November 23 Saturday 2002
Tough job awaits SA selectors in World Cup short-listing

JOHANNESBURG: The 30-man World Cricket Cup squad of South Africa would be announced next Friday and reduced to 15-man squad at the end of December. South Africans have rarely lost a one-day match on home soil since 2000 before Australians came here to spoil the party earlier this year when they beat South Africa 5-1.

The Aussies, and how to beat them are haunting the selectors. Recent history may provide two answers. You could use four spinners like Sri Lanka did in 1996 World Cup and recent ICC Championship Trophy competition in Colombo with so much success.

The other approach would be to use an aggressive pace bowler to intimidate and unnerve the Australians. In that aspect Shane Bond of New Zealand is perfect example. Towards end of last year and beginning of this year he took 20 Aussie wickets in series which saw New Zealand win three out of four round robin matches against Australia.

The selectors are excited on new form of Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock and there is even an outside chance that Kallis could partner Pollock with new ball in the series to be played before World Cup. One should also not be surprised to find Border bowler Monde Zondeki in 15-man World Cup squad.

He will be getting ideal chance to book his place in that squad when he takes plays for South Africa 'A' against Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom on Saturday. The selectors are not yet convinced that South Africa has a knockout specialist. This is a player that can bat his eye in and proceed from there to help the side chase big totals.

For past five years or so South Africa had two such players in Lance Klusener and Hansie Cronje. Klusener can still do the job lower down the order, but who would do it in the top order? That shortcoming was exposed when Herschelle Gibbs had to withdraw with exhaustion from the Championship Trophy semi-final in Colombo. The selectors are also still thinking about whom to use at No 3.

Gary Kristen has chance to make position his own in next three months. Boeta Dippenaar is man in the saddle, but he tends to struggle in two regards. His rotation of the strike is less than wonderful and he has a tendency to lose his wicket when South Africa are in a solid position, but with target still some runs away.

That happened in final of Morocco Cup against Sri Lanka and in semi-final of the Championship Trophy against India. Nicky Boj is other No 3 contender after he scored 22, 47 and 49 as pinch hitter against Australia earlier this year. In 2000 he averaged 88.75 in that position against New Zealand.

Possible South African squad: Shaun Pollock (c), Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Nicky Boje, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Andrew Hall, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Justin Ontong, Monde Zondeki, Boeta Dippenaar or Gary Kristen.