Seven Proteas in World squad
Brad Morgan
10 May 2005
Seven South Africans - Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel and Shaun Pollock - have been named in the World XI squads for three one-day internationals and a six-day test against Australia in the International Cricket Council's inaugural Super Series taking place in October.
Boucher, Gibbs, Kallis and Ntini have been named in both the test and limited overs squads, while Proteas captain Smith and fast bowler Nel have been included in the test squad.
Thirty players will be competing for places in the test eleven and one-day squad.
Mark Boucher
For wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, his selection represents a nice turnaround from the beginning of the year, when he didn't crack the nod for the Proteas' tour of India. He was also left out of the South African side early on during England's tour of South Africa, and it was only in the fourth test that he made his return to
the team.
Boucher showed his dogged determination and ability immediately, making 64 to remind the selectors what they had been missing. That, and a tidy wicketkeeping performance, re-established his place in the SA side.
In the recent two-nil test series victory over the West Indies in the Caribbean, Boucher averaged a useful 37.33, but it is not his batting that has made the biggest difference to the South African team.
A former national vice-captain, Boucher's wicketkeeping, leadership and toughness explain why he is once more a fixture in the Proteas' line-up, and why he was chosen by the World team's selectors.
With 84 tests and close to 200 one-day internationals under his belt, Boucher would certainly not be intimidated by the challenge of the combative Australians.
Herschelle Gibbs
Herschelle Gibbs is nearly as experienced as Boucher, having played 70 tests and 168 one-day internationals (up to and including the
second ODI vs the West Indies on 8 May).
He is a class act who averages 47.09 in tests, with 14 centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name. In one-day internationals his average is lower at 35.68, but his strike rate is an impressive 81.54 runs per 100 balls faced. He has scored 15 tons in the shorter form of the game, and when in an aggressive mood can tear any bowling attack to shreds.
It has been a bit of a down year for Gibbs, judging by his own high standards, however. A recent poor test series against the West Indies, in which he scored only 119 runs in five innings and averaged 23.80, won't have helped his cause either, especially when one considers the quality of players contending for a place in the teams to tackle the Aussies.
Jacques Kallis
While there might be questions about Gibbs' form and selection, there should be none about Jacques Kallis. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the game today, and should
be an automatic choice for the World team.
Kallis tops the ICC LG test batting rankings, is ranked the top all-rounder, and is fourth in the one-day international batting rankings.
Against England, at the beginning of the year, Kallis tallied 625 runs at the superb average of 69.44, making three centuries and two fifties in 10 innings. Recently, against the West Indies, he totalled 392 runs in six innings. He was not out twice, and averaged an astonishing 98.
Add those statistics together and work it all out, and Kallis' test figures for the season are 1 017 runs at an average of 78.23, with five centuries and three fifties.
Those last figures are what makes Kallis such a scary opponent; when he reaches fifty he is more likely to take that score into three figures than to go out before 100. And opponents have to get Kallis out; he is so mentally tough that he seldom gives his wicket away with an ill-judged shot.
He recently became South Africa's
highest scoring batsman in test history and now, just seven matches shy of 100 tests, has scored 7 337 runs at 56.87, with an SA record 22 centuries.
Kallis is also a veteran of over 200 one-day internationals. He has topped 7 500 runs in the limited overs game, averaging 45.49. Some have criticised his run scoring rate, but a glance at his career statistics reveals a healthy rate of 71.04 runs per 100 balls faced.
Makhaya Ntini
Makhaya Ntini has enjoyed an exceptional year with the ball. It should be remembered that the Border paceman was once a first change bowler, but with the retirement of the great Allan Donald he moved up the bowling order to partner Shaun Pollock up front.
It is never an easy thing to replace a legend, but Ntini has done it with aplomb - and with amazing energy and obvious enjoyment. In fact, he has done it so well that he is now one of the world's leading fast bowlers.
After claiming a South African
record 13 for 132 in the second test against the West Indies - which SA won by eight wickets in no small part due to Ntini's effort - he rose to a career high fourth in the LG ICC test bowling rankings. He is currently in fifth place.
Against both the West Indies and England, Ntini was a star performer. In the two series he netted 42 wickets at 25.3. As importantly, proved himself to be not just a strike bowling threat, but also a true workhorse. Against the islanders he bowled more overs than anyone else, and against England he was just a few balls shy of being the most active bowler.
