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Kyle Simmonds Crowned Overall Division 1 SACA MVP

The 2025/26 domestic cricket season concludes with Western Province all-rounder Kyle Simmonds named Division 1 Overall SACA MVP. Simmonds earned…

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Liam Alder Named Overall SACA MVP for Domestic Division 2

Following the completion of all domestic fixtures, Liam Alder of the Garden Route Badgers finished at the top of the…

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TWELVE YEARS OF RESEARCH-BASED PLAYER SERVICE

Over the past 12 years, the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has cemented its dedication to evidence-based practice through a…

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Ingram wants ‘more unified’ Warriors

Sharpening the Warriors’ “competitive edge” is what Colin Ingram has identified as his main task when he takes over the captaincy full-time from Thursday. The franchise finished in the bottom half of the table in all three formats last summer and last won a trophy in 2009-10, which has fixed Ingram’s focus on leading a resurgence this season.

“We’ve been honest about it and we have to do a revamp because the trophy cabinet is not exactly full and hasn’t been for a while,” Ingram told ESPNcricinfo. “We tend to play good cricket in small patches and this season we need to improve. You’re going to see a much more unified Warriors team with a lot more direction this summer.”

The Warriors won just two out of 10 first-class matches last summer, three out 10 one-day games and only four of their 10 Twenty20 clashes to meander through a mediocre 2013-14. They struggled to bowl teams out, were hit by injuries to former captain Davy Jacobs and seamer Rusty Theron and were over-reliant on the experience of Ashwell Prince in the batting line-up.

Jacobs has been relieved of the leadership, Theron is fully fit and Prince has retired, which leaves the onus on the likes of David White, Colin Ackermann, Solo Nqweni and Thandolwethu Mnyaka to step up. “We’ve got quite a new bunch of players and that suits my captaincy style,” Ingram said. “We don’t have a lot of superstars and even though its nice to have big names, I believe everybody must contribute and this will be a good test to see how they respond to that.”

Of the Warriors squad, only Wayne Parnell is nationally contracted and with the amount of ODI cricket South Africa will play in the lead-up to the World Cup, he is unlikely to feature much for the Warriors. Instead, the franchise will look to produce its own internationals, much like the Dolphins have done over the past two seasons with both Kyle Abbott and Mthokozisi Shezi receiving South African call-ups.

The candidates for higher honours at the Warriors include offspinner Simon Harmer, who finished last season second on the list of wicket-takers behind Dane Piedt, opening batsman David White and Ingram himself, who last played for South Africa in November 2013. Ingram was just the second South African to score a century on ODI debut but could not sustain his strong start. He spent significant chunks of time out of the XI and when he was used, it was often out of position.

He is a regular No.4 but when he last played for South Africa he was used as an opener. His last four innings produced scores of 0, 0, 0 and 4 before he was dropped, which seemed the inevitable consequence of not having a defined role. “Those last few games were disappointing for me because I didn’t perform, not so much because I was moving around the order but because I wasn’t doing well,” Ingram said.

Any doubt in his own ability to score runs would have faded in the 10 months since then. Batting in his usual position, Ingram scored 427 runs at 61.00 including century and three fifties in seven matches in the first-class competition last season and 395 runs at 65.83 including four fifties in the one-day cup. He was the Warriors’ most successful fifty-over batsmen in that campaign. Over the winter, he spent time at Somerset where he played seven Royal London One-Day Cup games and was the county’s third-highest run-scorer overall with 298 runs at 42.57.

But does he think those numbers are enough to earn him a recall to a South African squad that is starting to look too settled to break into? “I always think I will give myself a chance if I have a good season but my focus in on the Warriors and on doing well for them,” he said. “As a captain, I’ve been preaching that we need to up our game so I have to be the first to do it. I’m looking forward to getting going and getting my hands dirty.”

As one of the four franchises in South Africa not involved in the Champions League T20, the Warriors season starts with two first-class matches before the one-day cup, followed by three weeks of 50-over cricket and a just over a month of T20. The clearly defined blocs for each format can be unsettling for some but Ingram thinks it can work to the Warriors’ advantage.

“It will be good for us because we can focus for a couple of games at a time on each format. Because we’ve done well over small periods of time, it may end up suiting us and help us get that competitive edge back,” he said. The people of the Eastern Cape will hope he is right.

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SACA PLAYER TIPS: ANTI-DOPING

 

What is the concept of Strict Liability

Strict Liability means that you are responsible for every substance that enters your body.  If you test positive, you are regarded as being guilty until you prove that you are innocent.

 

What substances are banned?

WADA (World Anti-Doping Association) produces a list on an annual basis of substances that are banned.  This list can be obtained from WADA (www.wada-ama.org), SAIDS (www.drugfreesport.org) or through SACA.   You should ensure that you have access to this list.

 

What is the difference between a specified substance and a non-specified substance?

A specified substance is a substance which allows, under defined conditions, for a greater reduction of a two-year sanction when an athlete tests positive as there is a greater likelihood that these substances could be susceptible to a credible non-doping explanation – such as entering the system through the use of flu medication

Non-specified substances and methods are considered to be less likely to have a non-doping explanation.  Examples would be steroids, testosterone etc.  There is little scope for a reduction in the two-year sanction when an athlete tests positive for these substances.

  

What if a banned substance is prescribed as medication for a genuine health complaint?

The anti-doping rules allow for what is called a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).  This is a form which an athlete can complete (it requires medical input as well) which sets out the medical reasons why the athlete requires specific medication.  The application is then sent to a panel of medical experts who consider the case, and make a determination as to whether the exemption will be permitted.  If permitted, then a positive test for the substance listed will not result in the initiation of the anti-doping disciplinary process.

 

What is the sanction for a positive test?

The maximum sanction is 2 years.  Given that the principle is strict liability – the onus is on the athlete to present evidence on the points above (how did it enter you system? No intent to enhance performance or no fault or negligence/no significant fault or negligence).  If the positive test is for a specified substance it could be reduced to a mere reprimand, but this is very rare.  In the majority of cases where the athlete presents sound evidence on the points, he still received a sanction of a number of months.  As far as non-specified substances are concerned, the sanction can only be reduced from 24 months to 12 months – but this only occurs in exceptional cases – most sanctions are for the full 24 month period.

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SACA PLAYER TIPS – ANTI-CORRUPTION

Here are 3 simple steps to protect yourself:

 

  1.    KNOW THE RULES

The CSA Anti-Corruption and  ICC Anti-Corruption Code apply – in a nutshell, applies to all Participants in the game. 

Do not bet on cricket – simple!

Match fixing or spot fixing is a complete ‘No No’

Don’t Misuse inside information DON’T MISUSE INSIDE INFORMATION

Sensitive information you know by being in the team should never be disclosed/shared with people outside the team. When in doubt – say nothing.

You must report any suspicious approaches or information

This is a positive obligation. You have to report what you know to whomever you feel most comfortable with, otherwise if you have any doubts or questions, talk us at SACA.

The penalties are severe and potentially career-ending

The long term bans from all cricket are only the beginning – the loss of your reputation and the shame you’ll face will stay with you forever.

 

  2. KNOW WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR – KEEP SAFE

       Do not allow yourself to be “groomed”

Unscrupulous (dishonest) individuals might try to develop a relationship with you that are built on favours or fears which they will later try to exploit. Be wary of flashy and over-generous so called “fans” you’ve never met before.

Do not get into debt

Debt puts you under someone else’s control and this can easily be exploited. Sportsmen in debt and gamblers are notoriously easy targeted by match fixers or bookies. If you have any queries on gambling, please contact us at SACA.

If gifts and “support” seem too good to be true, they usually come with a cost – be careful who you befriend and who you trust.

Corruptors use information you provide about yourself on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter to approach you – be careful what you say about yourself in public.

 

  3. GET TO KNOW THIS SUBJECT BETTER  

You can never be too well informed about the dangers of corruption and there is a lot of material available to you for extra reading or knowledgeable people you can talk to.

SACA’s confidentiality is available to all player. Please see anti-corruption unit contact details below.

 

 Anti-Corruption Officer, Mr Louis Cole, who can be contacted on 082 413 0476 and louis@cricket.co.za

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Albie Morkel sidelined by ankle injury

Albie Morkel will miss at least the first third of the South African domestic season after undergoing ankle surgery. Morkel tore ligaments in his ankle during the Titans pre-season tour in August and is targeting a December comeback.

That will mean Morkel will sit out the first two rounds of the first-class competition that begins next week, the entire one-day tournament – which would rule out his outside chance of featuring in the World Cup – and some of the twenty-over event. His franchise, Titans, said Morkel was “distraught” with the setback.

Morkel is one of the senior-most members of the Titans side, especially after the retirements of stalwarts such as Martin van Jaarsveld and Paul Harris two seasons ago. Morkel was Titans’ third-highest run-scorer in the twenty-over competition last season with 202 runs at an average of 28.85 and a strike-rate of 127.84, and helped his team to the playoff which they lost to Dolphins.

His finishing efforts earned him a recall to South Africa’s squad for the World T20 in Bangladesh earlier this year. He played in all five matches but could manage only 33 runs and one wicket. Even though South Africa have not played T20s since then, Morkel’s international career appears all but over, especially as this injury will rule him out of the November tour to Australia, which include three T20s.

For Titans, the task of rebuilding will start off doubly difficult because they are also without their other allrounder, David Wiese, who could be on the sidelines for between two and four weeks. Wiese’s concern is also his ankle. Better news for Titans is that they will have their pacer Junior Dala and opening batsman Heino Kuhn available for selection. Dala, who joined Titans over the winter, has recovered from a side strain while Kuhn’s finger injury has healed.

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Proteas Women finish 3-0 sweep over Ireland

South Africa’s bowlers set up a clean sweep of the three-match Twenty20 international series in Solihull by restricting Ireland to 109 for 8. Their top order then chased down the target with seven balls to spare. 
After winning the toss, South Africa struck early, reducing Ireland to 18 for 3 inside four overs. The home side made a little recovery and had got to 87 for 4 in the 15th over when they lost two wickets for the addition of no runs. That hurt their ability to push on at the death and they were limited by Shabnim Ismail, Ayabinga Khaka and Chloe Tryon, who took two wickets each for South Africa. Isobel Joyce was Ireland’s top scorer with 45; no one else got past 15.
South Africa lost Trisha Chetty cheaply in the chase but benefitted from a 53-run stand for the second wicket between Andrie Steyn and Mignon du Preez. By the time they were dismissed for 35 and 37, the visitors were close to victory. Marizanne Kapp scored a brisk 19 to complete the 3-0 win.
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ALISTAIR NICHOLSON APPOINTED ACA CEO

The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has today announced the appointment of Alistair Nicholson as Chief Executive Officer.

Nicholson becomes the third ACA CEO, following the departure of former CEO Paul Marsh in May.

As a professional sportsman Nicholson played 110 Australian Football League (AFL) games for the Melbourne Football Club from 1997 to 2006, including the 2000 Grand Final.

During his time as a player Nicholson sat on the AFL Players’ Association Executive, becoming involved in the Collective Bargaining negotiations and education program development.

Following his football career he has worked most recently at consultancy company Gemba Group as Head of Strategy, where he has developed an extensive understanding of the business of sport through working with the major codes in Australia across a broad range of strategic planning, commercialisation and participation issues.

ACA President Greg Dyer said, “I’m proud to announce that Alistair Nicholson will be joining the ACA as CEO, following a comprehensive, nation-wide search.

“A unanimous decision was reached by the selection committee, which consisted of ACA Executive members Neil Maxwell, Lisa Sthalekar, Shane Watson and myself.

“His exposure to the issues faced by athletes during his time with the AFLPA, combined with his roles at Gemba make him a great choice for the position.”

Australian all-rounder and ACA Executive Member Shane Watson said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Alistair on board. In addition to his background in sport from a business and strategic viewpoint, Alistair has an impressive understanding of issues from a player’s perspective, which I’m sure will resonate with current players as well as the broader ACA membership.

“I know the players will look forward to working with him and continuing the ACA’s history of strong and passionate representation, and providing us with a vital collective voice in the game.”

Speaking about his appointment, Alistair Nicholson said, “I’m honoured and humbled to be given the opportunity to represent the ACA members. I am passionate about the range of issues facing players and motivated by the desire to ensure access to world leading services, including supporting players to prepare themselves for their post sporting life.

“The ACA is a terrific organisation and has achieved a large amount in a relatively short period. The current partnership approach provides a strong basis to build upon and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to grow the game of cricket in an increasingly sophisticated sporting environment, both in Australia and overseas.”

Alistair possesses a Bachelor of Commerce (University of Melbourne) and a Bachelor of Arts (Monash University).

Nicholson will commence his role with the ACA on Monday 27th October.

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Faf climbs up the ICC rankings, While AB stays on Top

Faf du Plessis of South Africa has stormed up the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings following a stellar performance in Harare in which he scored 464 runs and played a leading role in his side’s victory in the triangular series.

Du Plessis hit three centuries and a half-century for which he has been rewarded with a jump of 33 places that has put him just outside the top 10 in 11th position. The middle-order batsman had arrived in Zimbabwe in 54th position on 519 ratings points but returned home in 11th position on 701 ratings points. These are his career-best ranking and ratings, to date.

Du Plessis is the fourth South Africa batsman to feature inside the top 11 with captain AB de Villiers regaining the number-one position from team-mate Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock slipping two places to ninth.

Amla had entered the triangular series leading de Villiers by one ratings point. He dropped 22 ratings points after scoring 172 runs, which handed the top spot back to de Villiers who retained his pre-series ratings points of 869 following his series total of 215 runs with a century and a half-century.

Australia’s Aaron Finch, who finished the series as the second leading run-getter with 250 runs, has gained 18 places and has moved to a career-high 34th spot while Finch’s partner, Phil Hughes, has moved up 24 places to 47th after scoring 161 runs in his comeback series.

The tournament has also helped Zimbabwe’s players to improve their rankings.

Off-spinner Prosper Utseya and fast bowler Tendai Chatara have leaped 10 and 14 places to reach 34th and 56th positions, respectively. Utseya was the third leading wicket-taker of the tournament behind Dale Steyn and Nathan Lyon.

Steyn’s 10 wickets for 212 runs in the tournament have seen him move up one spot to number three in the ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers.

 

South Africa’s spin duo of Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso have also achieved career-best rankings. Tahir has moved up 10 places to 26th position while Phangiso has gained 28 spots and he is now in 68th spot.

 

 

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Faf cashes in on purple patch

Faf du Plessis has expressed his desire to cash in on his current purple patch with the Castle Lager Proteas ODI squad in Zimbabwe. Du Plessis has scored 401 runs at an average of 66 in six ODI’s on the current tour, and has been the standout performer in testing conditions.

“I’ve said before that my job is to score hundreds,” he said to the media after the Proteas’ 62-run loss to Australia on Tuesday. “I ticked that box but getting a hundred and crossing your team over the line is much sweeter. “Even when I was scoring I always felt like it was too far away because we kept on losing wickets.”

“I’m hitting the ball nicely, but I feel I can still improve quite a bit,” he added. “I’m enjoying the number three role, I think it suits me a lot better than it did at number six. What is really important for me is to get big runs when you are in some sort of form. It (form) can change really quickly, I need to make sure I keep putting in big runs for the team.”

Du Plessis lamented the lack of partnerships in the middle order, which failed to fire once again.

“The way the wickets play here is the reason for that,” he said of the middle-order collapse. “The ball gets slower so it’s difficult when you come in as a new batter to score runs.

“It’s definitely the toughest time of the innings to bat. In saying that, you need to make sure that when you get a partnership going you extend it as long as possible. That was the difference with our performance in the previous match. AB and I had a good partnership, unfortunately 30 or 40 run partnerships are not going to win you the game.”

Du Plessis feels Mitchell Marsh’s blitz at the end of Australia’s innings was the difference between the sides.

“I think if we pin point an area where we probably lost the game it was when Mitchell Marsh fired at the end of the innings,” he said. “Their innings was set up to reach 240 or 250 and we had a brilliant bowling performance until then. He played fantastic cricket shots, but we as a bowling unit will be disappointed that we allowed him to score so many sixes.”

The Proteas play their last pool match of the series against Zimbabwe on Thursday.

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England women draw first blood in opening women’s T20i

A clinical performance by England women saw them beat the Momentum Proteas by nine wickets in the first women’s Twenty20 (T20) international at Chelmsford on Monday.

 

The hosts won the toss and elected to field in South Africa’s first televised series match, restricting them to 89/4 at the end of their innings. Good bowling efforts by Natalie Sciver, Danielle Hazell and Katherine Brunt saw them finish with a wicket each, while tight ground-fielding ensured the visitors could not hit more than their seven boundaries.

 

Dané van Niekerk was the leading run scorer with 36 off 54 balls before she was bowled by Hazel at the start of the 15th over, after they had lost Trisha Chetty early on for four, in the third over. South Africa lost two more wickets when Lizelle Lee was run out for four, followed by captain, Mignon du Preez’ (28) departure curtesy of blinder of a catch by Lydia Greenway in the 18th over.

 

Suné Luus (10*) and Chloe Tryon (3*) added 14 runs for the fifth wicket, setting England a target of 90 runs.

 

The hosts’ response was swift and precise. They reached their target in 13.2 overs, with just the loss of Lauren Winfield, who was run out in the fifth over for four, thanks to an impressive direct hit from van Niekerk.

 

England captain, Charlotte Edwards was in fine form, scoring her ninth T20 international half century and ending the match with an unbeaten 62 from 54 balls, with Sarah Taylor adding 21* off 22 balls for the win.

 

The second T20 will be on Wednesday, 3 September at Northampton. It will be broadcast live on SuperSport 7 from 19:15.

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Proteas will enjoy emphatic ODI win

2014 Triangular Series, Game 2: South Africa v AustraliaThe Castle Lager Proteas’ near perfect run-chase in the Triangular Series One-Day International (ODI) match against Australia at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday will leave a sweet taste of satisfaction for the squad. Proteas captain, AB de Villiers, led from the front with his 18th ODI century, and believes the squad is slowly starting to build solid momentum in the 50-over format.

“ It’s great confidence for us moving forward,” De Villiers said of the win. “ We haven’t chased very well in the past and for us to cross the line like that means a lot to all of us. It’s a great boost of confidence for all of us.

“There is no doubt that we have what it takes,” he said of his team’s World Cup prospects. “ We are a long way away from the finished product but we are moving in the right direction. It’s important for us to stay in the now; we have a big game coming up against Zimbabwe in two days so our focus is on that.”

Faf du Plessis ended his ODI hundred drought after 50 International matches, and has been reliable and effective in his new role at number three.

“ I’m extremely proud and happy for him,” De Villiers said of Du Plessis’ maiden ODI hundred. “ He has been under pressure from a lot of people in the ODI format so for him to score the hundred today was big. We have always had a lot of belief in him as a player and he has been our rock for the last while. He is playing unbelievable cricket at the moment and I’m really happy for him. He has proved a lot of people wrong – I know he doesn’t play the game for that reason- but he is in great form and hopefully he can maintain that.”

De Villiers admitted that he was surprised by the omission of Australia’s frontline spinner, Nathan Lyon, and explained his decision to bowl first in favourable batting conditions.

“ Our reason to bowl first was not to practise chasing,” De Villiers explained. “ When you play Australia you play to win a game of cricket. I felt that we had our best chance bowling first and thought that there would be a bit of moisture in the first 10 overs. If I look back now I probably would have batted first,” he quipped. “ I’m still very happy with the victory, it was a great chase and a great team effort.”

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Proteas and Australia ready for Tri-series

South Africa and Australia will resume their fierce cricketing rivalry in the second match of the triangular series at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday. Castle Lager Proteas captain, AB de Villiers, addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon, and says he expects the same high level of intensity that comes with clashes between the two teams.

 

“It was a hard fought series back in South Africa; there are no hard feelings,” De Villiers said of the sledging. “We don’t expect anything less when we play Australia or any of the top teams in the world, it’s always a tough series. Personally for myself as a batter, I don’t mind the sledging, I enjoy the challenge. Facing some of the best bowlers in the world is a huge privilege and I’m expecting to see more of that in this series.

 

“In the same breath we are also here to win,” he added. “We will do whatever it takes to win the series.”

 

De Villiers says his squad members have returned in a “good space” following a three-day break, with

everyone raring to go in the Proteas’ series opener.

