport and they can tap into a deep reservoir of talent as long as the cricket scouts are doing their job properly.
Zimbabwe would get wallopped in the World Cup. They named an inexperienced squad for the Carribean. It is sad to see how far the side of Andy Flower and Heath Streak has fallen. Both of them were world class cricketers and it'd give a massive fillip to the Zimbabwean side if they could return. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
I was thinking about the upcoming rugby and cricket world cup and how winning both of them would give such pleasure and pride to the country that has won them.
England (and by default, Wales), South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are in position to have a historic Double.
Of course, the other two countries also participating in both world cups are Scotland and Ireland but their odds for a historic Double are far longer. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
49th over. New Zealand needing 7 runs off 6 balls to win the third ODI and complete a historic 3-0 whitewash over their arch-rivals across the Tasman sea.
In stepped Mr Brendon McCullum. Nathan Bracken ran to the crease and lobbed a ball to mid-on which McCullum promptly hit for six. 5 more balls to go. Australia and NZ were momentarily tied at 346 runs.
The next ball was a dot ball as McCullum decided that discretion was the better part of valour. He did not have to worry as there were still 4 more balls in the final over. The Aussies, on the other hand, were shaking in their boots.
Bracken bowled the third ball of the over. It was to be his final ball of the ODI. McCullum punished his loose bowling by hitting it to the slips for a 4. The Kiwis have won, beating the Aussies by 1 wicket with 3 more balls to spare.
It is just three days into the new year and I have been treated to two exciting cricket matches. Wonderful stuff. The year of the boar is turning out into a splendid one for Stephen Fleming and his men.
Can't say the same for the Australians. A wonderful summer of Test cricket has been tarnished by choking in one-day cricket. The World Cup is going to be more interesting than we thought. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
Cricket: Fairytale World Cup looms
Email this storyPrint this story 2:55PM Friday March 02, 2007
By Greg Buckle
Glenn McGrath. Photo / Reuters
Glenn McGrath. Photo / Reuters
Cricket World Cup
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SYDNEY - Given Glenn McGrath's last-ball wicket and his teary test farewell alongside Shane Warne and Justin Langer in last month's Ashes series, it's clear international cricket is a place where fairytales can happen.
McGrath's brilliant test career is over but the 37-year-old paceman has an opportunity to script his own one-day international swansong in the March 13-April 28 World Cup in the laid-back surroundings of the Caribbean.
Australia hope to down a few runs after becoming the first team in World Cup history to win three successive titles, but Ricky Ponting's men are not the only team within sight of a fairytale.
Reggae-loving hosts the West Indies are keen to send out their skipper Brian Lara on a high note.
Lara, 37, is in his third stint as captain and the gifted strokeplayer is unlikely to be still around in four years time for a sixth World Cup campaign.
The Windies have not won the main event since claiming the opening two world titles in 1975 and 1979, but have shown by reaching the Champions Trophy final against Australia in India in November that they are strong contenders.
The hosts have never won the World Cup in eight previous tournaments. (Sri Lanka were co-hosts in 1996 and beat Australia in the final in Lahore, Pakistan.)
Sri Lanka's dasher Sanath Jayasuriya is another 37-year-old left-hander with a fitting farewell on his mind.
Like Lara, Jayasuriya is his nation's all-time leading runscorer in one-day internationals. But unlike Lara, the Sri Lankan opener is already a World Cup winner.
"The conditions will suit our players," the 1996 Sri Lankan World Cup star Aravinda de Silva said.
"In batting, Sanath will be the key. He's a dangerous player.
"Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) is a world-class performer and lots of people under-rate Vaasy (Chaminda Vaas)," de Silva added of his side's bowling.
Both Sri Lanka and the Windies can go into the tournament with confidence in their attacks, something Australia are lacking with strike bowler Brett Lee out injured and young quicks Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Shane Watson down on form.
Pakistan, while strong in their batting, also face questions marks over their bowling lineup with doubts surrounding paceman Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif who may face further dope testing before being included in the 15-man national squad.
"It is very important for us that Shoaib and Asif play for us in the World Cup because they are our main wicket-taking bowlers," captain Inzamam ul-Haq told reporters in Lahore.
Australia's batting, led by skipper Ricky Ponting, can hold its own. Left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg could be the key to a successful title defence, however, if he can regain top form.
Coming into the World Cup on the back of five consecutive losses against England and then the Kiwis, Australia's poor form can be attributed partly to key batsmen Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds going down with injuries and Lee missing the New Zealand series with an ankle complaint.
Symonds (bicep) will miss the early matches while Lee has been ruled out of the World Cup, leaving his replacement Stuart Clark in the mix for a role in the Australian pace attack.
The old argument may still hold that nothing stops a batting team's momentum like wickets, but given the quality of bat-making these days, the number of sixes being hit and the small grounds in the West Indies, it's sure to be a feast of high scores.
The leading scorer in ODI history, India's Sachin Tendulkar, is another ageing star set for a big tournament, alongside ex-skipper Saurav Ganguly who has resurrected his career after a previous stand-off with coach Greg Chappell.
But a glance at the latest ICC world rankings confirms Australia's greatest fear -- South Africa may be finally poised to claim a world title.
Australia have already been embarrassed by the Proteas, when the home side were set a world-record 435 to win and made 9-438 in Johannesburg last year. Australia's recent form slump has gifted Graeme Smith's side the top ranking.
