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CWC 2007 : SA (Proteas) Preview |
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Written by PaarlBok
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Tuesday, 06 March 2007 |
Right it is this time again. First the cricket to
start the hunger and then the real deal rugby world cup. Comparing the two
sports there is difference. Cricket is more the individual kind of sport in
which one man can make the difference between winning or losing. Cricket is also
a more confidence kind of sport.
One thing we lost in rugby is the tours but it still remains in cricket.
On tours the one team always get a crip on the other one and the loser usually
struggle to get out of the grip. Once the wheels fell off it stay off and more
then often we see this in cricket.
Cricket is also a more global game. For this World Cup you have many more
teams to win it then in rugby.
The Cricket world cup have one similarity with the rugby one. Once you hit
the playoffs it is once off games. If you don’t pitch on the day, you are gone.
This make the cricket world cup one of the most difficult sports to make any
predictions.
Protea team:
Batsman:
Graeme Smith (Capt), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Hershell
Gibbs, Ashwill Prince.
All Rounders:
Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp.
Bowlers:
Makaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Charl Langeveldt, Robin Petersen, Roger Telemacus.
STRENGTHS
All Rounders. This SA team will rely on the all rounder war houses, Shaun
Pollock and Jacques Kallis. This two are legends and not only for batting and
bowling. They are genuine all rounders because as slip fielders they are tops.
Fielding. Catches win matches. Since Jonty Rhodes came aboard a while back
their fielding look like it should be. We saw some top class fielding this
summer from them and urgency out in the field. They look like they enjoy it and
it remain to be seen if the outfields in the West indies will counter this.
Batting. They day when Smith, de Villiers, Kallis and Gibbs click as a
top order there is no way of stopping them. SA can chase big scores and can bad
up to nr10. Apart from the top order they have the likes of Kemp, Pollock and
Boucher who can put up big scores and steady ships or chase big overs.
Bowling. SA got some experience on the bowling front. The likes of Ntini,
Pollock, Nel, Langeveldt, Kallis and Hall a formidable attack.
WEAKNESSES
Batting. Still waiting for the top order to fire on all cylinders. Our
younger batters and tail still struggle against spin bowling.
Bowling. The quickies is good but we lack variation and squality spin
bowlers. To succeed you need to change from bowling plan A to B. We don’t have
that because we lack the slow bowler.
World Cup. Like NZ in rugby we have the WC syndrome in cricket. We will
never forget the first one where rain took us out against England in Aus. Or the
1 run defeat in England against Aus. Lately the West Indies of all people put us
back in the Mini World Cup and the last one in SA
PREDICTION
The team that want to win this one have to get pass Australia, West Indies
and Sri Lanka. The team that will win the world cup have to raise the standard
of ODI’s They will have to score or chase 400 plus runs and the team with top
fielding will have his hands on the cup.
Come on boys bring it home.
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