 

“We have been here for three weeks already so I felt that a break would be a good way for the players to recharge their bodies and minds,” De Villiers said. “Some guys went back home to South Africa while others went on a bush safari which included a bit of fishing and game viewing. It was all in all a good break, the guys have come back hungry for success.”

 

Australia are ranked No.1 on the ICC Reliance ODI rankings, with the Proteas four points adrift in third place.

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Proteas women ready for England

The Momentum Proteas women have completed their final camp ahead of their departure for England on Monday.

 

The team have been gathered at the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Centre of Excellence for one last three-day camp before their two, three-match Twenty20 series against England and Ireland from 1-10 September 2014.

 

“We’ve been preparing for this tour for the past three months,” head coach, Hilton Moreeng said. “The team have been involved in the CSA National Academy for the first time in history and this has served us well in helping our players prepare for all eventualities in England. We know that it’s going to be a tough tour but I’m backing our preparation and the team’s drive to see us through.”

 

South Africa have not toured England since 2008 and have lost all of their matches against the World’s number three side in their recent clashes, most recently, the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World T20 earlier this year, but captain, Mignon du Preez says all that is behind them now.

 

“The past is is gone and we are looking forward to the future,” she commented. “England are definitely one of our toughest competitors and we have a lot of respect for them, but we are a completely different side from the one they face in the World T20. Being part of the National Academy has benefited us immensely and we are mentally stronger than we have ever been.

 

“I’m looking forward to a really competitive series against England and Ireland, in conditions that are foreign to us and putting all the lessons of the last three months to good use. The team are really amped to get going and are excited to show what we’ve got,” she concluded.

 

The team depart from OR Tambo International Airport on Monday night on Emirates flight EK 766 departing at 22:20.

 

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Rossouw and Bavuma batting puts SA A in a Strong position

South Africa A 4 for 342 (Rossouw 162*, Bavuma 125*) lead Australia A 239 by 103 runs

Unbeaten centuries from Rilee Rossouw and Temba Bavuma put South Africa A in a powerful position after two days of their four-day match against Australia A in Townsville. The pair combined for a partnership that had reached 283 at stumps, all the more remarkable given they had come together with things looking shaky on 4 for 59.

 

Rossouw finished the day on 162 from 228 deliveries and Bavuma was on 125 from 231 balls, the pair frustrating the Australia A bowlers after their encouraging start. For Rossouw, it was the continuation of a strong tour after his last four innings in the quadrangular one-day series in Darwin provided scores of 137, 38, 74 and 69, and helped him earn an ODI call-up for the tour of Zimbabwe.

 

It was his 18th first-class century and his second in three matches against Australia A, after he posted an unbeaten 115 against them in Rustenburg last year. Bavuma’s hundred was his eighth in first-class cricket and he and Rossouw ensured South Africa A were able to progress to 4 for 342 at the close of play.

 

The day had started less well for the visitors, who began at 1 for 26 and soon lost Hardus Viljoen (5) and Reeza Hendricks (18) to the bowling of Gurinder Sandhu. The Australia A captain Moises Henriques had his opposite number Justin Ontong caught behind for 6 and the hosts appeared to be on top, but Rossouw and Bavuma had other ideas.

 

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SA Cricketers Pay Tribute to Jacques Kallis

South Africa’s professional cricketers and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) today paid tribute to Jacques Kallis, who retired from international cricket on Wednesday.

Proteas Test captain, Hashim Amla, said “Jacques was a one in 50 years cricketer who had a huge influence on so many Proteas players over a twenty year period. I was privileged to have been one of those. You appreciate the magnitude of the cricketer not only when you look at his record but also when you play alongside him.”

SACA President, Robin Peterson, said “People were entertained by Jacques on the field and statistically he is the greatest South African cricketer ever. What we were able to see as players however was the man behind all the records. The aura in the change room, the calming influence on other players and the wonderfully subtle sense of humour, often in tight situations.”

“Most of us playing franchise cricket in South Africa aspire to playing for the Proteas and most have a player we want to be like,” said Stephen Cook, bizhub Highveld  Lions captain. “For so many striving young franchise cricketers that player was Jacques Kallis. He has inspired so many cricketers at many levels.”

Jacques Kallis was a professional cricketer from December 1995 to July 2014

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Kallis Retires From All International Cricket

JACQUES KALLIS today announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket.

“I realized in Sri Lanka that my dream of playing in a World Cup was a bridge too far,” said Kallis in a statement. “Ï just knew on that tour that I was done. The squad that was in Sri Lanka is an amazing one and I believe they have a good chance of bringing the trophy home in March.

“I would like to thank Cricket South Africa, the team, the team sponsors, my sponsors, the fans and all the people who have been involved in my career. It has been an amazing journey.

“I am not retiring from all cricket as I have a two-year contract with the Sydney Thunder and, if possible, to help the Kolkata Knight Riders defend the IPL title we won earlier this year.”

Cricket South Africa (CSA) Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, commented: “South Africa has been blessed with one of the world’s greatest cricketing talents in Jacques Kallis. He is undeniably one of the greatest players ever to have graced our wonderful game and he has certainly been the Proteas standard-bearer of excellence for nearly two decades.

“He has played a huge part in making cricket a truly national sport of winners and, in doing so, contributed so much to the important process of nation building. He is a true professional and it has been an absolute privilege to have worked with him both as Convener of selectors and now as Chief Executive.

“To say that we will miss him on the playing field is stating the obvious. Each one of us from this day on will treasure the many fond memories of his awesome career.

“On behalf of CSA and all our stakeholders, I would like to sincerely thank Jacques for his huge contribution to the game of cricket and wish him only the best as he moves on from the international playing arena.”

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South Africa reclaims No.1 Test spot

South Africa has reclaimed the number-one Test position on the Reliance ICC Test Team Championship after holding Sri Lanka to a draw in the second Test in Colombo on Monday. The result has given the Proteas a 1-0 series win.
South Africa had entered the two-Test series against Sri Lanka on equal points with Australia (123 ratings points). However, Hashim Amla’s side was ranked below Australia when ratings were calculated beyond the decimal point.
The 1-0 series win has now put South Africa ahead of Australia on 124 ratings points and has also allowed it to regain the position it had surrendered to Michael Clarke’s side on 1 May following the annual Test update.
South Africa will now play Zimbabwe in a one-off Test in Harare on 9 August. But when Australia travels to the Sheikhdom in October to play Pakistan in the two-Test series, it will be committed to getting back on top of the tree. And to make it happen, it will have to win the series, be it by a 1-0 or 2-0 margin.
Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings table (as on 28 July, after the conclusion of Sri Lanka-South Africa series)
Rank   Team              Rating
1          South Africa   124
2          Australia          123
3          Pakistan           103
4          India                102
5          England           100
6          Sri Lanka         95
7          New Zealand   93
8          West Indies     74
9          Zimbabwe       40
10        Bangladesh     21
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Egar finds a way in Sri Lanka

Castle Lager Proteas batsman, Dean Elgar, says his past experience on the sub-continent, along with cricketing instincts, paved the way for his second Test century on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday.  Elgar was the leading run-scorer of the series between Sri Lanka A and South Africa A here in 2010, and scored 431 runs, including two centuries, during the two unofficial Tests.

 

“The heat is quite a factor,” Elgar, who last played competitive cricket in April, admitted. “I have come from a cold South African winter and have been hit with a culture shock in 30 degree temperatures. I have had experience in Sri Lanka before so I knew what to expect from the conditions. Towards the end it did get quite tough, and to make it tougher their bowlers also gave us nothing. I had to find a way to get through it.”

 

The 27 year-old shared his fourth 100-plus partnership with Faf du Plessis, and says clear communication has been an important contributor towards their success together.

 

“Faf and I get along really well,” he said. “And on the field we seem to get on even better. We have had some good batting partnerships together, we know what we are about and what makes us tick. Luckily we communicate quite well out there.”

 

Elgar gave credit to Sri Lanka’s bowlers, whom he feels expertly exploited their conditions with good variation and skill.  He feels the magical 400 mark is still within reach, especially with a bulked up lower-order still to feature.

 

“We would have loved to have been three down at stumps with the score we have,” he said. “There is still a lot of graft and we have batters in the shed. We have Quinny (de Kock), Koppe (Duminy), Vernon (Philander) and Dale (Steyn) to come, all these guys can score runs. We have to edge closer to that mark that we have spoken about. It’s going to be hard work, it’s going to be tougher tomorrow, especially with the wicket deteriorating.”

 

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Proteas move up the Reliance ICC Rankings

South Africa’s maiden ODI series win in Sri Lanka has helped it, as well as its players, to make upward movements in the latest Reliance ICC ODI Rankings, which were released on Sunday. South Africa won the third and final ODI by 82 runs and claimed the series 2-1.

South Africa had entered the three-match series in fifth position on 109 ratings points, and has now joined Sri Lanka on 111 ratings points but is ranked behind Sri Lanka, in fourth position, when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point. This gain of two ratings points means South Africa now trails number-one ranked Australia by four ratings points and second-ranked India by one rating point.

With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 starting in Australia and New Zealand in seven months, only six ratings points separate the top five sides. with South Africa to play at least 17 ODIs before it opens its World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe in Hamilton on 15 February. While these matches will help South Africa to prepare for the mega event, they will also provide it with the chance to surge to the top of the ODI team rankings.

South Africa players have also benefitted from the series as most of the highest-ranking players have moved in the right direction.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, Hashim Amla is now sitting just behind his captain and number-one ranked AB de Villiers after finishing the series as the leading run-getter with 258 runs. Amla, who scored centuries in the opening two matches, has gained two places and now trails de Villiers by 17 ratings points.

De Villiers has been rewarded for his series aggregate of 212 runs by earning 13 ratings points which have given him a career-best rating of 885.

Quinton de Kock, who represented South Africa in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012 in Townsville, has moved up two places to a career-best 11th ranking following his series contribution of 159 runs that included a 128 in the last ODI in Hambantota.

David Miller is the other South Africa batsman to make gains in the latest rankings. The left-handed batsman has earned five places and is now sitting in 40th position.

In the Reliance ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, fast bowler Ryan McLaren and wrist spinner Imran Tahir have achieved career-best rankings.

McLaren, who was the most successful bowler of the series with nine wickets, has broken into the top 10 in 10th position after jumping 10 places. Tahir, who claimed six wickets, has rocketed 32 places to occupy 51st spot.

JP Duminy 63rd (up five places) and Vernon Philander 87th (up six places) are the other South Africa bowlers to head in the right direction.

However, there was discouraging news for Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Jacques Kallis who have slipped in the batting charts. Duminy has fallen seven places to 29th, Kallis has dropped four places to 40th and du Plessis has slipped three places to 54th.

In the bowling, both Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have slipped to fourth and eighth, respectively, after conceding two places each.

For Sri Lanka, captain Angelo Mathews and Ajantha Mendis have made the most of the series.

Mathews’ 105 runs in three matches have helped him gain two places to put him in 22nd spot, while Mendis’ seven wickets have allowed him to move up seven places to 32nd position.

Lasith Malinga has moved up one place and is now in 21st spot while Tillakaratne Dilshan has gained five places in the bowling table and is now in 67th position

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De Villiers savours “satisfying” win

Castle Lager Proteas captain, AB de Villiers, has described South Africa’s third ever ODI win in Sri Lanka as a satisfying achievement. The Proteas outshone the hosts with both bat and ball at the R Premadasa stadium on Sunday, and hold an early advantage in the three-match series.
“It’s very satisfying,” he said of the win. “We had a tough tour here the last time we came. Even though we lost 4-1 I still felt like we weren’t that far off the mark, although the scorecard doesn’t agree with my comments. The belief and the way we have learned from the last time gives me a lot of satisfaction.  We aren’t going to get complacent going into the next game, we know that we are going to have to work hard and the work starts all over in Kandy.”
The skipper commended the all-round contribution from his bowling attack, who held their nerve during Kumar Sangakkara’s blistering knock, to take five wickets for 13 runs to wrap up the match.
“Imran Tahir pulled it back really nicely after his opening two-over spell, and JP (Duminy) as well,” he said. “All four seam bowlers also bowled really well together. I think it was a good team performance, it’s not about the seamers outplaying the spinners or vice-versa. It was a good wicket and those that got wickets did a good job.”
Hashim Amla’s second consecutive century on tour laid the platform for the Proteas to amass their highest ODI total against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, and was the pillar for an impressive batting unit performance from the top seven batsmen.
“I think he prepared really well coming into the series,” De Villiers said of his team mate. “He played at Surrey for a month, got his technique in order and did really well there. He has hit the ground running here and his hard work has paid off. It’s amazing to bat with him, we enjoy each other’s company out there, like we did today. Hopefully there will be more of those partnerships to come.”
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Updated ICC Clothing Regulations

Members are referred to clauses B8, B10 and B11 of the ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations.

In order for a company to be able to display its logos on clothing and/or equipment used in international cricket it must first receive ICC approval. The approval process has been in place since the mid 90’s and has applied to all companies wishing to display its logo as a manufacturer’s logo on clothing and/or equipment appearing in international cricket. No Logos are permitted until they are approved by the ICC as they need to ensure that every logo appearing on the field in international cricket is that of a legitimate manufacturer.

Click here to view the current list of approved manufacturers.

Any company whose name does not appear on the list is not permitted to display its logos as a manufacturer’s logo on any items of clothing and/or equipment in international cricket until such time as approval has been granted. Please note the following:

  • Equipment and clothing – these companies are permitted to provide branded clothing and equipment. 
  • Equipment only – these companies are permitted to provide only branded equipment.
  • Clothing only – these companies are permitted to provide only branded clothing.

Any manufacturer whose name dose not appear on the above mentioned list and who is interested in providing branded international team kit for Members should contact ICC’s cricket Operations Manager List of Approved Manufacturers June 2014 directly.

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Sri Lanka and South Africa enter series with one eye on No.2 ODI position

Sri Lanka and South Africa go head to head in the three-match ODI series in Colombo on Sunday, 6 July with the number-two position on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings up for grabs.

Sri Lanka is presently sitting in third position, just a fraction of a point behind India, while South Africa is on equal points with England but is ranked fifth when ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

This means the side that wins the series is guaranteed to improve its ranking on the ODI table.

If Sri Lanka wins the series 2-1, it will claim sole possession of second position with 113 ratings points, while a 3-0 victory will put Sri Lanka on 114 ratings points. In both the scenarios, South Africa will retain its fifth position.

On the other side of the coin, a 2-1 win for South Africa will put both the sides on 111 ratings points each. But Sri Lanka will be ranked third while South Africa will be ranked fourth, two ratings points ahead of fifth-ranked England.

 However, if South Africa wins all the three matches of the series, then it will earn four ratings points to leapfrog India into second position, while Sri Lanka will slip to fourth position, just on ratings point ahead of England.

Meanwhile, South Africa captain AB de Villiers is holding on to the number-one position in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen. He is only four ratings points ahead of India’s second-ranked Virat Kohli. Because the gap is so small, de Villiers is expected to perform consistently in the series to avoid slipping behind the India batsman.

Hashim Amla (fourth), Kumar Sangakkara (fifth) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (seventh) and Quinton de Kock (13th) feature inside the top 20.

Just outside the top 20 are JP Duminy (22nd), Angelo Matthews (24th), Mahela Jayawardena (34th) and Jacques Kallis (36th).

Dale Steyn is the highest-ranked bowler from either side in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers in second position.  He trails Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal by 45 points.

Bowlers outside the top 10 and likely to be seen in action during the series are Sachitra Senanayake (13th), Rangana Herath (14th), Ryan McLaren (20th), Angelo Matthews (21st), Lasith Malinga (22nd), Nuwan Kulasekara (27th), Suranga Lakmal (48th), Wyane Parnell (52nd) and Thisara Perera (56th).

In the Reliance ICC ODI All-Rounders’ list, third-ranked Mathews trails number-one ranked Mohammad Hafeez by 46 ratings points. Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan is in third spot.

Upcoming Fixtures

Sri Lanka vs South Africa

6 July: 1st ODI, R Premadasa, Colombo

 9 July: 2nd ODI, Pallekele (D/N)

12 July, 3rd ODI: Hambantota

Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings (as on 4 July, before the start of Sri Lanka- South Africa series)

 

Rank   Team                         Rating           

1           Australia                    115

2           India                          112

3           Sri Lanka                   112

4           England                      109

5           South Africa              109

6           Pakistan                     100

7           New Zealand               98

8           West Indies                 94

9           Bangladesh                  72

10         Zimbabwe                   61

11         Afghanistan                 34

12         Ireland                         33

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Vincent banned for life by ECB

Lou Vincent, the former New Zealand batsman, has been banned for life by the ECB after he admitted breaching the ECB’s anti-corruption regulations. Hours before the penalty was announced, Vincent released a statement saying that he was a cheat and that he had accepted money to under-perform.

Vincent is banned from “all forms of cricket” and prevented from “playing, coaching or participating in any form of cricket which is recognised or sanctioned by ECB, the ICC or any other National Cricket Federation.” The ECB said Vincent had pleaded guilty to 18 breaches of its anti-corruption code in reference to three matches: a Twenty20 match between Lancashire and Durham in June 2008, a Sussex v Lancashire Twenty20 match and a Sussex v Kent CB40 match both played at Hove in August 2011. During these matches, Vincent had committed 11 offences punishable by a life ban under ECB anti-corruption regulations.

The life ban on Vincent has also been extended to the Champions League T20. Vincent pleaded guilty to seven charges related to entering into agreements with bookmakers for financial gain and match-fixing in the 2012 CLT20 in South Africa. Vincent had played for the Auckland Aces in the CLT20 and the matches under scrutiny included those against Hampshire on October 10 and Kolkata Knight Riders on October 15. He was also charged with failing to report an approach from a bookmaker in the 2011 CLT20.

NZC chief executive David White said the organisation was, “appalled” by Vincent’s actions, “and supported the penalty handed down.”

The anti-corruption case around Vincent relating to county cricket had, ECB CEO David Collier said, “crossed different cricketing jurisdictions and required close collaboration and intelligence-sharing between both our own anti-corruption unit, other domestic boards and the ICC’s ACSU.” He described Vincent as “an individual who repeatedly sought to involve others in corrupt activity for his own personal gain has accepted that his conduct warrants a lifetime ban from cricket.” The terms of the ban, the ECB said, still “required the approval of the ECB’s independent Cricket Discipline Commission”.

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Day-night Test likely next year

Australia and New Zealand appear almost certain to play the first day-night Test with a pink ball next year, after discussions progressed between the two countries last week. Adelaide and Hobart are the two possible venues for the inaugural match, which is likely to take place in November 2015, despite some concerns arising from players after pink-ball trials in the Sheffield Shield last summer.

A further round of day-night Shield games will be played this season and New Zealand are also set to undertake their own trials, though not in first-class cricket, as the inexorable push towards a day-night Test continues. Although some Shield players had no problems with the pink ball, others reported trouble seeing the ball or its seam, and there were concerns about how quickly it softened and lost its swing.

All three matches lasted into the fourth day and Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said the most encouraging aspect of the day-night trials was that the scores were consistent with the rest of the Shield season. However, he conceded that a pink ball was unlikely ever to behave exactly like a red ball and that “everyone is going to need to be accepting” of that.

“What we learnt from that last year is that there are no really obvious reasons why we shouldn’t be continuing to progress with our intent around day-night Test match,” Sutherland said. “We’re certainly very excited about the concept and we’re serious about really properly pushing ahead now.

“The pink ball, just like the white ball, doesn’t behave exactly the same as the red ball. But … the ball is the same for both teams. What we were pleased about was that in looking at the Shield results from this round that we played, the statistics in terms of runs and wickets were very much on par with average for the whole Shield season last year. There weren’t any rogue behaviours.

“I don’t think we’re ever going to get to a stage where everyone is completely satisfied or comfortable with it. If we go back 30-odd years in time when the first ever day-night one-day internationals were played, I’m sure there was that same level of trepidation that some stakeholders including players might have had about day-night one-day cricket and white balls.”

For Cricket Australia, the move is in part about maximising revenue. While the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests in Melbourne and Sydney would remain unaffected, CA wants to bring more fans through the gates outside of summer holiday periods. The idea is that spectators would be more likely to attend Tests if they could turn up after work and see most of the day’s play.