With Jacques Kallis, Smith and Ashwell Prince the three leading scorers in ODIs this year, and Shaun Pollock coming off a 5-23 last game against Pakistan as part of a dominant pace attack, South Africa are in good shape.
All-rounder Pollock in particular will be anxious to redeem himself after he was blamed as then-skipper for a run-rate miscalculation against Sri Lanka in Durban which cost South Africa a place in the Super Sixes stage in 2003, four years after a farcical run out allowed Australia to tie their semi-final against South Africa and advance to the final against Pakistan.
Captain Stephen Fleming's Black Caps, with a new-found confidence after three remarkable wins over Australia in New Zealand, are also poised to make a mark on the World Cup.
Australia seemingly have no answer to Kiwi quick Shane Bond in particular (34 wickets at 13.88 against the world champions).
Opening batsman Lou Vincent, who has been a vocal critic of Australia's sledging tactics, is in top form and has found a willing ally in the feisty, fast-scoring all-rounder Craig McMillan.
But returning to the fairytale theme, Sri Lanka vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara is a believer.
"Brian Lara is another one, at home probably his last World Cup," he told Cricinfo.
"I think people who are coming to the end of their careers are going to be the most dangerous players in this World Cup.
"Because they will be just that bit hungrier to leave that little legacy, that little mark, that personal touch -- like that was my World Cup."
Tickets for the Barbados final sold out quickly and the shortage of accommodation on one of the world's most famous holiday spots will be partly offset by cruise ships.
"We are a fun-loving, unique people," West Indies batting great Viv Richards said.
"Apart from that we have got some good sounds.
"This will be a good opportunity to light the World Cup with some of the sounds of the Caribbean -- they will be amazing."
- AAP
_________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
This would be a competitive world cup. Any of the top 8 nations have a good chance of winning; Australia are still favourites, but marginally so given their recent one-day form.
It is said that the crux of Australia's balance lies in Andrew Symonds, but it is hard to see how his all-rounder from Queensland is able to regain complete fitness in time for the biggest (cricketing) show on earth.
PS: After the football world cup, the cricket world cup generates the highest number of TV viewership, thanks in part to the billions of cricket fanatics concentrated in the Indian subcontinent. All countries from the subcontinent are taking part: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
There's a strong feeling here that this is going to be our year. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Sod it. We're at the cusp of the Cricket World Cup and I had to endure the sorry spectacle of a West Indian collapse yesterday as they literally lied down and spread their legs in a 9 wicket defeat to India. They were dismissed for 80 odd runs.
On another note, it looks as if normality has been restored as Australia soundly beat England by 5 wickets. Despite the promising partnership between Vaughan and Ian Bell, the middle order collapsed in spectacular and typical English fashion. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
And so the opening match in Jamaica has kickstarted in truly Carribean fashion. The West Indies overcame a few early setbacks to win the match in comfortable fashion, besting Pakistan by 54 runs.
I am glad as it is of vital importance that the host performs well in order to bequeath a legacy to future generations. Cricket is under threat by football and basketball as the national sport in many Carribean countries and a good performance by Brian Lara and his relatively young charges would reverse some of the decline that has set in ever since the great 1984 class of Michael Holding and others inflicted a Black-Wash against England.
The man of the match was Dwayne Smith when he scored a hat-trick, dismissing 3 batsmen in succession. However, I must say that the other Dwayne made a very favourable impression too with his caught and bowled of Naved-ul-Hasan. His athleticism is surely a beauty to watch.
Now waiting for the next clash between Australia and Ireland. Not much of a competition, but who knows?
The glorious uncertainty of one-day cricket is glorious entertainment by itself. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
Ok, if there is any fault I can attribute to the World Cup, it's the timing of the matches. They all start at 2130 local time and by the time the first innings end, it's invariably past midnight for me.
Nonetheless, I managed to catch the Australia-Scotland match in its entirety. Can't say it was riveting entertainment although I had to suppress a premature cheer when the Scottish wicket-keeper looked as if he had caught Ricky Ponting out only to fumble the catch. But the match was never in doubt - the Australian batsmen took singles at will if they were not hitting boundaries.
What was disappointing though was the rows of empty seats despite the sizeable Scottish presence. I read that the lowest ticket price is US$25 with prices spiralling to US$90 for seats in the pavillion. How can the average St Kitts cricket fan afford such prices when he earns a mean wage rate of US$50 per week? It is really dispiriting to see the ICC being blind to local conditions and not having its finger on the pulse of the average man on the street. Why not open up the stands for free to schoolchildren? It can only be beneficial for the sport. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
17th March 2007. St Patrick's Day: when David arose to upset Goliath not once, but twice.
Ireland beat Pakistan and sent the 4th ranked team in ODI standings going home prematurely.
Bangladesh pulled off a famous upset to beat their more well established neighbours India.
The scores do not matter. Nobody expected the minnows to upset the apple-cart.
PS: Andre, do you know of this Irish bowler called Andre Botha? He took 2 wickets against Pakistan! _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
Oh my god. Bob Woolmer has died! I don't know what to say; I am shocked.
The stress of losing must have been too traumatising. Already, the cricket hooligans back in Pakistan have been burning effigies of the coach as well as the captain.
Coaching cricket in the subcontinent must really be one of the most stressful job in the world.
_________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
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