South African team told not to make lame excuses

DURBAN: Top cricket officials, including former selector Pat Symcox, have told the South African team members to concentrate on the task of winning matches instead of finding lame excuses for their recent poor showings.

United Cricket Board CEO Gerald Majola, South African Cricket Union president Ray Mali and former spin star and selector Pat Symcox were reacting to the team's second straight loss to Sri Lanka in the five match one-day series being played in the island nation.

South Africa lost the preceding two-Test series to Lanka 0-1.

After their latest one-day loss on Sunday, some members of the team said the itineraries were too demanding and they did not get enough time to prepare.

"This is absolute nonsense," Majola said on Tuesday.

"The bottom line is that we are playing poor cricket at the moment. The players must accept this and check their own play rather than making excuses.

"The programmes of all other cricketing nations are very similar to ours and the same demands are made from everyone," he said.

"There's no flair or passion in our cricket. We must play aggressively and intimidate our opponents. I also feel we must cash in on our opponents' weak points by analysing their play better. I want to ask the team management in Sri Lanka why our teams can't bowl out our opponents any more."

He also sought experts' help in the bowling department. "I also want people like Fanie de Villiers and Vince van der Bijl to be asked for their expertise as far as bowling is concerned."

Symcox, who resigned as a selector recently, said he could not understand the recent poor performances of the South African team.

"We have some of the finest players in the world who can hold to their own against any team," Symcox said.

"I think they just have to re-focus and apply themselves. Losing two matches in a row is not how we play," he added.