Then there is the major drawcard of boosting television audiences, as is already the case with the WACA Test, which attracts higher ratings because Perth’s time-zone means the Test airs in the eastern states in prime time. However, Sutherland was at pains to suggest that it was not simply a money-making exercise and that Test cricket’s health would be boosted by the move.

“Players are often quite concerned about changes in the way the game is played,” he said. “That creates an all-the-more-important reason for us to consult with them so they understand where we’re going and why it is.

“Whilst there may be some trepidation or concern about the pink ball and what impact it has on the game itself, I think it’s really important that we continue to keep the big picture in mind and understand that in certain parts of the world the game of Test cricket is not as strong as it once was. If there are things we can do to enhance Test cricket to make it more popular, then that needs to be our ultimate aim. The last thing we want is to see Test cricket withering on the vine.”

David White, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, said his discussions with Sutherland around the idea last week were positive and that NZC was keen to give day-night Test cricket a go. He said it was “critical” the pink ball behaved as closely as possible to the red ball, but that Test cricket had a history of adapting to suit the times.

“Since Test cricket was played in 1877 there have been significant changes, covered pitches, day limits, fielding restrictions, introduction of helmets, change of ball etc,” White said. “I think as administrators we must keep evolving, improving the game and improving it for our stakeholders. We’ve got to be mindful of change but keep an open mind.

“I’ve spoken to the players and we’ve said once the trial [in New Zealand] is over and if they’re satisfied we’ll put it to them. The consultation with the players is key, we’re very conscious of that.”

The ICC approved day-night Test cricket in 2012, leaving the finer points up to the participating boards. David Richardson, the ICC’s chief executive said he was pleased the concept appeared close to becoming a reality.

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Srinivasan confirmed as ICC Chairman

Narayanaswami Srinivasan has been nominated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the top position and will assume charge following the conclusion of the ICC Annual Conference week.

Narayanaswami Srinivasan was confirmed as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the 52-member* Full Council approved amendments to the ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association at the Annual Conference in Melbourne on Thursday.
Mr Srinivasan has been nominated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the top position and will assume charge following the conclusion of the ICC Annual Conference week.

The approval of the constitutional changes, which flowed from an ICC Board resolution taken in Singapore on 8 February and finalised on 10 April, also means that a new Executive Committee was formed, which will report to the ICC Board.

The initial Chair of the Executive Committee will be Cricket Australia’s Chairman, Wally Edwards, while the Chair of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) will continue to be England and Wales Cricket Board’s Chairman, Giles Clarke.

Mr Srinivasan said it was an honour to become ICC Chairman and promised that the ICC will continue to play a leading role in the promotion and development of the global game.

“It is an honour to be confirmed as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council,” said Mr Srinivasan, adding: “I will leave no stone unturned in trying to strengthen the pillars and foundations of our sport, both on and off the field. I want to ensure that cricket retains and grows its popularity, and that the ICC plays a leading role in this global growth.

“I want to see more strong teams in international cricket. For this to be achieved, we all need to work hard to develop local talent in our countries. Naturally, there will be more support to those who first show they can help themselves.

“The ICC is a Members’ organisation and the pathway is now there for any Member to play Test cricket or in the major ICC events if it performs well enough over a sustained period of time.”

Mr Srinivasan congratulated outgoing ICC President Alan Isaac for his contribution.

“Mr Isaac has been an inspirational President of the ICC. He provided guidance to everyone during his two-year term and all three international formats remain incredibly popular. The game is unquestionably stronger than it was at the start of his term,” said Mr Srinivasan.

The Annual Conference also saw Mr Mustafa Kamal become the 11th President of the ICC.

Mr Kamal said: “This is a memorable and historic day for Bangladesh cricket. On this day 14 years ago, Bangladesh became the 10th Test playing country. Today, a Bangladeshi becomes the 11th President** of the International Cricket Council. Thank you for bestowing this honour on Bangladesh and me.

“Over the next 12 months, I look forward to working with the ICC Board and ICC Management, and will be delighted to contribute in any way I can. In Mr Srinivasan and David Richardson, I have absolute trust and confidence that we have a combination that will not only strengthen our sport, but will also take this great organisation to a new level.”

From 2016, the ICC Board, which will continue to be the primary decision-making body, will elect the ICC Chairman for a two-year term.

The ICC Board confirmed that the USA Cricket Association (USACA) is the ICC’s recognised member in the USA.  The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and ICC management will, however, continue to work with USACA and other interested stakeholders to assist in overcoming some challenges currently facing the governance and development of the game in the USA.

The ICC Board also approved the Development Committee’s recommendation that Oman Cricket (OC) becomes the 38th Associate Member of the ICC. However, Affiliate Membership of Brunei was suspended, while Tonga was removed as an Affiliate Member. The ICC now has 105 members.

The ICC Board also noted the Associate and Affiliate Members’ decision, which re-elected Imran Khawaja and Neil Speight for another two years as their representatives on the ICC Board, while Keith Oliver was replaced by Francois Erasmus.

Backgrounders:

Narayanaswami Srinivasan

·                   President of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association since 2001-02
·                   Former Honorary Treasurer, BCCI, from 2005-06 to 2007-08
·                   Former Honorary Secretary, BCCI, from 2008-09 to 2010-11
·                   Became BCCI President in 2011-12
·                   Represented BCCI at the ICC Board and has been instrumental in bringing about significant changes in the governance and administrative policies of the ICC
·                   India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and the U19 ICC Cricket World Cup Australia 2012 under his Presidency
·                   The BCCI, during his tenure as President in 2012, made a one-time benefit payment to international and first-class cricketers who retired before 2004, in recognition of their services to Indian cricket. More than Rs 100 crores were distributed among 174 cricketers (including the widows of deceased Test cricketers)
·                   Played a pivotal role in creating and developing cricketing infrastructure across India. The member-units of the BCCI were helped and encouraged in this regard. Special emphasis was placed on the acquisition of qualified coaches, physiotherapists and trainers, and the creation of a pathway to train and nurture match officials
·                   Four state-of-the-art India stadia made their international debuts in the 2012-13 season. Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala hosted ODIs, and Pune staged T20 Internationals.

Mustafa Kamal

·                   Chartered Accountant by profession
·                   BCB President from September 2009-October 2013
·                   Former Chairman of the ICC’s Audit Committee
·                   Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President from 2010-2012
·                   ICC Vice-President from 2012-2014
·                   Former Director of Abahani Limited, one of the most prominent cricket clubs of Bangladesh, from 1991-2007, and Chairman of the club’s Cricket Committee from 1991 to 2006
·                   Founded the Lotus Kamal Pace Bowling Cricket Academy in the 1990s, one of the first of its kind in Bangladesh
·                   Led the recruitment process of high profile international cricket players in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, the main cricket competition during Bangladesh’s pre-Test era
·                   Brought all domestic first-class players under the BCB central contract system in 2012-13
·                   Elected as a Member of Parliament three times, and presently is the Minister for Planning of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

The Full Council includes 37 Associate Members, five Affiliate Member representatives and 10 Full Members. The ICC President, ICC Vice-President and ICC Chief Executive are also part of the Full Council but don’t have voting rights.

**The list of ICC Presidents is:

Lord Colin Cowdrey 1989-1993*
Sir Clyde Walcott       1993-1997*
Jagmohan Dalmiya      1997-2000
Malcolm Gray             2000-2003
Ehsan Mani                 2003-2006
Percy Sonn                  2006-2007
Ray Mali                     2007-2008
David Morgan             2008-2010
Sharad Pawar              2010-2012
Alan Isaac                   2012-2014
Mustafa Kamal           2014-

*Cowdrey and Walcott both served as ‘Chairman’ of the ICC. Prior to Lord Cowdrey’s appointment, the ICC was administered by the secretary of the Marylebone Cricket Club

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Proteas Australian Tour Itinerary Announced

THE Castle Lager Proteas will play five One-Day Internationals against Australia in November as part of their build-up to the ICC World Cup 2015 to be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand. The Blue Label Telecoms Proteas will also be playing three T20 International matches.

This tour follows directly after a three-match ODI series in New Zealand and will effectively be one tour for the Proteas.

Cricket Australia (CA) today announced the following itinerary:

 

02-Nov-14

Sun

 T20 Warm Up Match – North Sydney Oval

05-Nov-14

Wed

 1st. T20 Australia vs South Africa – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

07-Nov-14

Fri

 2nd. T20 Australia vs South Africa – MCG

09-Nov-14

Sun

 3rd. T20 Australia vs South Africa – ANZ Stadium, Sydney

14-Nov-14

Fri

 1st. ODI Australia vs South Africa – WACA, Perth

16-Nov-14

Sun

 2nd. ODI Australia vs South Africa – WACA, Perth

19-Nov-14

Wed

 3rd. ODI Australia vs South Africa – Manuka Oval, Canberra

21-Nov-14

Fri

 4th. ODI Australia vs South Africa – MCG, Melbourne

23-Nov-14

Sun

 5th. ODI Australia vs South Africa – SCG, Sydney

 

“We continue to build our ODI squad ahead of the Cricket World Cup and have planned 24 ODI matches before the tournament starts,” commented Cricket South Africa (CSA) Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, “These are good opportunities for our players, particularly the newcomers, to experience playing in New Zealand and Australia. The matches in Australia will be played at the main stadia which will be helpful in preparing our players for the CWC.

“The team will also play ODI series against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the West Indies before the World Cup.”

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Rabada included in South Africa A squad

CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA (CSA) today named exciting under-19 fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada, as one of several new caps at this level in the South Africa A squad to travel to Australia for a series of four-day matches against Australia A as well as a triangular limited overs series that also includes India A.

 

Rabada was one of the stars of South Africa’s successful campaign earlier this year to win the ICC under-19 World Cup.

 

Other players chosen at SA A level for the first time are batsmen, David White, Khaya Zondo and Cody Chetty, wicketkeeper Mangaliso Mosehle, left-arm seamer Mthokozisi Shezi and leg-spinner Eddie Leie.

 

Justin Ontong will captain both the four-day and one-day squads while Proteas squad member Rory Kleinveldt has also been included as he starts his comeback from injury.

 

“It was only a year ago that the South Africa A squad included the likes of Beuran Hendricks and Dane Piedt who have gone on to earn senior national colours, so the opportunity and incentive is there for others to follow suit,” commented CSA selection convener, Andrew Hudson.

 

“The squad for Australia has a nice balance of experience and youthful potential about it and this will be an excellent test for them against Australia A and India A, both of whom have assembled very strong squads.”

 

SA A four-day squad: Justin Ontong (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras, capt), Temba Bavuma (bizhub Highveld Lions), Marchant de Lange (The Unlimited Titans), Simon Harmer (Chevrolet Warriors), Beuran Hendricks (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Reeza Hendricks (Chevrolet Knights), Rory Kleinveldt (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Heino Kuhn (The Unlimited Titans), Eddie Leie (bizhub Highveld Lions), Mangaliso Mosehle (The Unlimited Titans), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rilee Rossouw (Chevrolet Knights), Hardus Viljoen (bizhub Highveld Lions), David White (Chevrolet Warriors), Khaya Zondo (Sunfoil Dolphins).

 

SA A one-day squad: Justin Ontong (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras, capt), Farhaan Behardien (The Unlimited Titans), Cody Chetty (Sunfoil Dolphins), Marchant de Lange (The Unlimited Titans), Simon Harmer (Chevrolet Warriors), Beuran Hendricks (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Reeza Hendricks (Chevrolet Knights), Rory Kleinveldt (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Heino Kuhn (The Unlimited Titans), Mangaliso Mosehle (The Unlimited Titans), Aaron Phangiso (bizhub Highveld Lions), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rilee Rossouw (Chevrolet Knights), Mthokozisi Shezi (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Vaughn van Jaarsveld (Sunfoil Dolphins)

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ICC defends cancellation of Americas Women’s Championship

The ICC has defended itself from the criticism that they received regarding the cancellation of the ICC Americas Women’s Championship by stating that money that would have been spent to hold the event would be better used to fund grassroots initiatives.

The ICC Americas Women’s Division One Championship was last held in 2012 with the winner, Canada, advancing to the 2013 Women’s World T20 Qualifier in Ireland, where they defeated Japan to finish third out of four teams in their group. In the 2011 Women’s World Cup Qualifier, USA participated as the Americas representative and suffered five heavy defeats in their six games but managed to record a landmark one-run win over Full Member nation Zimbabwe. The results were not enough to prevent the regional event being scrapped for the foreseeable future.

The championship’s format (T20 or one-dayers) is defined by the closest global women’s tournament, so that it can serve as a qualifying tournament for teams from  America. So, it’s scrapping means there is no chance for a team from America to compete for a spot in the 2016 Women’s World T20 and potentially the 2017 Women’s World Cup and 2018 Women’s World T20 as well, as there is no regional qualifier.

“No region has had a women’s championship cancelled,” stated an ICC spokesperson in response to an email from ESPNcricinfo. “However, the Americas region is the first region in which a women’s championship has not been scheduled.

“In recent times, the majority of ICC investment in the women’s game at Associate and Affiliate member level has gone into running international competitions. In some regions, these competitions are run for small groups of domestic players.

“In some cases, this opportunity has led to a significant increase in the number of women’s players in the region while in others this investment focus has stagnated already small local player numbers. The latter has happened in the Americas region.”

Durriya Shabbir, a Canada women’s player, also spoke out against the move on the Associate and Affiliate Cricket Podcast. “Women’s cricket has always been an afterthought,” she said. “We’ve never been given the support from our board that we need to grow this game. Our boards are not doing enough to promote the game. If the ICC walks away from it as well, then what do the women have to look forward to?”

An online petition has been started to get the decision overturned and reinstate the ICC Americas Women’s Championship. As of Tuesday, the petition had 248 signatures. Below ICC level though, the USA Cricket Association has not organised a regional or national championship tournament since July 2011 while there is also scant evidence of regional or national events for women’s cricket elsewhere in the Americas. Meanwhile, the ICC wants to see evidence of domestic interest and growth across the region before they’ll consider restarting the tournament.

Since the ICC Americas Women’s Championship was first held in 2007, the ICC claims there have only been 90 new female players at amateur level that have been registered by a combination of the countries in the ICC Americas Women’s Division One – USA, Canada, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Brazil. These 90 new players were from levels that were low to begin. The USA, a country with more than 300 million people, is estimated to have only 100 registered female players, a number which is made up mainly of expatriates from South Asia and the Caribbean.

The ICC says the member countries in the region were informed during 2013 that the investment money that had previously been spent on running the tournament would be made available to them to fund grassroots projects. “The aim is to increase participation rates, provide more regular domestic playing opportunities for women and girls and ultimately strengthen domestic capacity. It is hoped that an increase in domestic participation will lead to the recommencement of this event in the future.”

RSS Feeds: Peter Della Penna

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Kallis signs up with Sydney Thunder

Jacques Kallis has signed a contract with Sydney Thunder for the next two seasons of Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition – the Big Bash League. 

“I will be playing against a few guys who I have played against most of my career, guys like Huss [Michael Hussey], now I am looking forward to play with these guys,” Kallis said.

Kallis, who retired from Tests in December 2013 (India Series), has scored 3673 runs and taken 95 wickets in 143 T20 matches. He will join England’s Eoin Morgan and Chris Woakes, and Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan and Ajantha Mendis in the Thunder team, captained by Michael Clarke.

“Signing a player of Jacques’ quality and experience is phenomenal news for Thunder fans,”  said Sydney Thunder general manager, Nick Cummins. “He is one of the greatest cricketers to have ever played the game and apart from his experience and leadership, he is still a brilliant allrounder who will give the side a quality top-order batsman and versatile bowling option.

“Just having a player of his stature around the group will be great for our young players and he will bring big match temperament and a winning attitude to our squad.”

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Ingram replaces Petersen at Somerset

Somerset cricket county have signed Proteas ODI batsman Colin Ingram to replace Alviro Petersen who is off to play Test cricket for five weeks from July 11 until August 14.

The top order batsman who has played in 31 One Day Internationals for South Africa and domestically is a quality scorer of runs and averages more than 40 in 50-over cricket.

The 28-year-old represented his country in the Champions Trophy last year here in England where he scored a match-winning 73 against the West Indies to take his team through into the semi-finals stage.

Colin Ingram said: “I am really looking forward to joining Somerset.

“It will be my first experience of County Cricket and I can’t wait to experience the vibe around it which everyone talks about.

“Cricket wise I just want to get stuck in and perform for the team and keep on delivering like Alviro has been doing.”

Dave Nosworthy, Somerset’s Director of Cricket said: “Finding quality overseas replacements is really tough these days due the various International tour schedules and also the likes of the Caribbean Premier Leagues that are happening.

“Nevertheless we have managed to source one in Colin and I am looking forward to his arrival.

“Colin has represented South Africa predominantly in One Day Internationals and will fit the gap perfectly left by Alviro.”

During Petersen’s five week absence Somerset have one LV=Championship match, seven Royal London 50 over matches, and a minimum of four NatWest Blast T20 matches.

Nosworthy added: “Colin is a quality player who will add real value to our team.

“He is also a quality person which is also crucial to our requirements as a team here at the County Ground.”

Petersen has been called up by South Africa for their series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

The top order batsman has already played in 30 Test Matches for his country Petersen said: “Having had such a good start to my season with Somerset of course I am very disappointed to be having to spend time away.

“However it is always an honour to be picked for my country and I look forward to returning to pick up my season back at the County Ground later in August.”

Nosworthy said: “Congratulations to Alviro once again for being chosen to represent his country – I have no doubt that he will perform superbly.

“Naturally it is always tough to lose one’s overseas professional but these days such signings come with the territory.”

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AFL Players’ Association has a new boss

THE AFL Players’ Association has a new boss with Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Paul Marsh appointed to succeed Matt Finnis.
Marsh joins the AFLPA after nine years in his previous role and a total of 13 year in cricket.
Marsh, the son of former Test wicketkeeper and current chief selector Rod, previously worked as the sales and marketing manager at Port Adelaide before joining the ACA as member services and operations manager in 2001.
It is unclear what the appointment means for stand-in CEO Ian Prendergast, who has performed the top job at the AFLPA since the departure of Finnis to St Kilda in April.
Prendergast was at the announcement and left without comment, although it is believed he addressed staff on Tuesday morning and told them of his intention to remain in the interim role until at least September 1.
Marsh is contracted to the ACA until then.
AFLPA president Luke Ball said the players hoped Prendergast, who played 65 games for Carlton, would remain with the organisation.
“The board are certainly hopeful he’ll do so,” Ball said.
“We thank him for his job as acting CEO, love his passion for the players’ association and that’s something we’ll work through with him in the period up until September.”
Marsh said he was approached and hadn’t previously thought about applying for the position.
Ball said it had been a “tough recruitment process” and it had been Marsh’s experience through “multiple CBA negotiations and the results he had been able to deliver” that gave him an edge.
“There’s clearly issues and challenges for players at the moment that we’re all aware of – what’s happening at Essendon is an example in particular,” he said.
“Year by year there are constant challenges for players whether it be welfare, on the field, off the field.
“Paul’s track record in dealing with players and delivering great benefits to players is fantastic.”
Marsh, who supports Port Adelaide, said he was yet to meet new AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan.
He said building relationships within the League was a priority for him.
“I’ve been in cricket for close to 13 years so I’ve had a good run there and I think I needed a new challenge. The AFLPA is a very strong organisation in a sport that’s in my view the strongest in this country,” Marsh said.
“It appeals to me. I love AFL and the combination of those things, the new challenge, etcetera, is what’s excited me about it.
“One of the things I’ll be focusing on from the get-go will be going and building relationships with everyone in this industry, from the AFL to the clubs to the players to the staff to the board.
“That will be a huge focus from day one.”
He also said his experience in negotiating collective bargaining agreements while working in cricket would be transferable to his new role.
“The issues the athletes have, how to deal with athletes, with governing bodies, clubs, the business of sport are probably the major things,” he said.
“There are a lot of issues cricket has in common with football and I think I have good experience dealing with the majority of the things the AFLPA will face going forward.”
Marsh said he hadn’t yet spoken about the role with anyone outside his family and hadn’t formed an opinion on contentious issues like the bump or a potential All Stars representative game.
Instead, he said he would focus heavily on delivering what the players wanted.
“It’s really hard for me to talk about the specific issues,” he said.
“What I believe is most important in this game is understanding what your members want, and when you know what they want, you go out and try and get it.
“If that’s what they want – [an All Stars game] – as I understand from what I’ve read in the press that’s something they’re keen on, but I’d like to talk to them before I start making any big statements about that.”
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Stephen Cook keen on Lions turnaround

A new-look Lions leadership pack, headed by Stephen Cook, will take the franchise into the 2014/15 season. Cook has been appointed first-class and 50-overs captain while Neil McKenzie will lead their 20-over side. Batsman Temba Bavuma will act as deputy in all three formats. Alviro Petersen, who stepped down as captain last season, remains part of Lions’ squad but has not been tasked with any leadership duties.