Ntini ranks highly in the ODI bowling rankings too. He occupies eleventh spot and is closing in on 200 victims. Against England, he was South Africa's most successful bowler.
Shaun Pollock
Ntini's new ball partner, Shaun Pollock, is a wily veteran, a player who no longer bowls with the pace he once possessed, but who remains very effective. He is a
bowler who gives nothing away. No batsman can afford to relax against Pollock, because he is master at exploiting the slightest weakness in a player's makeup.
Pollock, though, isn't a bowler only. He is an all-rounder, who leans towards bowling. With over 3 000 test runs to his credit, and approaching 2 500 in one-day internationals, he is a clean-hitting threat capable of tearing classy attacks to pieces. He occupies fourth place in the ICC all-rounder rankings.
Bowling, however, is Pollock's forte, and he is one of the greats. In tests he is closing in on the 400-wicket milestone, having claimed 377 victims at the miserly average of 22.09. In ODIs he has knocked over in excess of 300 wickets.
He is currently third in the test bowling rankings, and second in the ODI rankings.
Graeme Smith
South African captain Graeme Smith has been selected for the test squad only. Early in 2005 he struggled against England, making only 269
runs in 10 innings at an average of fractionally less than 30.
He rebounded, though, and topped the South African averages in the limited overs series, scoring 310 runs at 51.66, including two centuries.
Recently, against the West Indies, he was named man of the series after he topped 500 runs, hitting three centuries in succession and averaging a superb 84.16.
During his 39-test career, Smith averages a healthy 55.50, the kind of average maintained only by the elite of the game. He has scored 11 centuries and 12 fifties, which demonstrates his ability to carry through on the promise of a good start to a knock.
Smith, in fact, has already scored three test double-centuries - two against England and one against Bangladesh - and his 277 against the English at Edgbaston in 2003 is the South African record for the highest test score.
As an opener he is gritty, very focused, and a run hoarder. He has the type of abrasive personality that the Australians
don't like, but definitely respect.
Andre Nel
Andre Nel's career has shown some ups and downs. He has played 15 tests in rather stop-start fashion, and at the beginning of the year his test career looked decidedly dormant.
He was selected in the final test only against the English, and made an immediate impact, picking up six wickets in an innings, to show the selectors he has what it takes.
That earned him a spot in the SA one-day side, but despite taking the second most wickets, he proved a little expensive. Then, against the West Indies, and in the absence of the injured Shaun Pollock, Nel excelled.
Bowling with considerable aggression, he captured 17 wickets in the series at the miserly average of 17.29. His performances included a man of the match winning performance in the third test of 10 for 88 that included a career-best 6 for 32 in the West Indians' second innings. Led by Nel's effort, South Africa won the contest
by an innings and 86 runs to ensure a series victory.
Nel's calling card is his aggression. He gives it his all, physically and mentally, and might be viewed by many as something of a bully. He will most certainly also be viewed as a player who never gives less than his best. He is currently eighth in the LG ICC test bowling rankings.
The selectors for the World side are led by Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar. He is assisted by a number of other greats of the game, including South Africa's Jonty Rhodes, Richard Hadlee of New Zealand, Clive Lloyd of the West Indies, Aravinda de Silva of Sri Lanka, and England's Michael Atherton.
They have a tough choice. They have a superb squad to choose from, and that squad must take on a superb team in Australia. Whomever they select from South Africa, here's betting they won't let the team down.
THE WORLD XI SQUADS
South Africa
Test and ODI squad: Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis,
Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock
Test squad: Andre Nel, Graeme Smith
England
Test and ODI squad: Andrew Flintoff
Test squad: Steve Harmison, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan
ODI squad: Darren Gough, Kevin Pietersen, Marcus Trescothick
India
Test and ODI squad: Rahul Dravid, Irfan Pathan, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar
Test squad: Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman
New Zealand
Test and ODI squad: Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori
Pakistan
Test and ODI squad: Shoaib Akhtar, Inzamam ul-Haq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
Test squad: Danish Kaneria, Younis Khan
ODI squad:Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Yousuf Youhana
Sri Lanka
Test and ODI squad: Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas
ODI squad: Sanath Jayasuriya
West Indies
Test and ODI squad: Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan
ODI squad
Chris Gayle
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