“I am greatly honoured to have been given this job. I grew up on the banks of the Wanderers watching my dad play and leadership is something I’ve always wanted to be involved in,” Cook told ESPNcricinfo. “I know its going to be a tough challenge but I am really looking forward to it.”

After finishing second in the first-class competition and winning the twenty-over trophy in the 2012/13 season, Lions were rudely brought back down to earth last summer. They finished bottom of the points table in all three competitions in a season that was plagued by injuries and unhappiness. While seamer Chris Morris battled an ankle injury, Petersen stood down on the morning of a match after what he called interference by the selectors, forcing Thami Tsolekile to take over at the 11th hour.

That marked the lowest point in the Lions’ dismal season and Cook is keen to move on. “Our players did not become bad overnight. I think what happened is because we had done so well the season before, we didn’t adapt to the fact that other teams had improved and we were caught on the hop,” he said. “But we have resisted the urge to make too many changes.”

Lions have held on to their players from last summer and have made two additions to their group. Devon Conway, who was named the provincial one-day cricketer of the year at CSA’s awards last week, has been added to the contracted list along with under-19 World Cup winner Kagiso Rabada, who made his first-class debut at the end of last season.

They have three nationally-contracted players on their books: Petersen, Quinton de Kock and Lonwabo Tsotsobe and an experienced core which includes Cook, McKenzie and Tsolekile. McKenzie will turn 39 in the coming season but has committed himself to playing in all formats for Lions.

Cook has made it clear everyone, including the new faces, will have more demanded of them this season. “We are all really motivated to do well and guys know they will get will get pressed a little harder and asked to work a little smarter,” he said.

For Cook, the goal is simple. He wants the franchise to be able to add to the trophy cupboard and if he has it his way, it will be in the longest format. “Every competition is important but for me, it would be most special to win the first-class [competition] because that is the one that really tests you as a squad,” he said. “You have to play good cricket for 40 days, whereas with the limited-overs [game] you could end up third and have a good day and then make the final. The first-class is also the competition I have never won with Lions. The last time they won it here was the season before I made my professional debut.”

That was 15 years ago in the 1999/2000 season, before the franchise system had formed. Back then, all Cook wanted to do was play for what was then Gauteng and eventually for South Africa. A decade and a half later, it is still all he wants. “I have never given up on playing for South Africa. That’s my driving force.”

Cook is a regular among the top ten run-scorers in the first-class competition but has struggled for higher honours largely because of where he bats – in the top two. The presence of Graeme Smith in the Test team made it difficult for Cook to get a look-in but with Smith retired, a vacancy in the national team and a platform from which to audition for it, Cook still believes anything is possible, for both him and his Lions.

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Domingo eager to get going in new era

The appointment of the new Test captain, Hashim Amla, and announcement of the squads to tour Sri Lanka next month marks the beginning of a new era, and coach Russell Domingo is itching to get started.

South Africa lost their first Test series in five years – to Australia at home – and slipped from their No. 1 ranking. Winter arrived before they had the chance to begin rebuilding, leaving Domingo’s plans paused for the last three months. Now, he can finally press play.

“Those (Kirsten, Kallis and Smith) are three great servants to South African cricket and they are going to be hard to replace. But the game goes on,” Domingo told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve now got to start trying to find some new icon players and some new heroes and we’ve got some of those in the group already.”

Two fresh faces will appear in the travelling party to Sri Lanka – batsman Stiaan van Zyl and offspinner Dane Piedt, who are both strong candidates to debut.

Dean Elgar is expected to be the new opening batsman, Quinton de Kock, who forms part of a touring Test squad for the first time, may make an appearance at No. 7 and Wayne Parnell is the additional fast bowler in the squad. Those names reflect a lack of experience but for Domingo, also an opportunity to mould the side his way.

“There are some fresh young players so it’s an exciting time for our team. It’s not going to be love and fresh air all the time. There are going to be some tough tours and some tough sessions for us but we’ve got the nucleus of a good side at the moment. As a coach, it’s always exciting to have a new direction to go in and you can leave your print on the team a bit easier with some new players coming in.”

The first assignment this new team and it’s leaders will be tough because it will be played in Sri Lanka where South Africa last lost a Test series, in 2006. But things will ease off after that with a one-off match against a Zimbabwean side that has played next to no cricket since last September and a three-Test home series against West Indies. By the end of those matches and a tour of Bangladesh next winter, South Africa will know how the Test side is shaping up for future contests such as England at home in the 2015-16 summer.

South Africa have not played an ODI since December, when they hosted India. They won the series 2-0 with the third match a washout to end a three-month period in which they also beat Pakistan in a five-match series in the UAE. Although South Africa lost the return series at home, they won seven out of 10 completed matches between October and December and the ODI outfit stabilised from earlier in 2013, when they were booted out of the Champions Trophy at the semi-final stage and lost 4-1 in Sri Lanka.

Returning to the scene of that shame will give Domingo a chance to see how far his fifty-over side has progressed. “Although we lost the series badly, there were crucial stages in some games where we were very much in the contest and then just didn’t execute our skills well enough. We learnt a lot from that tour and we’ll probably do a few things a little bit differently this time.”

Steyn was rested for that limited-overs visit to Sri Lanka, Kallis, who had opted out of the Champions Trophy for personal reasons was not considered, and Amla was injured for the opening exchanges. South Africa flirted with four different opening combinations as a result of Amla’s unavailability and struggled with an out-of-form Faf du Plessis and Farhaan Behardien in the middle order. Their bowlers sent down 55 wides in the five matches and they were lacking in the spin department.

The results veered from the embarrassing – losing the first ODI by 180 runs and the last by 128 runs – to slightly promising like when they took the second match close to lose by 17 runs and then won the third by 56 runs.

It was also the tour on which South Africa established a set batting line-up, to replace the floating one which had been in operation before. It is still in operation at the moment and is one of the things that should work better than it did last year.

The other is the actual make-up of the squad. Steyn and Kallis are back, Amla and de Kock have formed a solid opening pair, du Plessis, who was dropped and has been recalled, has found form and Imran Tahir is also part of the side. While left-armer Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been ruled out as he recovers from ankle surgery, Beuran Hendricks should be a more than adequate replacement and Vernon Philander will bring discipline to the attack.

The three ODIs will point South Africa in the direction they need to go to ensure they are as properly prepared as they can be when they go in search of ICC silverware again. “Sri Lanka are a tough side to beat so it will be a good opportunity to see where we are,” Domingo said. And to finally start looking to the future.”

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CSA Awards Winners

AB DE VILLIERS became the eighth player to be named South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year when he received the award for 2014 at a gala Cricket South Africa (CSA) banquet in Sandton on Wednesday night.

 

The previous winners of CSA’s most prestigious award at international level are Jacques Kallis (2004 and 2011), Makhaya Ntini (2005 and 2006), Shaun Pollock (2007), Dale Steyn (2008), Graeme Smith (2009), Hashim Amla (2010 and 2013) and Vernon Philander (2012).

 

It was a special evening for AB De Villiers who won four awards in all – the only award for which he was nominated but did not win was the Castle Lager ODI Player of the Year which went to Quinton de Kock who scored four centuries in the period under review including three in consecutive innings.

 

De Villiers was also named Castle Lager Test Cricketer of the Year, was recognised by his peers as SA Players’ Player of the Year and, by popular vote of the public, SA Fans’ Cricketer of the Year.

 

Imran Tahir was named Blue Label Telecoms T20 International Player of the Year, Steyn won the RAM delivery of the year (he had all three nominations in this category) and Kallis won the KFC ‘So Good’ Award for his century in his final Test match appearance against India.

 

Marizanne Kapp was named Momentum Women’s Cricketer of the Year for the second successive year.

 

“This has been another great year of wonderful achievements for our top players,” commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat. “AB’s statistics are sheer class and speak for themselves. He is the world’s best batsman, ranked No. 1 in Test match cricket and No. 2 in ODI cricket. His highest rating of 935 points in Test cricket is the joint 10th highest of all time alongside Jacques Kallis and Matthew Hayden.

 

“But that only tells a part of his amazing skills. He has always been an entertainer and innovator par excellence while at the same time he has the ability to dig really deep in pressure situations. We all saw his strength of character illustrated against Australia at Adelaide in 2012 and again against India at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium last season.

 

“We are proud of the scale of his achievements and, more importantly, the manner in which he does it. He is an exceptionally talented cricketer who always adapts to the needs of the team.

 

“Our Proteas have again displayed true world-class performances in the past year and I salute not only the Award winners but all of them for a year of great performances. The fact that there were as many as five worthy candidates for the top award speaks volumes.

 

“I warmly congratulate all our winners including the likes of our umpires, grounds staff and scorers, without whose contribution the game cannot be played.

 

“Our domestic cricket remains blessed with great talents and congratulations to all the winners in that category.”

 

In the domestic professional category the Sunfoil Dolphins almost swept the board. Lance Klusener was named Coach of the Year, David Miller the RAM SLAMMER and Kyle Abbott both the Domestic Players’ Player of the Year (for the second year in a row) and SACA Most Valuable Player. In addition, the Dolphins won the CSA Fair Play Award and Wilson Ngobese, head grounds curator at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, was named CSA Groundsman of the Year.

 

Justin Ontong of the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras was named Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season and Heino Kuhn of The Unlimited Titans the Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season.

 

The Khaya Majola Lifetime Achievement Award went to Abe Williams for his services to the game over nearly 50 years. He represented Griquas as a player for more than two decades and also played for the SA Coloured Cricket Association against the South African African Cricket Board. He was involved in every aspect of cricket as player, administrator, umpire, groundsman and as coach in which capacity he laid the foundation for the current Griquas coaching programmes. He is still an active umpire at club level.

 

AWARD WINNERS

 

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS: NATIONAL

 

SA Cricketer of the Year:                                                                         AB de Villiers

Castle Lager Test Cricketer of the Year:                                            AB de Villiers

Castle Lager ODI Cricketer of the Year:                                             Quinton de Kock

Blue Label Telecoms T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Imran Tahir

SA Players’ Player of the Year:                                                             AB de Villiers

SA Fans’ Player of the Year:                                                                   AB de Villiers

KFC ‘So Good’ Award:                                                                              Jacques Kallis (century v India in his               final Test at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead)

RAM Delivery of the Year:                                                                      Dale Steyn (bowled Brad Haddin,   second Test match against Australia at                                                                                                   Axxess St. George’s)

Momentum women’s Cricketer of the Year:                                 Marizanne Kapp

 

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS: DOMESTIC

 

Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season:                           Justin Ontong (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras)

Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Heino Kuhn (The Unlimited Titans)

RAM SLAMMER of the Season:                                          David Miller (Sunfoil Dolphins)

Coach of the Year:                                                                   Lance Klusener (Sunfoil Dolphins)

Domestic Players’ Player of the Season:                        Kyle Abbott (Sunfoil Dolphins)

CSA Fair Play Award:                                                               Sunfoil Dolphins

SACA Most Valuable Player Award:                                 Kyle Abbott (Sunfoil Dolphins)

 

 

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Amla appointed Proteas Test captain

CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA (CSA) today announced the appointment of Hashim Amla as captain of the Castle Lager Proteas Test match squad in succession to Graeme Smith.

 

His first assignment will be to lead the Proteas to Sri Lanka next month for a two-match series.

 

He is the fifth Protea to be appointed captain of the Proteas after Kepler Wessels (1992), Hansie Cronje (1994), Shaun Pollock (2000) and Smith (2003) although Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince have also done the job in a stand-in capacity.

 

AB de Villiers has been appointed vice-captain of the Test squad. He also remains captain of the ODI squad with Amla as his deputy.

 

“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Hashim on his appointment,” commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, following the unanimous decision taken by the Board of Directors earlier today to accept the unanimous recommendation of the national selectors.

 

“It is a reflection of the excellence and standing of our senior players that there was more than one quality candidate to consider for this most important leadership position. Hashim is universally respected, both in South Africa and around the cricketing world, not only for his quality as a player which has seen him ranked among the best batsmen in the world in both Test and ODI cricket, but also for his personal qualities.

 

“He has shown his steel in playing in the key No. 3 batting position, one which he took over from Jacques Kallis with great success. The manner in which he has adapted his game to suit the different forms of cricket speaks volumes for his skills to react to changing circumstances. He has earned particular respect as a role model for his humility and his upholding of the best traditions and spirit of the game. Becoming captain is a natural progression for his outstanding career and we are indeed fortunate to have a leader of his quality.

 

“Stability has been one of the endearing qualities he has brought to the Proteas and this is important at a time when we have had to replace several key players in Smith, Kallis and Boucher.”

 

Hashim Amla commented: “It is an honour and a privilege to be given this responsibility. I would like to pay tribute to the leadership Graeme Smith has provided throughout my international career. This is an exciting challenge but one that I take on with positivity with our Test team being in exceptionally good space at the moment with the support of a strong core of senior players.

 

“I have concentrated on taking my batting to the highest possible level and now I feel I am in a position to make a contribution to South African cricket in a leadership role.”

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Odendaal Announces his Retirement

Cape Town – Cape Cobras and Western Province Cricket Association CEO André Odendaal is set to leave his position after a decade in charge.

Odendaal, 60, will leave his position in January next year.

He believes the time is right to pursue other interests.

“It’s a good time to retire after the number of titles we’ve won in the last while, and also the good season the team had under Paul Adams (coach) this year. I’m bowing out on a high note.”

“I couldn’t have wished for a better send-off than the success we had last season. Appointing Paul Adams as coach has been the cherry on top. He is the kind of young leader we need for the future and has the traits to take him far in his career. Excellence based on value is where the Cobras are now,” Odendaal said.

Odendaal said he would not be involved in the appointment of his successor, even though his contract was extended for him to help with the handover process. Williams also said they have not decided on his replacement but they will look far and wide to replace Odendaal.

The Nahua Cape Cobras won the Sunfoil Series this past season. They also reached the final of both Momentum One Day Cup, sharing the 50-overs title with the Unlimited Titans after the final was washed out, and losing in the RamSlam T20 final to the Sunfoil Dolphins.

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Stewart refutes Smith quit claims

As for Smith’s replacement as overseas player, Hashim Amla has been signed until June 25, which will take him to the end of the Championship game against Leicestershire at The Oval. He will miss the upcoming four day game against Worcestershire as he returns to South Africa to attend a Cricket South Africa awards dinner and could be unveiled as the new South Africa Test captain.

Stewart confirmed that Surrey will be in the market for another overseas player but conceded that the international schedule will make things tricky. Every Test nation is involved in one series or another before the end of the county season.

“We’ll look at options and decide if there is one that will enhance our squad,” Steward said. “If there isn’t anyone we feel would better the squad, then we won’t sign one. All that will be looked at over the next four weeks.”

It remains to be seen just how much Championship cricket Kevin Pietersen will play. He arrives at the club in the next few days from captaining the Dehli Daredevils in the IPL and will line up for Surrey in their NatWest T20 Blast fixture against Middlesex on Friday evening. Primarily on a T20 contract, he has no obligation to play four day or even 50-over cricket, but has the option to make himself available for either of those formats.

Pietersen is also set to play in the Caribbean Premier League for the St Lucia Zouks, but Stewart confirmed that Pietersen’s involvement in the competition will not involve missing T20 games for Surrey.

As for Smith’s replacement as overseas player, Hashim Amla has been signed until June 25, which will take him to the end of the Championship game against Leicestershire at The Oval. He will miss the upcoming four day game against Worcestershire as he returns to South Africa to attend a Cricket South Africa awards dinner and could be unveiled as the new South Africa Test captain.

Stewart confirmed that Surrey will be in the market for another overseas player but conceded that the international schedule will make things tricky. Every Test nation is involved in one series or another before the end of the county season.

“We’ll look at options and decide if there is one that will enhance our squad,” Steward said. “If there isn’t anyone we feel would better the squad, then we won’t sign one. All that will be looked at over the next four weeks.”

It remains to be seen just how much Championship cricket Kevin Pietersen will play. He arrives at the club in the next few days from captaining the Dehli Daredevils in the IPL and will line up for Surrey in their NatWest T20 Blast fixture against Middlesex on Friday evening. Primarily on a T20 contract, he has no obligation to play four day or even 50-over cricket, but has the option to make himself available for either of those formats.

Pietersen is also set to play in the Caribbean Premier League for the St Lucia Zouks, but Stewart confirmed that Pietersen’s involvement in the competition will not involve missing T20 games for Surrey.

 

 

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CSA AND ECB ANNOUNCE ENGLAND LIONS TOUR

CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA (CSA) and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced a reciprocal agreement in terms of which the England Lions will tour South Africa in the 2014/15 season and South Africa A will tour England in 2017.

 

The England Lions will play two four-day Test matches and five 50 overs matches against South Africa A in January and February 2015.

 

“This is a very important agreement for us,” commented Corrie van Zyl, CSA General Manager: Cricket. “It continues our policy of enabling our second best team to test itself against some of the strongest cricket playing countries in the world.

 

“What is particularly important is that our A side will now tour England in 2017 at the same time as our senior squad is in that country. England is always an out-of-season tour for us and it will help a lot to know that our back-up players are match-fit in case of need.”

 

ECB Performance Director, David Parsons, commented: “The Lions tour to South Africa will be an excellent opportunity to take on some very tough opposition in a challenging environment. It will also offer us an opportunity to test the players at the very highest level and allow the players to ultimately learn a great deal from the trip. We look forward to visiting South Africa early next year.”

 

ENGLAND LIONS TOUR ITINERARY

 

January 5-7, 2015: SA Invitation XI v England Lions, UJ Soweto Oval

January 11-14: 1st four-day match, South Africa A v England Lions, Boland Park, Paarl

January 18-21: 2nd four-day, South Africa A v England Lions, Chevrolet Park,, Bloemfontein

January 25: 1st one-day match (day), South Africa A v England Lions, Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein

January 28: 2nd one-day match (day/night), South Africa A v England Lions, Diamond Oval, Kimberley

January 31: 3rd one-day match (day), South Africa A v England Lions, Senwes Park, Potchefstroom

February 2: 4th one-day match (day), South Africa A v England Lions, Mamelodi, Pretoria

February 5: 5th one-day match (day/night), South Africa A v England Lions, Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni

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Dale Steyn Chosen as Wisden’s Leading Cricketer of 2013

Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn was chosen as Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for 2013, a year in which he took 51 Test wickets in only nine games at an average of just 17.

Wisden described Steyn as “Fast, penetrative and parsimonious, it was some combination.”

The Five Cricketers of the Year, an honour dating back to 1889, were India’s Shikhar Dhawan, Australia duo Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris, England batsman Joe Root and England women’s captain Charlotte Edwards.

The Cricketer of the Year, the personal choice of the Wisden editor and an award that generally reflects performances in the previous English season, can, by tradition, only be won once in a player’s career.

Congratulate Dale on this prestigious  achievement.

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FICA Calls on ICC Board to direct N. Srinivasan to step aside from ICC functions

FICA

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) today called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board to direct N. Srinivasan to stand aside from all ICC functions.

 

FICA Executive Chairman Paul Marsh today said it was imperative that the ICC Board acted strongly in response to the situation involving Mr Srinivasan.

 

“Serious allegations of betting and spot fixing in IPL 2013 have been made against Mr Gurunath Meiyappan as the alleged Team Principal of Chennai Super Kings and these remain the subject of proceedings before the Indian Supreme Court.

 

“Mr Srinivasan is the Managing Director of Indian Cements Limited (the owner of the Chennai Super Kings) and is also the father-in-law of Mr Meiyappan.

“The Supreme Court order from last Friday noted that Mr Srinivasan had made a written offer through his legal counsel to step aside from his functions as BCCI President until investigations into the allegations against him were completed.

 

“The Supreme Court has issued an interim order prohibiting any employees of India Cements Limited (other than players or commentators) from performing any duties for the BCCI. FICA understands that the order applies to Mr Srinivasan, as Managing Director of the company.”

 

Mr Marsh called on the ICC Board to take note of the Supreme Court’s recent orders and apply the same principles to ICC activities.

 

“While we are pleased that Mr Srinivasan, at the behest of the Supreme Court, has agreed to step down from his duties as BCCI President, we are of the firm belief that he should not be exercising any functions on behalf of the ICC either, while any investigations concerning his conduct or that of his company are pending or unresolved,” he said.

 

“The cricket world has been told time and again by the ICC that corruption is the game’s biggest issue and that the game has a zero tolerance approach to it.

 

“For our game to survive we need it to be not only free of corruption but free of any suspicion of corruption.

 

“The ICC needs to put the reputation of the game and confidence in its procedures first. The players, and other stakeholders in the game, are entitled to expect this from the ICC’s Executive Board.

 

“Under the current circumstances, the prospect of Mr Srinivasan taking the highest posting in world cricket while these matters are unresolved, is an impossible one,” Mr Marsh said.

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Ashwell Prince Retires from Cricket

Ashwell Prince who has played for the Chevrolet Warriors since 2008 has announced his retirement from cricket.  He will play his last match for the Chevrolet Warriors starting tomorrow when they play their 2nd last Sunfoil Series match against the Cobras in Cape Town.

 

Making his Test debut in 2002 Ashwell went on to play 66 Test matches and 52 ODI’s for the Proteas.  He made his First Class debut in 1995 and has played 255 matches scoring 15 801 runs at an average of 43.29.  His 5911 runs in 250 List A matches included 3 centuries and 31 fifties.  A profilic fielder his stats record 348 catches in domestic cricket.  The left handed batsman has played 79 T20 matches scoring 1640 runs.

 

He will spend the winter months with his county Lancashire before returning to South Africa with a new focus – football.  Ashwell has always had a passion for soccer and is hoping to establish an academy in Port Elizabeth.

 

At a dinner in Port Elizabeth last night, Coach Piet Botha referred to Ashwell as the “Ultimate Warrior” and said that his passion both on and off the field always had a positive effect on the team and that he had played a vital role in the success of the franchise over the past six years.

 

“I am looking forward to a new phase in my life and am very grateful for the opportunities that cricket has afforded me.  I am thankful that I have had a wonderful career from a sport that I love and thank everyone that has been involved in any way over the past 19 years of my career” said Prince.

 

Cricket Eastern Cape (Pty) Ltd and the Chevrolet Warriors wish Ashwell and his family all the best for the future.

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STEYN WINS IT AT THE DEATH

Dale Steyn bowled one of the great final overs in the history of T20 International cricket to earn the Blue Label Telecoms Proteas their first victory of the ICC World Twenty20 by a nail-biting two runs over New Zealand at Chittagong on Monday.

 

 

When Steyn started his final over, he faced the unenviable task of having only five runs to defend to secure victory, six to allow the game to go to a super over while New Zealand needed seven for victory.

 

As it turned out, Steyn conceded only four runs, took two wickets and made a run out off the last ball to complete a stunning victory by two runs. The world’s best bowler finished with figures of 4/17 plus the run out which he manufactured himself. He does have better figures of 4/9 against the West Indies in three overs but that effort pales into insignificance in the context of what happened today.

 

Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis, who took outstanding catches in that final over, also deserve credit for their contributions.

 

This is one occasion on which nobody can accuse the Proteas of not holding their nerve.

 

The match, in fact, was New Zealand’s to lose when they needed 55 off 40 balls with eight wickets intact and Ross Taylor just having hit Morne Morkel out of the attack with three successive sixes.

 

AB de Villiers then took a brilliant catch in the outfield off Steyn to remove Kane Williamson after a stand of 51 for the third wicket off only 31 balls.

 

New Zealand still had the match well in hand when they needed 29 runs off three overs, 21 off two overs and seven off the last over.

 

Taylor finished unbeaten on 62 (37 balls, 4 fours and 3 sixes) but crucially only faced one ball in the last over when his various partners lost the plot.

 

It was a tale of two heroes for the Proteas as Man-of-the-Match, JP Duminy, also produced one of his best ever efforts, making an unbeaten 86 off 43 balls (3 sixes and 10 fours) for a strike rate of 200 percent. He scored 39 of those runs in the last four overs when the Proteas slogged 57 runs to give themselves a total that proved to be just defendable.

 

Imran Tahir also played a key role in the middle of the innings with two wickets to give him five in the tournament to date.

 

The Proteas may only be in third place on run rate behind Sri Lanka and New Zealand but they have played both these teams and the latter two still have to play one another. If the Proteas beat the Netherlands on Thursday and England on Saturday, they will have every chance of finishing in the top two and qualifying for the semi-final.

 

Defeat today would have left their fate dependant on the results of other teams and that emphasizes the greatness of Steyn’s performance today.

 

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KYLE ABBOTT NAMED SUNFOIL SIZZLER FOR FEBRUARY

KYLE ABBOTT of the Sunfoil Dolphins has bagged the Sunfoil Series Sizzler of the Month award for the month of February following his strong bowling performances in the two rounds of qualifying matches.

The Sunfoil Sizzler of the Month award is worth R15 000.

Abbott took 12/125 for the Dolphins in the match against the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras. He is the joint leading wicket-taker in the competition (22) along with Simon Harmer of the Chevrolet Warriors. He has the best average (13.09) of those who have played more than three matches and he is also the most economical bowler (2.28).

Other players who came strongly into contention for the February award were Rudi Second of the Chevrolet Knights, Keshav Maharaj of the Sunfoil Dolphins, Shaun von Berg of The Unlimited Titans and Dane Piedt of the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras.

“Congratulations to Kyle on his Sunfoil sizzler award,” commented Cricket South Africa (CSA) Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat. “His splendid form earned him a recall to the Proteas Castle Lager Test squad and that should serve as an inspiration to all Franchise players.

“It is also interesting to note that three of the five top performers in February were spin bowlers.”

The South African Cricketers’ Association Most Valuable Player index (SACA MVP) is used as the measuring tool in determining the Sunfoil Sizzler of the Month.

The top 5 performers in the Sunfoil Series during the month of February were:

Rank

 Player Team

Matches

Batting

Bowling

Fielding

Wins

Captain

Total

Avg.

Player ID

1

 Kyle Abbott Dolphins

2

1.083

87.002

1

1

0

90.086

45.043

18293

2

 Rudi Second Knights

2

62.056

0.000

25

1

0

88.056

44.028

18674

3

 Keshav Maharaj Dolphins

2

2.246

72.181

0

1

0

75.427

37.714

18434

4

 Shaun von Berg Titans

2

3.730

67.329

1

1

0

73.059

36.530

25344

5

 Dane Piedt Cape Cobras

2

10.590

55.800

0

2

0

68.389

34.195

30775

 

 

The SACA MVP is calculated using an internationally recognised formula which takes into account every discipline in the game of cricket.  Batting, bowling, fielding, captaining and winning are all factored in within the context of each individual match. Individual player performances in pressure situations, for example, carry more weight; thus players who deliver when their team needs them most, earn more points.

The SACA MVP latest ranking standings are updated weekly on the SACA website (www.saca.org.za), and may be viewed ‘per competition’ or by having a look at the ‘overall’ standings.

 

Caption

 

Kyle Abbott receives the Sunfoil Sizzler award for the month of February from Mr. Cassim Docrat, sponsorship manager for the Sunfoil brand

 

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Elgar replaces Smith on CSA national contact list

CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA (CSA) on Thursday named Dean Elgar as the replacement for Graeme Smith on its national list of contracted players for the 2014/15 year. Graeme Smith who was on the original list of contracted players announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this week.

 

“Dean is the obvious replacement and must be excited by the opportunity to emulate the greatness achieved by his recently retired national captain,” commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.

 

“He has all the attributes and qualifies as the next player eligible to be awarded a contract in terms of the new methodology we developed together with the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA).”

 

“As mentioned before, the Board has also agreed to award multi-year contracts to our top players to secure and recognise their value.”

 

The seven players awarded two-year contracts are: Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn.

 

The other 10 nationally contracted players awarded one-year contracts are: Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

 

As previously announced, Jacques Kallis has been awarded a special contract for one year only.

 

In addition, CSA has announced the 12 Franchise players to receive CSA High Performance Centre (HPC) top-up contracts, also for a one-year period.

 

“This is investment in our future,” commented CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson.

 

“We are keen to centrally influence the management and close monitoring of these exciting young players so that we can provide the best chance of developing their careers to the full potential.”

 

“I am excited by the mix of this group of talented players and it is now up to our programmes to develop these players to one day represent the Proteas as we move into a new era following the retirement of several great players from the Castle Lager Test squad.

 

“The HPC players will be managed, developed and monitored quarterly to see that they are fulfilling their potential.”

 

CSA HPC contracted players: Kyle Abbott, Temba Bavuma, Simon Harmer, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Eddie Leie, Mangaliso Mosehle, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Stiaan van Zyl, Khaya Zondo.

 

CSA Chief Executive also took the opportunity to confirm enhancements to the existing BskyB broadcasting deal that would extend broadcast content into the markets of UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.

 

“It is really exciting to work with our commercial partners to seek new opportunities and even augment existing deals”

 

“Their confidence in South African cricket and our future tours programme is truly rewarding.” stated Lorgat.

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Amla moves into 2nd position in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings

South Africa’s quartet of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy and Dean Elgar, as well as David Warner, Chris Rogers and Nathan Lyon of Australia are the biggest movers in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings released on Monday morning, following the conclusion of the Port Elizabeth Test, which the home side won by 231 runs to level the three-Test series one-all.

Amla, who followed up his second-ball zero with his 21st career century, has moved up two places to join Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara in second place in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsman, with team-mate AB de Villiers still leading the field by a distance.

Australia opener David Warner, who scored two half-centuries, is the other batsman inside the top 20 to head in the right direction. The left-hander has gained two places in the latest rankings and is now in 10th position.

Rogers has returned to the top 20 as his second innings contribution of 107 has given him a lift of six places to 16th position. After Michael Clarke (ninth), Warner and Steven Smith (17th), Rogers is the fourth Australia batsman to occupy a place in the top 20.

South Africa’s du Plessis is the next biggest mover in the batting chart as he has leaped seven places to 29th following his scores of 55 and 24. He is followed by Duminy whose 123 in the first innings has put him in 45th (up by 20 places). Elgar’s 83 and 16 has lifted him 36 places to 77th spot.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, Australia’s Mitchell Johnson has moved up one place to third while off-spinner Nathan Lyon has gained two places following his match figures of six for 178 to move into 17th position.

Meanwhile, Australia needs a draw in the Cape Town Test to be assured of second place in the Reliance ICC Test Team Championship at the 1 April cut-off date, which, in turn, will earn it US$370,000. If South Africa wins the Test, then Australia will finish third and earn US$265,000 while India will leapfrog into second place to claim  US$370,000.

South Africa, thanks to its commanding lead at the top of the Reliance ICC Test Rankings, has already retained the mace and will also collect a cheque of US$475,000 at an event to be held in due course. England, which will finish fourth at the 1 April cut-off date, will receive US$160,000.

At the January 2012 meeting, the ICC Board had approved a proposal to substantially increase incentives in the form of prize money to promote Test cricket.

In 2015, the total prize money will be increased to US$1.34 million, which will be distributed to the teams that finish in the top four at the 1 April 2015 cut-off date. The number-one ranked side will receive US$500,000, followed by US$390, 000, US$280,000 and US$170,000 to the sides that will finish second, third and fourth, respectively.

 

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Miller and De Kock awarded National Contracts

THE Board of Directors of Cricket South Africa (CSA) approved the names of the 17 players proposed by the selection panel for national contracts for the 2014-2015 year. New contracts have been awarded to Quinton de Kock of the bizhub Highveld Lions and David Miller of the Sunfoil Dolphins.

 

The number of contracted players has been reduced from 22 to 17 in terms of the agreement reached between CSA and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) for the period May 2014 to 2018.

 

“I am delighted that we recently signed a new Heads of Agreement with SACA,” commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat. “As expected, negotiating player terms that include earnings will always be challenging, but I was really pleased with the positive and mature way in which the negotiations were conducted.

 

“In addition to the 17 nationally contracted players CSA will also offer 12 top-up contracts for aspiring Franchise players who could be regarded as potential Proteas in the future. This group will only be selected once the Franchises have completed the contracting of their players.”

 

The Board also approved a request from the Chief Executive to consider multi-year contracts.

 

“I am pleased to announce a new development with eight of our top players being awarded two-year contracts as we try to reward and secure our major players. They deserve it!”, commented Mr. Lorgat.

 

The Board of CSA also announced a final one-year contract for Jacques Kallis to recognise his immense contribution to South African cricket over a long period of time and to secure his availability for the ODI squad. This contract does not form part of the 17-man national list as it is a special contract with specific terms.

 

“We are well aware of the incredible stature of Jacques and his personal desire to play in next year’s ICC World Cup. We want to help him as best as we can,” added Mr Lorgat.

 

CSA contracted players: Hashim Amla (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Quinton de Kock (bizhub Highveld Lions), AB de Villiers (The Unlimited Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (The Unlimited Titans), Imran Tahir (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rory Kleinveldt (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Ryan McLaren (Chevrolet Knights), David Miller (Sunfoil Dolphins), Morne Morkel (The Unlimited Titans), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Alviro Petersen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Robin Peterson (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Vernon Philander (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Graeme Smith (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Dale Steyn (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (bizhub Highveld Lions)

 

The Board meeting also considered a number of other topics at its scheduled meeting. Mr Lorgat reported on the successful ending and the highly positive outcomes achieved during the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge.

 

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Ram Hand-to-Hand Couriers for their creativity and support which resulted in them winning the Best New Sponsorship award at last week’s Sports Industry Awards 2014.

 

“Spectator attendance was up by 43 percent and we had a sold-out crowd for the Final.

 

“The domestic TV audience for the Final match exceeded 400 000 and the total domestic audience over the 21 televised matches was 1.7million. For the first time we had global TV coverage and I believe this must be the reason why Beuran Hendricks – the record wicket-taker for the tournament – landed a lucrative IPL contract.”

 

The Board was also provided with updated financial reports for the current financial year which ends on 30 April. The Board thanked management for its efforts to reduce the impact of the curtailed India tour by sourcing new revenues and curbing costs.

 

“Although we will still achieve a surplus for the year, we are estimating this to be around R54m short against what we had budgeted for the year.” said Mr. Lorgat.

 

The Board also noted completion of the new High Performance Centre in Pretoria, within budget.

 

“We are really excited and we are naturally looking forward to the opening of this world class facility next month.” concluded Mr. Lorgat.

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Hendricks called up upto Proteas T20 squad

CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA (CSA)  named Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras left-arm seamer, Beuran Hendricks, as a new cap in the Proteas Blue Label Telecoms squad for the KFC T20 International Series against Australia as well as the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh next month.

 

It has been a stellar month for the 23-year-old who set a record for the most wickets during the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge and has earned a contract for the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the tournament’s defending champions, the Mumbai Indians, as a result of this form.

 

The other notable addition is that of The Unlimited Titans all-rounder, Albie Morkel, who returns to the T20 squad, having played the last of his 42 T20 International matches against India in Sri Lanka during the 2012 edition of the ICC World Twenty20. He is also a veteran of 58 ODI’s, the last of which was also in 2012 in New Zealand.

 

Proteas Blue Label Telecoms squad: Faf du Plessis (The Unlimited Titans, capt), Hashim Amla (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (The Unlimited Titans), Quinton de Kock (bizhub Highveld Lions), AB de Villiers (The Unlimited Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Beuran Hendricks (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Imran Tahir (bizhub Highveld Lions), David Miller (Sunfoil Dolphins), Albie Morkel (The Unlimited Titans), Morne Morkel (The Unlimited Titans), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Aaron Phangiso (bizhub Highveld Lions), Dale Steyn (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (bizhub Highveld Lions).

 

“Both Beuran and Albie fully deserve their selection following outstanding campaigns in the RAM SLAM T20,” commented CSA selection convener, Andrew Hudson. “As always, there are unlucky players but we feel we have chosen the right combination for the conditions we are likely to encounter on the sub-continent.

 

“Beuran’s claims could not be ignored and the experience that Albie will bring on board is important for a high profile tournament of this nature. The bulk of these players (11 out of 15) were part of our squad that won their T20 series in Sri Lanka last year under similar conditions.

 

“The Australian series will provide extremely competitive international cricket and will give our squad just the preparation they need for what we hope will be a successful campaign.”

 

Team Sponsor, Blue Label Telecoms, also sent their best wishes to the team.

 

“This is a very exciting and well led squad with significant strike power, and one which enjoys our full support and confidence for the ICC World Twenty20. We wish Faf and his team well and look forward to them returning as champions,” said Rob Fleming, Chief Marketing Officer, Blue Label Telecoms.

 

KFC T20 Internationals:

 

09 March 2014 – Axxess St Georges

12 March 2014 – Sahara Stadium Kingsmead

14 March 2014 – SuperSport Park

 

The team leaves for Bangladesh on 15 March.

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CSA announce Momentum Proteas Women’s World T20 Squad

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday, announced the 14-strong Momentum Proteas women’s squad that will compete in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh from 23 March to 2 April 2014.

There are no surprises in the final squad, which suggests that coach, Hilton Moreeng has been working on getting the right combinations during the team’s last few international series.

“We’ve been working on a formula with the team selected and it has reaped good results for us in the past,” Moreeng said. “The selected players have more than what it takes to win a World Cup. The standard of play they have shown in the recent past proves that, and the determination they have to achieve that goal is second to none. Gone are the days when South Africa was grouped along with the bottom tear countries in women’s cricket.”

The number of countries participating in the competition has increased from eight to 10. South Africa, who will be lead by Mignon du Preez will face Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland in Group A. While Group B, comprises England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and, for the first time ever, hosts Bangladesh.

South Africa, who recently finished a triangular series in Qatar against Pakistan and Ireland will be happy to have played at least two of the teams in their group.

“It’s definitely going to be a tough competition for us and we won’t be taking anything and any team for granted,” Du Preez said. “Having played and lost to Pakistan in the final of the T20 series in Qatar, we know how dangerous they can be. Australia and New Zealand are in the top four countries in the world, we will always adopt the wary approach when playing them. They are not unknown to us however, we have played both sides before and there is definitely no intimidation factor. Ireland have the ability to surprise any team that will take them lightly, so we will definitely give 110% every time we play, no matter who the opposition is.”

“Playing in any World Cup is a huge honour for any player and we can’t wait to get our campaign off to a good start. We have the team that can take us far in the competition and we will look to take it a game at a time when we arrive in Bangladesh,” she concluded.

South Africa have two players in the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for T20 Batsmen; Du Preez at 12 and Trisha Chetty at number 20. CSA Women’s Cricketer of 2013, Marizanne Kapp is number four in the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for T20 Bowlers, with Shabnim Ismail at number 18.

CSA Chief Exec, Mr Haroon Lorgat believes the team have done what is needed to reach the top and extended his well wishes to the side.

“The ICC World T20 event is the only global cricket event that brings together the world’s best men and women cricketers in a joint event and as such it is the most important event in which our national women’s team takes part,” he said.

 

“This tournament notwithstanding, we have focused on the development of women’s cricket in South Africa. Our team has had a busy season playing and winning home series against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and then competed in an away tournament in Doha where they achieved highly credible results. We cannot predict how they will perform at the World T20 event, but I can confidently say that the team has had excellent preparation and they have made big strides in appreciating the standard of competition needed at international level. We want them to become a competitive force in world cricket,” he continued.

 

“The development of women’s cricket has not been limited to events on the playing field either. Extending one of our major commercial partners, Momentum, as the dedicated sponsor for Women’s cricket has been fantastic. This sponsorship symbolises an important advancement for women’s sport in our country as it has allowed us to centrally contract our coach and national women’s players.

 

“We wish Coach Hilton Moreeng, captain Mignon du Preez and all the players and support staff everything of the best as they strive to succeed while enjoying this major ICC tournament,” Mr Lorgat concluded.

 

Charlene Lackay, Head of External Communications at Momentum said: “We are very proud of the Momentum Proteas and hope the nation gets behind them as we have, and especially for this World Cup.  We have seen fantastic effort from the players and their continued commitment is showing results, with successive wins.  Momentum is pleased that we were able to contribute to the appointment of full-time national coach Hilton Moreeng, who is helping produce these results.  We wish Mignon and the ladies all the best and we’ll be cheering for them.”

 

Momentum Proteas ICC Women’s World Twenty20 team:

Trisha Chetty (KZN coastal)

Moseline Daniels (WP)

Mignon du Preez (Northerns)

Shandré Fritz (WP)

Shabnim Ismail (WP)

Marizanne Kapp (EP)

Lizelle Lee (NW)

Marcia Matshipi (Northerns)

Sunette Loubser (Boland)

Suné Luus (Northerns)

Nadine Moodley (KZN Coastal

Chloe Tryon (KZN coastal)

Yolandi van der Westhuizen (Boland)

Dané van Niekerk (EP)

Non traveling reserves

Yolandi Fourie (WP)

Ayabonga Khaka (Border)

Yonadi Potgieter (Boland)

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FICA RESPONSE TO ICC STRUCTURAL CHANGES

Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) Executive Chairman Paul Marsh today issued the following statement in response to the ICC Board decision to approve changes to its governance, competition and financial models: “This is a very sad day for our game,” Marsh said. “Whilst unfortunately the final outcome had an air of inevitability about it once the process became clear, it again highlights how poorly our game is governed.

“Of extreme concern to all involved in FICA is the fact that so many key stakeholders in the game condemned the proposed changes, including players past and present; former ICC office bearers; Transparency International – the body set up to fight global corruption; Lord Woolf – the man responsible for independently reviewing the ICC’s governance; numerous media commentators as well as cricket fans worldwide, yet the ICC Board still approved these changes.

“This should be an indicator to the future for all of us, where self-interest and short-term deal making will override the long-term health of the game and views of its key stakeholders. “FICA and its members will continue to oppose these changes in the interests of the game’s future,” Marsh concluded

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Johann Louw announces his retirement from professional cricket

Nashua Cape Cobras player, Johann Louw today announced that he will retire as a professional cricketer at the end of the current cricket season.

Louw played three ODI’s and two T20 matches for the Proteas and has represented Boland, Cape Cobras, Dolphins, Eagles, Eastern Province, Griqualand West, Middlesex and Northamptonshire. He ended his career in the top 50 all-time wicket takers in South African first class cricket with 443 wickets.

“As this journey comes to an end I am forever grateful for such a long and enjoyable 14 year career.” said Louw. “There were lessons learned and memories made that will last me a life time. From my early days at Griquas to the Dolphins and then finishing an era at the Cape Cobras, where we have been so prolific over the past five seasons, the experiences will be with me forever.”

“I would like to thank a few people for their significant contribution to my career. Firstly, as an early mentor Kepler Wessels was really outstanding. Learning from Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener during my days with the Dolphins was probably the biggest privilege and rounded me as a cricketer. I want to also say a particular thank you to Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, the Dolphins and a special mention to the Cape Cobras for their belief in me and for the unwavering support over the years. I am thankful to the Lord for blessing me with the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing sporting family. I am excited about what the future holds for me and my family and I will always be a proud supporter of South African cricket.”

“Well done to Johann on an illustrious career. His hard work and dedication has been admired by his peers. He is an inspiration to up and coming cricketers. All the best for the future,” said Nashua Cape Cobras coach, Paul Adams.

“Johann has been a great contributor to first class cricket in South Africa for many years,” said SACA’s Chief Executive, Tony Irish. “He has been an active member of our players association and has performed outstandingly on the field and professionally off it. We thank him for his years of hard work and wish him all the best in his retirement.”

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FICA RESPONSE TO F&CA WORKING GROUP POSITION PAPER

FICA

Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) Executive Chairman Paul Marsh today issued the following statement in response to the position paper of the F&CA Commercial Rights Working Group that was leaked earlier this week.

 

“After reviewing the working group’s proposal, the FICA Board and our members are extremely concerned about the future of international cricket.

“This proposal is designed to vest control of the game in the three Boards of India, Australia and England. It is not in the best interests of the global game and we have real fears that it will only serve to strengthen the ‘big three’ countries whilst the rest are left to wither on the vine.

 

“There are a myriad of issues with this proposal. First and foremost, as Board Directors of the ICC, the Chairmen of the BCCI, Cricket Australia and ECB owe fiduciary duties to the ICC that include putting the interests of the ICC ahead of those of their individual Boards, a duty to remain loyal to the ICC and avoid conflicts of interests and to act in good faith to promote the success of the ICC. We seriously question whether all of these duties have been met.

 

“The proposals relating to scheduling are disturbing. The reassurance to the Boards outside the ‘big three’ that they are guaranteed to earn more in the next rights cycle than they have in the current one ignores the fact they are almost certain to lose more money from a re-shaped Future Tours Programme (FTP) than they will gain from ICC distributions, when the ‘big three’ inevitably pick and choose who, when and where they will play.

 

“Of significance is the section that offers a guarantee from CA and ECB to play three Tests and five ODIs per cycle to each of the top eight members, yet there is no mention of any such guarantee from the BCCI. Each of the member countries, including Australia and England, rely heavily on Indian tours for sustainability of the game in their country. What chance do the majority of members have of survival if the BCCI decides not to tour their countries on at least a semi-regular basis?

“The result of this is that the gap between the ‘big three’ and the rest will get bigger and bigger, which will undermine the competitiveness of future ICC Events and therefore the value of rights in future cycles. This will affect everyone and it cannot possibly be in the interests of international cricket nor of the health and sustainability of the world game of which the ICC is supposed to be the custodian.

 

“We also have significant concern with the notion that distributions from ICC events should be based on commercial contribution. The result of this will be the countries that need ICC income most will receive the least, whilst the ‘big three’ will get the lion’s share even though they are already financially healthy because of the value of the rights to their bilateral series. The role of ICC events should be to assist in levelling the financial playing field by distributing the proceeds from these events fairly, rather than further widening the gap between the rich and poor.

 

“Whilst these are an entirely foreseeable commercial outcomes, for the cricket fan the greater concern is the increasing gulf in quality between the ‘big three’ and the rest. The essence of sport is competition and those in control of the ICC should be doing all they can to promote and provide a level playing field. This proposal will achieve the complete opposite.

 

“Ironically the proposal espouses the principal of meritocracy. The linking of immunity from Test relegation for BCCI, ECB and CA to an argument that this is necessary ‘solely to protect ICC income’ is plainly wrong, given the fact no Test-based ICC events feature in the forward thinking and therefore all revenues generated from Test cricket are kept by the Boards hosting the respective series.

 

“Once again we are seeing the result of the poor governance structure and practices of the ICC, on this occasion led by three of its Board members. This proposal is 180 degrees from the structure proposed in the ICC’s own independently commissioned governance review (Woolf Report). It is also clearly unconstitutional.

“The game deserves far better than this and all within FICA call on the other seven ICC Board members to reject this proposal at next week’s Board meeting. The future of the game depends on them doing so,” Marsh concluded.

-ends-

 

For further comment, please contact:

Paul Marsh – FICA Executive Chairman

(Media enquiries via Eivion Bowen)

Email: ebowen@auscricket.com.au
Phone: +61 425 555 569

Website: www.thefica.com

 

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) was established in 1998 to co-ordinate the activities of all national players’ associations which protect the interests of professional cricketers throughout the world. It brings together all of the world’s cricketers, regardless of nationality, religion, political persuasion or race, under an international body focuses on matters of general interest to the game and its players. 

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South Africa’s Cricketers Pay Tribute to Madiba

 

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) and its members, South Africa’s professional cricketers, paid tribute today to Nelson Mandela.

 

“Madiba was an inspiration to the Proteas in the same way that he was to other South African teams” said Graeme Smith. “To us he represented so many of the qualities which we as players have looked to adopt in playing for South Africa. As the captain I was very privileged to spend some time with him and I vividly recall telephone calls I received from him wishing us luck before a big match or event. He always gave simple but wise advice and this had a big impact on me as leader of the team. His words will stay with me forever as they were not only relevant to cricket, but also to life.”

 

“As international cricketers we owe Madiba a lot” said Robin Peterson, President of SACA. “We are privileged to play international cricket and Nelson Mandela was of course key in leading the change in our country to open the way for South Africa to participate in international sport. Generations of Proteas players will always be grateful to him for that.”

 

AB De Villiers, the Proteas ODI captain, said “We often felt, especially in my early days in the Proteas, that Madiba showed a personal interest in the team and in us as individual players. This motivated us to be better. His memory will not only inspire us in our current series against India, but also to always stick together as a team representing a nation into the future. We will miss him.”

 

“I speak on behalf of all of South Africa’s professional and semi-professional cricketers in extending condolences to the Mandela family” said Tony Irish, SACA’s chief executive. “The players mourn, with the rest of South Africa, the passing of a great man”

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Pacers give Lions big win

An eight-wicket match haul from Hardus Viljoen led the Lions to a massive victory in the Jukskei derby. Chasing 320 to win, Titans imploded against Lions’ pacers, leaving just five wickets to be plucked on the final morning.

 

The match was over before lunch as Pumelela Matshikwe, who went wicketless despite maintaining exemplary control in the first innings, got among the scalps. Lions’ spinner Eddie Leie also claimed a couple of wickets, including the final one to end an all-round dominant performance by Geoffrey Toyana’s men.

 

Lions took control early on, after Titans put them in to bat under cloudy skies on Thursday. A 172-run second wicket stand between Stephen Cook and Temba Bavuma set up their first innings. Cook went to on to register a century and Bavuma looked set to do the same but gave it away when he was on 88, dancing down the track to spinner Roelof van der Merwe.

 

With Thami Tsolekile marshalling the tail, Lions batted deep to ensure even Cobus Pienaar’s late strikes did not allow them to lose the advantage. Pienaar threatened to swing the pendulum with bat in hand. Together with an in-form Heino Kuhn, he put on 158 for the second wicket before becoming Chris Morris’ only victim.

 

After Kuhn was dismissed, Titans lost three wickets for four runs, all to Viljoen, to leave the Titans on 216 for 6. Farhaan Behardien kept the lower middle order together but Zander de Bruyn’s late strikes ensured the Lions took a 100-run first-innings lead.

 

Lions openers pressed home the advantage as Cook and Dominic Hendricks shared a 101-run partnership. Once the openers were dismissed, Rowan Richards struck quickly and Lions were in some trouble at 149 for 4. Not one of their last eight batsmen apart from Tsolekile managed double-figures and even though Titans could be pleased with their bowling effort, it was still a tall order for their batsmen.

 

The match was over on the third afternoon when Morris ripped through the top order. All the top five were dismissed for single figure scores to leave Titans at 20 for 5 overnight. Lions finished up on Sunday morning to take a morale-boosting win after finishing last in the One-Day Cup.

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CSA Announces Pakistan Tour Itinerary

Cricket South Africa (CSA) today announced the fixture list for Pakistan’s limited overs tour at the end of November 2013.

 

The tour will start with two KFC T20 International matches to be played at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium and Sahara Park Newlands respectively and will be followed by three Momentum One-Day Internationals to be played at Sahara Park Newlands, Axxess St. George’s and SuperSport Park.

 

“We are really happy to have a full international fixture list for the 2013/14 season with five Test matches, six ODI’s and five T20 International matches,” commented CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

 

“This was important for our team as they prepare for global events and for our fans and stakeholders who have been fantastic in supporting us through a difficult time.

 

“We have also done our best to give all our venues a fair chance bearing in mind that we have practical and logistical issues to deal with,” he added.

 

Preferential ticket sales for Love Cricket Gold and Silver members will go on sale tomorrow at 11h00 with ticket sales to the public opening on Friday 8th November at 11h00.

 

Pakistan tour itinerary:

 

Wed 20, November: day/night, 1st KFC T20 International, Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Fri 22, November: day/night, 2nd KFC T20 International, Sahara Park Newlands, Cape Town

Sun 24, November: day, 1st Momentum ODI, Sahara Park Newlands, Cape Town

Wed 27, day, 2nd Momentum ODI, Axxess St George’s, Port Elizabeth

Sat 30, day, 3rd Momentum ODI, SuperSport Park, Centurion

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CSA AND BCCI ANNOUNCE TOUR ITINERARY

CSA Media Release

CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA (CSA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the fixture list for India’s tour to South Africa in December.

As previously announced, the tour includes two Sunfoil Series Test matches and three Momentum One-Day Internationals.

“After the completion of our two Test matches against India we will have a further three Tests against Australia,” commented CSA President Chris Nenzani. “This will allow all of our five premier Test match venues to host a five-day match.

“I would also like to assure all our stakeholders that we are working on plans to fill the gaps in our international itinerary for the 2013-14 season.”

India will arrive in South Africa on December 2.

 India Tour Itinerary

Monday, December 2: Arrive in South Africa

Thursday, December 5: 1st Momentum ODI, Bidvest Wanderers Stadium (Day/Night)

Sunday, December 8: 2nd Momentum ODI, Sahara Stadium Kingsmead (Day)

Wednesday, December 11: 3rd Momentum ODI, SuperSport Park (Day/Night)

Saturday, December 14-Sunday, December 15: Two-day tour match vs. SA Invitation XI, Sahara Willowmoore Park

Wednesday, December 18-Sunday, December 22: 1st Sunfoil Test match, Bidvest Wanderers Stadium

Thursday, December 26-Monday, December 30: 2nd Sunfoil Test match, Sahara Stadium Kingsmead

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SACA DISAPPOINTED BY SHORTENED INDIA TOUR

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has expressed its disappointment at today’s joint announcement by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirming the shortening of India’s tour to South Africa.

 

“This is a huge blow not only to the players but also to the cricket loving public of South Africa,” said SACA’s chief executive, Tony Irish.

 

“Everyone is now deprived of a meaningful series, especially in the Test format between the world’s top two cricket nations.  I don’t see how this can possibly be in the interests of either cricket in this country or of the global game.  Cricket is the loser, plain and simple.”

 

“In addition CSA will suffer massive financial losses which will affect players, cricket programmes and cricket development at all levels in our country”.

 

“It’s a very sad day when international cricket becomes more about what happens off the field than what happens on it” said Irish.  “The only positive to emerge today is the stated commitment of both CSA and the BCCI to continue with good faith discussions over the possibility of agreeing further scheduled fixtures between the two teams.  At very least the players and the fans of both countries deserve that and should be entitled to hold the two boards to this commitment.”

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Joint statement of CSA and BCCI

Following meetings in London over the past couple of days, CSA and the BCCI have today announced that the South Africa cricket team will play against India in an upcoming home series comprising of two Test matches and three One Day International matches, the specific dates and details of which will be announced in due course.

 

In addition, both parties have also agreed to continue with good faith discussions between their respective Presidents about the possibility of agreeing further bilateral arrangements in respect of the scheduled fixtures between the two teams, and taking into account any scheduling imbalances from previous years.

 

The agreement to tour was concluded by the two boards after various concerns were raised around the recent ICC Board meeting in London about the alleged conduct of CSA’s Chief Executive, Mr Haroon Lorgat, and recent comments made about the ICC Board by a former legal advisor to CSA, Mr David Becker.

 

The ICC and CSA have already refuted the comments made by Mr Becker, and the ICC is now considering its legal options in respect of the same.  In addition, the ICC will convene an investigation by an independent third party (to be appointed by the ICC) into the content and distribution of the media comments, subsequent attempts to have them withdrawn, and, in particular, the role of Mr Lorgat in relation to these matters.

 

Pending the outcome of this investigation, CSA has ordered the withdrawal of Mr Lorgat from representing it at the ICC’s Chief Executive’s Committee (or from acting in any other ICC-related matters), and CSA has also withdrawn him from having involvement in any aspect of CSA’s relationship with the BCCI, including but not limited to the upcoming tour.

 

All parties have agreed that this investigation will be carried out in private, that no further media comment will be made until it has been concluded, and that its findings and recommendations will be binding upon CSA.

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de Villiers moves up in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings

South Africa’s AB de Villiers has achieved a career-best second position on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, while a seven-wicket victory in the Abu Dhabi Test has guaranteed Pakistan a fourth position on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings.

 

De Villiers, who scored 19 and 90, earned three ratings points which were enough to put him ahead of Shivnarine Chanderpul of the West Indies. The South Africa batsman now trails team-mate Hashim Amla, who also gained five ratings points after scoring 118 runs in the first innings, by 15 ratings points.

 

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has also achieved his career-best rankings. The 39-year-old batsman was rewarded for his 100 and 28 not out with a jump of five places that has put him in seventh position, just one place and seven ratings points behind Younus Khan.

 

Asad Shafiq and man of the match Khurram Manzoor have also made upward movements.

 

Asad has gained nine places and is now in 25th position while Khurram’s Test best score of 146 has given him a leap of 45 places and 52nd position in the latest rankings that were released on Friday morning.

 

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, there is no change in the top 10 but Vernon Philander has become the 21st bowler and third from South Africa after Shaun Pollock (909) and Dale Steyn (908) to reach the 900-point mark. Philander took five wickets in the Test and given that he is still in the qualification period for bowlers*, it is likely that he will move even further up the ladder depending on how he performs in the second Test in Dubai, which starts on Wednesday 23 October.

 

Philander has so far taken 94 wickets in 17 Tests at an average of 17.33 and now trails number-one ranked Steyn by three ratings points.

 

Pakistan’s fast bowler Junaid Khan has also moved in the right direction. The left-armer had figures of one for 52 and three for 57, for which he has been rewarded with a jump of 10 places and puts him just outside the top 20 in 22nd spot.

 

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, double failure by Jacques Kallis has meant he has returned the number-one spot to Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.

 

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s seven wickets victory means it will finish fourth in the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings, irrespective of how the Dubai Test pans out.

 

If the series ends in a 1-1 draw, South Africa will finish on 131 points (drop by four) and Pakistan will end on 102 (up by five) and one point ahead of the Australia. If Pakistan wins the Dubai Test, then South Africa will slip to 125 ratings points – nine points ahead of England and India – while Pakistan will end up on 108 ratings points – seven points ahead of Australia.

 

The Test Rankings table, unlike the ODI Rankings table, is updated only after the conclusion of the series. To find out exactly how forthcoming Test series will affect the Rankings table, please click here.

 

Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings (as on 18 October, after the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Abu Dhabi)

Batsmen

 

Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave HS Rating

1 ( – ) Hashim Amla SA 907! 52.32 907 v Pak at Abu Dhabi 2013

2 (+1) AB de Villiers SA 882! 50.57 882 v Pak at Abu Dhabi 2013

3 (-1) S.Chanderpaul WI 880 51.81 901 v NZ at Napier 2008

4 ( – ) K. Sangakkara SL 866 56.98 938 v Eng at Kandy 2007

5 ( – ) Michael Clarke Aus 853 52.08 900 v SL at Melbourne 2012

6 ( – ) Younus Khan Pak 790 51.59 880 v SL at Lahore 2009

7 (+5) Misbah-ul-Haq Pak 783! 46.06 783 v SA at Abu Dhabi 2013

8 (-1) C. Pujara Ind 777*! 65.55 777 v Aus at Delhi 2013

9 ( – ) Ian Bell Eng 748 46.66 822 v Ind at The Oval 2011

10 ( – ) Alastair Cook Eng 737 47.85 874 v Ind at Kolkata 2012

 

Selected Rankings

 

Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave HS Rating

12 (-4) Jacques Kallis SA 719 55.64 935 v NZ at Centurion 2007

15 ( – ) Graeme Smith SA 682 48.35 843 v Eng at Johannesburg 2010

21 (-5) Azhar Ali Pak 636 39.28 753 v SL at Pallekele 2012

25 (+9) Asad Shafiq Pak 607* 37.18 680 v SA at Cape Town 2013

37 (-8) Alviro Petersen SA 562 37.41 655 v NZ at Cape Town 2013

45 (-14) Faf du Plessis SA 513* 56.80 585 v Pak at Cape Town 2013

52 (+45) K. Manzoor Pak 467*! 35.11 467 v SA at Abu Dhabi 2013

58 ( – ) JP Duminy SA 447* 36.78 466 v Aus at Brisbane 2012

78 (+2) Adnan Akmal Pak 376* 27.61 377 v Zim at Harare 2013

79 (NEW) Shan Masood Pak 375*! 37.50 375 v SA at Abu Dhabi 2013

 

Bowlers

 

Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave HS Rating

1 ( – ) Dale Steyn SA 904 22.67 908 v Pak at Johannesburg 2013

2 ( – ) Vernon Philander SA 901*! 17.23 901 v Pak at Abu Dhabi 2013

3 ( – ) Rangana Herath SL 831 29.52 838 v NZ at Colombo (PSS) 2012

4 ( – ) Saeed Ajmal Pak 825 26.60 855 v Zim at Harare 2013

5 ( – ) Ryan Harris Aus 782*! 22.26 782 v Eng at The Oval 2013

6 ( – ) Graeme Swann Eng 760 28.55 858 v Pak at Lord’s 2010

( – ) Peter Siddle Aus 760 29.11 816 v Eng at Old Trafford 2013

8 ( – ) R. Ashwin Ind 757*! 28.53 757 v Aus at Delhi 2013

9 ( – ) James Anderson Eng 741 30.10 813 v Ind at Edgbaston 2011

10 ( – ) Stuart Broad Eng 740 30.58 783 v WI at Lord’s 2012

 

Selected Rankings

 

Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Ave HS Rating

11 (+1) Morne Morkel SA 711 30.07 776 v Aus at Cape Town 2011

22 (+10) Junaid Khan Pak 554*! 26.69 554 v SA at Abu Dhabi 2013

34 ( – ) Jacques Kallis SA 482 32.58 742 v Eng at Headingley 2003

77 (-13) Robin Peterson SA 223* 36.48 335 v NZ at Port Elizabeth 2013

89 (+4) JP Duminy SA 174* 41.28 302 v Eng at Johannesburg 2010

93= (NEW) Zulfiqar Babar Pak 158*! 28.00 158 v SA at Abu Dhabi 2013

96 (+26) M Irfan Pak 154*! 41.00 154 v SA at Abu Dhabi 2013

 

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts HS Rating

1 (+1) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 349 404 v Pak at Mirpur 2011

2 (-1) Jacques Kallis SA 347 616 v Pak at Durban 2002

3 ( – ) R. Ashwin Ind 321*/* 333 v Aus at Hyderabad 2013

4 ( – ) Vernon Philander SA 293*/* 312 v Pak at Centurion 2013

5 ( – ) Stuart Broad Eng 288 382 v Pak at Abu Dhabi 2012

 

For more information, please go to www.relianceiccrankings.com

 

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SACA MVP Season Kicks Off

SACA MVP Season Kicks Off

The start to the 2013/14 domestic season kicked off on Friday night. The first round of the SACA MVP saw great player performances following an exciting round this past weekend.

The Unlimited Titans hosted the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras on Friday night to open the season with a nail-biting finish that saw the Cape side winning the match by two runs with an outstanding team performance. Graeme van Buuren was named the Momentum Man of the Match on Friday night at Supersport Park, Centurion.

The second match of the weekend showed the momentum of Friday was not lost. The Chevrolet Knights hosted Davy Jacobs and his men in his hundredth first class match, at the Diamond Oval, Kimberly, where an equally exciting and tense game ended with the Chevrolet Warriors picking up an 11-run victory. Wayne Parnell achieved his best first class haul of 6-51, earning him the Momentum Man Of the Match.

Sunday saw the bizhub Highveld Lions take on the Sunfoil Dolphins at their second home ground of Senwes Park, Potchefstroom. The Dolphins showed great skill with both bat and ball to pull off an emphatic 6-wicket win against the Lions with David Miller being named Momentum Man Of the Match.

Topping the SACA MVP rankings for this round of matches is Wayne Parnell, followed closely by Graeme van Buuren. Check out the full SACA MVP rankings on https://saca.org.za/player/?view=list

 

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Amla drives South Africa after shaky start

On a track that is expected to be full of runs, and against arguably the mightiest batting line-up in the world, it was imperative that Pakistan’s bowlers made early breakthroughs. They did, three times in the morning session, but with the track easing out Hashim Amla added to the mountains of runs he has scored in recent years with an unbeaten half-century. Keeping him company at tea was JP Duminy, who made a brisk 36 in his first Test innings in over a year.

The new ball didn’t hoop around dramatically for the left-arm quicks but the returning Mohammad Irfan troubled the batsmen early on. Allied with a persistent offstump line, he got his typical extra bounce which led to a wicket in the third over itself as Alviro Petersen fell to a juggling catch at short leg.

Graeme Smith has had a long absence from top-flight cricket and it showed in his first international innings back. He was left searching for the ball outside off several times, there were a couple of streaky edged boundaries behind the wicket, after the second of which he nicked one through to the keeper.

It required the DRS for him to be given out, and luckily for Pakistan this was one of the most clear-cut decisions for a Hot Spot-less review system – there was a loud sound as the ball passed bat, and the bat was well away from the body. How well this review system will hold up for more complicated bat-pad chances, which are likely to crop up for the spinners as the match progresses, remains to be seen.

Another man returning from time away from cricket, Jacques Kallis, didn’t look as rusty as Smith, but he too didn’t make too many runs, inside-edging an incutter from Junaid to the keeper for 5. It wasn’t the biggest of crowds that showed up in Abu Dhabi, but they certainly found their voice when South Africa were dithering at 43 for 3.

Few sights are as reassuring for South Africa fans as seeing Amla in the middle. Amla also had his early problems, but then settled in, unfurling a cover drive which was the only intentional boundary of the first hour. He had a close run-out chance but otherwise he was getting ominously comfortable, rounding off the session with another of his eye-catching off drives for four.

With AB de Villiers also looking in good touch, Pakistan’s attack didn’t pose much of a threat after lunch. Amla and de Villiers were cruising in the second session when a dozy moment from de Villiers resulted in him losing his wicket. He looked to defend off the front foot and after an lbw appeal, he held the pose for the umpire. The ball rolled over towards slip, and the keeper Adnan Akmal signalled to Younis Khan to return the ball to the stumps. Adnan took the bails off and after many replays it was determined that de Villiers’ backfoot was just outside the crease.

Either side of that dismissal, South Africa were barely troubled and Pakistan would perhaps be reminded of what happened on the first day the previous time these two sides met in a Test in Abu Dhabi.

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Proteas to rediscover their Test rhythm

On the surface, it seems a safety-first stance.  South Africa have not played Test cricket since the last week in February and have not been away from home in 11 months.  They have realised that thy will need to adjust to foreign conditions of the UAE and get back into what they’ve termed a “pattern of play”.

But they also understand they can’t take too long to get back into the groove. There is a lot at stake in this series.

Maintaining a sizeable gap at the top of the Test rankings is dependent on how South Africa play in the UAE. Anything less than a clean sweep will send South Africa backwards, because of the weighting system which highlights the difference between the two sides.

As the No. 1 Test team, South Africa are expected to beat Pakistan, who sit at No. 6. Should they draw and/or  lose this series against Pakistan in the UAE, they will drop points. There’s a good chance these intricacies don’t matter at the moment, even with the launch of the Test championship.

Conditions are not expected to suit a fast-moving game, especially in Abu Dhabi. Smith said the pitch looked “pretty similar” to the one South Africa played on in 2010. That was the first Test the ground hosted and there was only one innings in which a team was bowled out. The total number of runs scored over the five days was 1374, an average 274.8 a day.

The other two matches there yielded one draw between Pakistan and Sri Lanka and a victory for Pakistan over England. The latter was the only fixture which saw a team bowled out in an innings for under 100 – England were dismissed for 72. Twice, teams have bowled out for less than 200 on the surface and five of the 12 innings played there have not had all 10 wickets fall.

What seems obvious is that recent conditions have been ore tailored to suit Pakistan’s spin attack, as they were for the England match, but indications are that it will not be quite so slanted this time. Misbah-ul-Haq praised South Africa’s ability against spin and Pakistan have acknowledged trying to turn their opposition inside out will be more challenging than it was against England. That can only mean more placid pitches on which South Africa will have to do a lot more to force a positive result – because it will be up to them and not Pakistan, who will be content with sharing spoils – to do so.

Smith has acknowledged the burden lies with South Africa. “The mind-set has to be to take the game forward but at the same time, we have to lay platforms and give ourselves a base to work off,” he said. “We haven’t played together for six months and it might take us time to get to the standards where we were before. Our goal is to put Pakistan under pressure. Recently, we’ve been able to handle pressure well and exert pressure on opposition.”

Since becoming No. 1 last August, South Africa have succeeded in injecting a more ruthless streak into their game. It was evident in Perth, against Australia, when Smith and Hashim Amla scored at around seven runs to the over for a session to take the game beyond Michael Clarke’s men. None of their home Tests last summer, which included two against New Zealand and three against Pakistan, went to five days and they bowled both teams out for under 50 on one occasion.

They’ve proved they have the game-breakers to change a match in a session, be it with bat or ball, but whether those players will be able to do that in conditions which may not assist them remains the biggest challenge. Whether they will be able to do that against an opposition whose main aim could also well be not to mess it up, will present a different stumbling block.

Pakistan are banking on “home advantage” to prove they are far worthier than being sixth out of ten in the rankings. They see South Africa as similar to the way they saw England – a No. 1 team whose confidence they could send off track, if not derail it entirely. “Whenever you are facing a top side in the world, it motivation for you,” Misbah said. “All the players want to prove themselves. We’ve got a chance here so we should go out and play good cricket.”

Pakistan’s year could also be defined by this series, although they have the certainty of three matches against Sri Lanka still to come. After losing to South Africa, they drew a series against Zimbabwe and their loss Harare led to severe reputational damage. The best way to recover from that will be to give South Africa a hard time, a scare and even a defeat.

Unlike other teams who languish in the lower half of the Test rankings, few doubt Pakistan can actually achieve that. Known as a group of mercurial mavericks who turn their performances on and off at will, they have been labelled “unpredictable” in the same way South Africa are called “chokers” – even if it does not apply, people still use the term.

Since Misbah took over the captaincy, ahead of the series in 2010 in the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal, they have become a more consistent side than before. In 21 Tests, they’ve won 10, lost six and drawn five, a winning percentage of 47.62. Overall, their success rate is 30.93%.

They still cannot be described as formulaic but teams do know what to expect from Pakistan: uncertainty in the top-order, two pillars of strength – Younis Khan and Misbah – in the middle, seam bowlers with varying and complementary skills, a spin threat and a feisty fight. It will be up to South Africa to show if and how they can handle that.

 

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SACA Gears up for 2013/14 SACA MVP Rakings

The South African Cricketers’ Association Most Valuable Player (SACA MVP) rankings kick off with the new domestic cricket season on Friday 11th October with the first match of the Momentum One Day Cup.

“Every season brings with it a renewed excitement as we watch the country’s best first-class cricketers strive to make their mark in all three formats of the game,” said SACA Chief Executive, Tony Irish. “A new season adds to the interest, as new talent is always valuable. This year promises to be one of the most keenly contested SACA MVP series’ we’ve ever had. It’s a great way to follow the players that are performing day in and day out in the domestic competitions.”

The SACA MVP is an on-field player ranking system administered by SACA for its players. It measures the on-field performances of players in the varied disciplines of the game – bowling, batting, fielding, captaining, and winning – in the domestic competitions, Sunfoil Series, Momentum One Day Cup and the RamSlamT20.

The SACA MVP rankings are updated after each round of matches on the SACA website (www.saca.org.za) where the cricket community can closely follow player performance throughout the season.
At the end of the season, the SACA MVP winners are announced and players who finish in the top 30 in the overall rankings and in the top 10 in each of the domestic competitions will be paid incentives based on their final position in the SACA MVP rankings. It is possible for the winner to win up to R128, 000 for top performances across all domestic competitions.

Last season was a closely contested race with Andrew Birch (Chevrolet Warriors), Quinton De Kock (bizhub Highveld Lions), Hardus Viljoen (bizhub Highveld Lions), and Kyle Abbott (Sunfoil Dolphins) all finishing in the top five, with Roelof van der Merwe (Unlimited Titans) taking top honours and a prize of R110,000.

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ICC News on DRS

The number of reviews available for a team in a Test innings will be topped-up to two after 80 overs in an innings. The system will be trialed from October 1, 2013 in all Tests where the Decision Review System (DRS) is available, the ICC announced on Wednesday in Dubai after its Chief Executives’ Meeting (CEC).

Currently, a team is allowed up to two unsuccessful reviews for the entire duration of the innings. Under the new system, it will have two reviews – irrespective of how many it has used up – after the 80th over of the same innings.

The other notable decision taken at the meeting centered around ODI playing conditions. The ICC has retained – after hearing arguments from both sides – the rule stipulating two new balls to be used from either end but, for an ODI reduced to 25 overs or less at the start of an innings, only one new ball will be used per innings. This will also come into effect from October 1, 2013.

The CEC has asked the ICC Cricket Committee to look into the development of a ball that can last the full 50 overs of an innings whilst still providing a fair balance between bat and ball.

The existing two-ball rule came into force from October 2011 after the ICC Cricket Committee recommended it. However, all four Asian countries believe such a rule has proved to be deterrent to their slow bowlers, who play an integral part in the team structure. Not just India, a team like Sri Lanka is heavily reliant on its slow bowlers and is opposed to the two-ball rule only because the hard ball does not allow the spinner to grip the seam properly.

The topic of DRS was expected to dominate the discussions during the two-day meeting, after the system came under fire during the recent Ashes series in England. The CEC reviewed the performance of the DRS during the series and received an update on a technology trial that was conducted during the Old Trafford Test. A paper produced by the Australia and England cricket boards was also discussed.

The CEC has proposed that a Working Group be formed to consider how the ICC should best use technology in umpire decision-making in the future, apart from the top-up recommendation. The effectiveness of the Real-time Snickometer, used to detect faint edges, was also discussed and an independent assessment of this technology will also be conducted before it is included in the list of DRS approved technologies.

Regarding over-rates, the CEC approved the umpires’ intention to become stricter on poor over-rates and time wasting and to maximise playing time in safe playing conditions.

The ICC also confirmed that the launch of the World Test Championship will take place in Dubai in October, coinciding with the start of the Pakistan-South Africa Test series.

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Smith back for Pakistan series

Proteas - SACA

CAPE TOWN – Graeme Smith has been included in South Africa’s touring party for the series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates starting next month, but must still confirm his full recovery from an ankle injury that has kept him out since May.

Smith is pencilled in to captain the 15-man test squad for the two-match series and has been named in the one-day selection, though Proteas convener of selectors Andrew Hudson said they would take a cautious approach with the 32-year-old.

“We should have a definite picture on the status of Graeme’s recovery from surgery within the next two weeks,” Hudson said in CSA statement released on Tuesday.

“We will obviously be monitoring Graeme’s condition very carefully and do not want to overload him too much during the early stages of his return.”

Smith was at Adidas headquarters in Germany last week, where he was fitted for custom-made boots that it is hoped would relieve the stress on his ankles and potentially prolong his career.

There were no new caps in the test squad, though middle-order batsman JP Duminy returns for the first time since picking up an Achilles injury in the away series against Australia last November.

Vernon Philander has been included in the one-day selection having made known his desire to play limited-overs cricket.

The South African selectors have been hesitant to pick the swing bowler in the past, preferring he concentrate on the longer version of the game.

The first test against Pakistan will start in Abu Dhabi on October 14, while there will also be three one-dayers and two Twenty20 internationals.

The squad for the latter will be announced after the Twenty20 Champions League in India that starts next week. Squads:

Tests: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile.

ODIs: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

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Important Player Notice

It is important to remind all SACA members and agents, of the rules and regulations set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding player clothing and equipment. Of late, there have been several cases of players and manufactures exploiting the rules set by the ICC.

Logos appearing on a players clothing and equipment are solely and entirely the responsibility of the player. The list below can be used as a guideline to ensure that all SACA members comply with the ICC code of conduct:

  1. Only the Logos of one manufacture can be displayed on the players bat
  2. Duck-tape and/or plasters are not to be used to cover or hide branding on the bat
  3. No unauthorised commercial logos may appear on a players bat.

As of 1 February 2012, the ICC officials will be enforcing a zero tolerance to players who do not comply with the code of conduct of the ICC.

For more information, please email us on Andrew@saca.org.za or call us on 021 462 0438

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McLaren Among Five To Get New CSA Contracts

Ryan McLaren has been earmarked as the next South Africa Test allrounder after he was re-awarded a national contract. McLaren has been a regular across the ODI and Twenty20 formats this summer and will come into consideration for the Test team as Jacques Kallis reaches the twilight years of his decorated career.

Although McLaren cannot be a direct replacement for Kallis, because he will not bat as high up the order, the national selectors have indicated he may slot in lower down.

“We know that Jacques Kallis will not be around indefinitely and we have to look at finding another allrounder for the Test side,” Andrew Hudson, convener of selectors told ESPNcricinfo. “That No. 7 spot means we could play someone like Ryan there instead of the extra batsmen.”

Kallis was injured in every one of the last five series he has played in, a sign that 18 years of international cricket are taking their toll. His niggles have ranged from back spasms to a hamstring strain and he is being carefully managed as he enters the final stretch.

Kallis will no longer play bilateral T20 or one-day series, saving himself for major tournaments. That opened the door for McLaren, who has yo-yoed in and out of the national side for four years, to establish a more permanent place for himself in the shorter formats.

He notched up a career best 4 for 46 against New Zealand in the first ODI in January and then hit a six off the last ball in the third match to win South Africa that fixture. “His short-form game has been fantastic and we are really impressed with his skill levels. We knows his game very well now,” Hudson said.

Like Robin Peterson, McLaren has benefited from a longer run in the team, aided by the fact that he had few competitors for the all-rounders’ spot. His only real challenger, Albie Morkel, has been a victim of indifferent form and injuries and has fallen behind.

As a sign of how far, Morkel was not re-contracted. “We never like to say it’s the end of the road for players and if Albie has a good season, there is no reason why we can’t use him but in the shorter format we need to look forward. For now we have one or two other options,” Hudson said. Chris Morris, who was not awarded a contract is one of those and remains in the plans for the future.

Hudson and his panel also seem to have put an end to the international careers of Jacques Rudolph and Ashwell Prince. Rudolph was dropped after the Adelaide Test against Australia in November last year but remained a reserve batsman in the squad. His second-coming began with him as an opener before he was dropped down to No. 6 but his lack of runs under pressure saw him make way for Dean Elgar. Prince has not played for South Africa since the Boxing Day Test of 2011.

The selectors have, however, given Imran Tahir and Thami Tsolekile some rope as both were retained. “Robbie is in position as the Test spinner but we go to some places in the next year where we may need two spinners and Imran is still very much in the plans,” Hudson said. South Africa play Pakistan in October in the United Arab Emirates where Tahir is likely to feature. Tsolekile remains the reserve wicketkeeper who Hudson said is “not far off,” playing for South Africa.

New faces on the list include young tearaway Marchant de Lange. The 22-year-old spent most of the past season recovering from a stress fracture but made his comeback earlier this year. Rusty Theron, who was not contracted, had the same injury and has also just returned to the game.

De Lange has played two first-class and six T20 matches and is reaching speeds in the late 140 kphs and occasionally 150 kph plus. “We’ve watched him in a few of the T20s and we see he has got his pace back and can get quicker. We will definitely be able to use a bowler like him,” Hudson said.

After becoming the most successful bowling debutant of 2011 with 7 for 84 against Sri Lanka, he was South Africa’s first-choice reserve bowler. He will now compete with Rory Kleinveldt, also newly contracted, and Kyle Abbott who took 7 for 29 against Pakistan in Centurion but was not contracted for a place.

Dean Elgar, who took over from Rudolph, and Aaron Phangiso are the other rookies. Phangiso is the third spinner on the contract list, a reward, Hudson said, for his fine domestic form. “He has been consistent for the Lions and that is what we base contracts on – not just one or two performances,” Hudson said.

The rest of the group are made up of familiar players with Colin Ingram and Wayne Parnell retaining their places. JP Duminy is also on the list and is expected to recover from his ruptured Achilles’ tendon in time for the Champions Trophy in June and will contest for a place next season. Johan Botha, who was released from his contract in September last year when he relocated to Australia, was not considered.

 

 

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Delport Century Gives Dolphins First Win

Dolphins 179 for 2 (Delport 103*) beat Knights 165 for 6 (Rossouw 44, Abdulla 2-17) by 14 runs

Cameron Delport smashed an unbeaten 58-ball 103 to lead Dolphins to their first win of the tournament in six games. Delport hit nine fours and five sixes for his maiden T20 hundred, taking Dolphins to 179. After the early loss of Divan van Wyk, Delport was accompanied by Ravi Bopara in an 83-run stand. David Miller then joined Delport and produced an unbeaten 23-ball 39 to add 80 runs in less than eight overs with Delport.

Knights’ reply was led by Rilee Rossouw who made 44 off 28 but did not get much support during his stay. Loots Bosman and Dean Elgar were dismissed in the first six overs and once Rossouw departed in the 11th over, Obus Pienaar tried to keep the Knights in the hunt but his 32 off 21 also went in vain. Yusuf Abdulla was the most successful Dolphins bowler with 2 for 17 which kept Knights to 165 for 6.

 

Lions 120 for 5 (Petersen 46, Hendricks 3-17) beat Cape Cobras 117 for 6 (Vilas 30, Morris 2-21) by five wickets

Lions continued their stay at the top of the table when they chased Cape Cobras’ total of 117 with five wickets left. After Cobras were asked to bat, Richard Levi was dismissed for a duck. Dane Vilas steered the innings with a knock of 30. Once he was bowled in the 14th over, the middle order could not convert the start into a big score. Sohail Tanvir took two wickets in an over to limit Cobras to 117 for 6.

Lions opener Quinton de Kock also got out for a duck and Gulam Bodi departed for 10 in the fifth over. Alviro Petersen’s 36-ball 46 put Lions back on track along with Tanvir who made 28 off 24. Both Petersen and Tanvir fell in the same over to Beuran Hendricks but their 49-run stand had taken them close to victory. Jean Symes and Dwaine Pretorius made sure they won with 10 balls to spare.

 

Warriors 152 for 9 (Jonker 50, Thomas 3-30) beat Titans 140 for 6 (Styris 47*, Parnell 4-25) by 12 runs

A fifty from Christiaan Jonker and a four-wicket haul from Wayne Parnell got Warriors their fourth win in six matches to take them to second position in the points table. After scoring 150 for 9 when put in to bat, Warriors restricted Titans to 140 for a 12-run win.

Jonker and Ashwell Prince put on 75 upfront in 9.4 overs, of which Jonker made 50 off 33, hitting ten boundaries. But both were dismissed within seven balls and Samit Patel was dismissed four balls later by Roelof van der Merwe. Before JJ Smuts and Adrian McLaren could convert their starts, they were bowled for 19 and 28 respectively. Alfonso Thomas then took three wickets, including two in the last over, to keep Warriors to 152.

Wayne Parnell removed Henry Davids first ball and struck again to dismiss van der Merwe. in his second over. Jacques Rudolph made a 36-ball 32 and Titans were scoring at under six runs per over which kept the pressure mounting. Scott Styris tried to keep them in the game, with three sixes and two fours, but Parnell took two more wickets, including that of big-hitting Albie Morkel, and Titans could not go beyond 140.

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Prince Leads Warriors to Victory

Warriors 138 for 1 (Prince 70*) beat Dolphins 136 for 4 (Van Jaarsveld 58*, Bopara 42*, Birch 2-21) by 9 wickets

The Warriors comfortably chased the Dolphins’ target in East London to win by nine wickets. Dolphins won the toss and batted first, but were in serious trouble as they lost both openers for seven runs on the board. Cameron Delport’s cameo of 23 off 14 was cut short when he was caught by Ayabulela Gqamane off Simon Harmer, leaving them at a precarious 38 for 4. The most experienced pair in the squad, Ravi Bopara and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, put on 98 runs for the fifth wicket to revive the innings. Van Jaarsveld top-scored with 58 off 41 balls, as the Dolphins put up 136 for 4 at the completion of their 20 overs.

The Warriors started assuredly, with their openers putting on a 73-run stand. Once Christiaan Jonker fell, Colin Ingram came in and helped opener Ashwell Prince maintain the course. They eventually steered the Warriors to victory, achieving the target with 15 balls to spare. Prince finished unbeaten on 70 off 55 balls.

 

Knights 125 for 9 (Rossouw 33, Tahir 2-23) beat Lions 121 (Symes 46, McLaren 2-16) by 4 runs

The Knights won a low-scoring thriller against the top-placed Lions at the Wanderers. The Knights were put into bat, but despite the openers getting a start, none of the batsman were able to capitalise, with only Rilee Rossouw (33) and Johan van der Wath (24) passing the 20-run mark. The Dolphins’ bowlers bowled as a unit, with Aaron Phangiso, Imran Tahir and Hardus Viljoen picking up two wickets each. The Knights finished their quota of 20 overs with 125 for 9.

The Lions simply couldn’t string substantial partnerships together as they attempted to chase the Knights’ target. Jean Symes top-scored with 46 off 37 balls, but once he was dismissed off the second last ball of the innings, the game was heavily in favour of the Warriors as van der Wath bowled an excellent final over, picking up Temba Bavuma as well. His final over clinched the game for the Knights, who moved to third place in the points table.

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South Africa Complete Series Sweep

For the two decades since their return from sporting isolation, South Africa have been among the top teams in the world, without ever having a sustained run as the undisputed No. 1. Even in the recent successes, an element of ruthlessness was missing, highlighted by the lack of consecutive Test victories over a four-year span ending with the hard-fought series victory over Australia.

Graeme Smith’s men have been unrelenting in correcting that anomaly over the home summer. Not only have they won all five Tests, they have utterly dominated almost all of them, as the margins suggest: innings and 27 runs, innings and 193 runs, 211 runs, four wickets and today at Centurion, innings and 18 runs. None of those matches went to the fifth day, the opposition was outclassed in the batting, bowling and fielding, and the near-perfect summer silenced any debate over which was the best side in the world – South Africa now enjoy a 10-point lead over second-placed England. It also quelled murmurs over South Africa’s less than impressive record at home in recent years.

Smart stats

  • South Africa won all five Tests in their home season. For only the third time since their readmission, they won three or more Tests in a series. The previous two such series came against West Indies in 1998 and 2003-04.
  • Pakistan suffered a whitewash in a series of three or more matches for the fourth time since 2000. Their three previous series whitewashes came against Australia.
  • Dale Steyn became the third-highest wicket-taker for South Africa after going past Allan Donald. Only Shaun Pollock (421) and Makhaya Ntini (390) are ahead of Steyn.
  • Kyle Abbott’s match haul of 9 for 68 is the third best by a South African bowler on Test debut and the best for South Africa since their readmission.
  • Abbott’s 9 for 68 is also the third best performance by a South African bowler against Pakistan. Abbott’s performance is also the best by a bowler on debut against Pakistan.
  • South Africa improved on their outstanding record in Centurion (14 wins and one defeat). The win-loss ratio of 14 is the best for a venue since South Africa’s readmission (min 15 Tests played).

It has been all one-way traffic over the past couple of months, and it looked like that would be the case on Sunday as well. There were plenty of cracks in the Centurion pitch making the odd ball swerve dramatically, and there was a bit of unpredictable bounce as well. And Dale Steyn removed Pakistan’s man for a crisis, Younis Khan, early with another of his typical have-to-poke-at outswingers

Azhar Ali and Imran Farhat, however, kept the South African pace battery at bay for a couple of hours. Ali, who had only one substantial score in five previous innings, capitalised on the deliveries on his pads, and was happy to otherwise push around for the singles. He looked to leave as many deliveries as he could, and defended solidly as he patiently made his way to an unbeaten 27 by lunch.

Farhat, who couldn’t open the innings after having been struck on the hand yesterday, continued to show the confidence he had at the start of the first innings, crashing the ball past point repeatedly. He was not shy of the pull shot either when South Africa’s quicks pitched it short.

Still, despite their defiance, as has been the case all summer, a Pakistan batting collapse never seemed far away. What will hurt them is that this time the slide began due to a run-out. Soon after lunch, there was confusion whether to go for the second or not, and by the time Ali was sent back, a bullet throw from Steyn at fine leg had arrived, and the dogged partnership was over.

That opened the gates for a slew of wickets. Debutant Kyle Abbott got yet another wicket behind the stumps as Farhat edged through to the keeper, before Rory Kleinveldt finally had reward for his persistence. Misbah-ul-Haq nicked one through to AB de Villiers, and soon after Asad Shafiq gave away his wicket by punching a catch to Vernon Philander at mid-off.

With an hour still left till tea, and Pakistan’s tail notoriously fragile, there was a genuine chance that the match would finish before the session was scheduled to. Sarfraz Ahmed, who has been hopeless with the bat all the series, and Saeed Ajmal, who put up some resistance in Newlands as well, made sure the collapse didn’t extend beyond four wickets, playing out the 13 overs till the break.

Steyn returned to whip out two wickets, to go past the great Allan Donald’s Test haul of 330 wickets, and was one away from yet another five-for. Abbott got his ninth wicket of the match when he got the other debutant Ehsan Adil to steer a catch to third man.

That left Steyn and Abbott chasing the final wicket for personal milestones, and though Pakistan’s last pair, Rahat Ali and Mohammad Irfan, attempted many an agricultural swipe, the final strike just didn’t arrive. The frustration increased for South Africa as despite a bunch of chances, Rahat and Irfan batted out eight overs. Smith finally tossed the ball to his spinner, Robin Peterson, who finished off the game in his first over, getting Rahat lbw.

It completed a miserable series for Pakistan, whose batting has consistently let them down on the testing surfaces in South Africa. In this match, no batsman made a half-century, and in the series no batsman aggregated 200 runs.

For the home side, it was only the third time since their return that they have won three or more Tests in the series. And there was another record for Smith to savour as he became the first captain to win 50 Tests.

Not only have the results been magnificent for South Africa, they have been achieved through a eye-catching brand of cricket that combines aggression, grace and efficiency. South Africa fans, lap it up.

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Healthy Competition, Strength in Depth

The health of a tree is known by the fruit it produces. On the evidence of South Africa’s recently completed first-class competition, the state of the country’s cricket is as wholesome as an orchard in bloom.

A closely fought Sunfoil Series finished with the Cobras wining their third title, this time under the guidance of new coach, Paul Adams. Geoffrey Toyana, also in his first season in charge, took the Lions to second place and Lance Klusener’s Dolphins finished third, with the former South Africa allrounder another to enjoy a solid maiden run.

There were more positive results than in seasons past, with six draws from the 30 matches. Three fixtures were so badly affected by weather that they had to be abandoned, meaning 21 matches produced a winner. Of those, 14 went to teams playing away from home, which Test captain Graeme Smith identified as one of the biggest positives in the competition.

They have been many others, particularly in terms of how franchise players stepped up to the international scene. Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar and Rory Kleinveldt are the three most recent examples of a system that just keeps on giving. Here are a few more lessons from the summer:

Quicks come through, batting remains tough

With only nine innings scores of over 400, compared to 18 last season, it seems run scoring has become more difficult. The most number of centuries any individual batman could put together this year was a mere two.

South Africa has always been a tough place to bat and with the Test team priding itself on the power of their attack, it is possible pitches are being prepared to suit the seamers. It is has also provided a showroom for the depth of pace bowling talent in the country, of which there is plenty.

Kyle Abbott led the list with 49 wickets at 15.36 and the ability to swing the ball. Statistics like that are what got Vernon Philander into the national team. Abbott has played for the national A side and must be next in line. Warriors’ medium-pacer Andrew Birch should also appear on the radar for South Africa. His tireless efforts resulted in 40 scalps at 16.07.

Ayabulela Gqamane, who grew up next door to Makhaya Ntini, is attracting attention with his aggressive, accurate bowling style, as are the Lions duo of Chris Morris and Hardus Viljoen. The former is the latest IPL rich-kid and can bowl up to 145kph while Viljoen combines pace and intent well. Together they have been lethal. Cobras’ Beuran Hendricks, a left-armer, and Warriors pair Gurshwin Rabie and Basheer Walters, complete the depth at domestic level.

But is there a spinner in sight?

National team discard Imran Tahir continued to boss the domestic scene. He played in nine of the Lions’ ten matches and took 37 wickets at 22.35, including a best match haul of 12 for 106. Robin Peterson continues to be the first-choice spinner for South Africa but Tahir could come into contention for trips to the subcontinent. After his performance in Adelaide (who can forget the 0 for 260), Tahir has regained confidence and pride at domestic level.

Worryingly, there is little else on the tweaking front. Simon Harmer is the lead candidate to progress to national level. The Warriors offspinner finished the summer with 21 wickets at 42.42 and managed a five-wicket haul against the touring Pakistanis. Next on the list is Roelof van der Merwe, with just 12 wickets. Titans legspinner Shaun von Berg and Dolphins slow left-armer Keshav Maharaj are two worth keeping an eye on.

The gloves are still filling up

AB de Villiers’ recent form has all but put to bed the debate over whether he can continue keeping wicket and batting at No. 5 in Tests but the administrators will not want to create the same vacuum that existed when Mark Boucher was still playing. It is vital to have competition in the system and this season showed that there is plenty.

Quinton de Kock was the highest-scoring wicketkeeper-batsman, with 559 runs in six matches at 46.58, and is being touted as the future national gloveman. The experienced Dolphins keeper Daryn Smit was not far behind with 513 runs at 34.20 to finish 10th on the run-scorers’ list and Heino Kuhn, the Titans keeper, was 11th with 503 runs at 27.94.

What has happened to the Titans?

Last season’s champions had a torrid time this time around. They did not win a single match, only managed to score over 300 in an innings three times and took 20 wickets in a match just once.

An obvious problem was the lack of an out-and-out strike bowler. With Marchant de Lange injured for most of the summer with a stress fracture and Viljoen poached the by the Lions (which proved profitable for them, as he took 31 wickets at 21.51), the Titans lacked a quick who could do damage. Ethy Mbhalati did what he could and managed 28 scalps at 22.53 but CJ de Villiers and Rowan Richards were not adequate back-up.

Their batting should carry some of the blame too. Not one of their line-up scored a century this summer, Jacques Rudolph coming closest with 94. They missed du Plessis, who was on national duty and did not play a single game, and Martin van Jaarsveld, who gave up the captaincy to Henry Davids and wasn’t contracted for first-class cricket. Although van Jaarsveld was not a huge success on his first-class return last summer, his experience seemed much needed, especially when considering the next point…Neil McKenzie is no longer the Lions’ leader by name but he is undoubtedly their frontman with the bat. McKenzie finished as the competition’s top run-scorer with 776 runs from his ten matches at an average of 51.73. His two centuries and four half-centuries played roles in getting the Lions out of trouble and helping them build big leads.

What’s more telling than McKenzie’s form – which has improved with age – are the numbers the batsmen around him finished on. Of his team-mates, De Kock played six matches and finished fourth on the list, Temba Bavuma, the serious middle-order man, was fifth and new captain Steven Cook was in eighth position. The Lions had more batsmen in the top ten than any other franchise and it may have had a lot to do with them feeding off McKenzie.

Toyana has acknowledged the mentoring role McKenzie plays with the younger batsmen but it is the also the silent way he goes about being a role model. The first to arrive, the last to leave training, often after doing the tidying up, and the consummate professional at all times, McKenzie has shown why it is important for franchises to keep the seniors around.

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Lions secure easy victory over Titans

Lions 202 and 184 for 4 beat 195 and 187 by six wickets

Lions prevailed over Titans, scoring a six-wicket win in their Sunfoil Series match in Benoni. Chasing 181 runs for victory, Lions, who began at an overnight score of 69 for 0, wrapped up proceedings in the first session of play, with a day to spare. The win puts Lions at the top of the points table in the series.

Much of the credit for this win rests with fast bowler Hardus Viljoen and batsman Neil McKenzie. Viljoen’s finished the match with figures of 9 for 81, including a six-wicket haul in the second innings that was instrumental in dismissing Titans for 187.

McKenzie’s knock of 70 in the first innings helped Lions gain a slender seven run-lead as they scored 202 in response to Titans’ innings of 195. McKenzie, who has played 58 Tests and 64 ODIs for South Africa, then put on 56 runs for the third wicket with Temba Bavuma to seal the match for Lions.

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McLaren’s Last-Ball Six Gives South Africa Win

South Africa nearly messed up another run chase, but Ryan McLaren’s six off the final ball ensured they avoided their first limited-overs whitewash on home soil by securing a gripping one-wicket victory in Potchefstroom. Graeme Smith’s tenth ODI hundred was guiding the innings only for another uncertain display from the middle and lower order to mean the game was never dead and it came down to needing three off the last ball.

James Franklin, who the ball before had Dale Steyn caught at deep midwicket, tried to bowl wide of off stump and McLaren responded by scooping him over fine leg. Still, while the crowd went wild, South Africa’s celebrations, after the initial relief, were muted as they had still come second best in this series and, barring Smith, their batting performance was again one to raise concerns.

New Zealand never gave up and deserve immense credit for how they turned their fortunes around during this one-day series. For a side that fielded outstandingly, though, they will regret one moment when McLaren, on 6, was dropped at deep midwicket by Jimmy Neesham who approached the catch far too casually.

While Smith was at the crease the chase, while never simple, was under control. He had brought up his hundred with consecutive boundaries off Kane Williamson but attempting to loft the same bowler down the ground picked out long-on with 32 still needed from 26 balls. Rory Kleinveldt and Aaron Phangiso then both fell swinging across the line at Mitchell McClenaghan to set up the grandstand final over where eight were needed with two wickets in hand.

But Smith’s innings deserved to be a matchwinner. During the course of his 130-ball stay he moved second in the list of all-time run-scorers for South Africa in ODIs, now just behind Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs. Early on he was given plenty on the pads to pick off, but the cover drive, not often a shot associated with Smith, twice made an appearance.

His opening stand of 83 with Quinton de Kock laid the ideal base to chase 260 but after de Kock misjudged his pull against Franklin the innings stalled as New Zealand applied pressure. Nathan McCullum’s offspin was hard to score off and when South Africa called for the Powerplay in the 27th over Colin Ingram pulled the first ball of it to midwicket.

More loose shots followed, with Smith watching on from the other end. Faf du Plessis also picked out midwicket against Kyle Mills, Farhaan Behardien chipped a catch back to Williamson who did well to hold on while colliding with Smith and David Miller played a hot-headed hoick across the line shortly after Smith had reached his hundred. At 205 for 5 in the 42nd over New Zealand were back in contention and when they removed Smith the whitewash was on the cards, but McLaren managed to keep his cool.

New Zealand had earlier recovered impressively to reach 260, after familiar problems at the top of the order left them 68 for 4, with Grant Elliott, Colin Munro and Franklin hitting half-centuries. South Africa will again be concerned about how they could not finish off an innings with the ball as well as they had started.

Elliott, who played an important innings in Kimberley, began binding the innings together. Munro grew as his stay progressed and at one stage lofted Steyn for six having already taken debutant Phangiso for three boundaries in an over during a maiden international fifty. He had been given lbw against McLaren when he had 2 but he correctly reviewed as the ball had pitched outside leg and also took an inside edge.

Eventually, however, both batsmen fell to Lonwabo Tsotsobe who had made the early breakthroughs with the new ball. Elliott was the second wicket of the innings to be caught at third man and Munro edged a slower ball. New Zealand, though, benefited from their deep batting order which has been key throughout this series. South Africa, who were again slow with their overs but escaped punishment from match referee David Boon, also gave a helping hand by conceded 17 wides.

Losing regular wickets meant Franklin could not cut loose, but he took the innings as deep as he could with some smart batting. He managed to keep the strike after the ninth wicket fell in the 48th over and the final 11 balls of the innings brought 26 runs, including a six off the penultimate delivery to reach his fifty. It was enough to set up an engrossing finish.

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Marchant de Lange Set For Comeback

South Africa’s young quick Marchant de Lange will make a comeback to domestic cricket this weekend after an absence of close to eight months.

De Lange has been out of action since June last year with a stress fracture and is due to test his readiness for first-class cricket in a three-day amateur game between Easterns and Kwa-Zulu Natal in Chatsworth.

De Lange was due to play last weekend for Easterns against Boland on the strict condition that he would only play in the Twenty20 match that followed the first-class match. Rain stopped play before de Lange could bowl so his comeback was postponed to this week.

Physiotherapist Ian Repton has been working with de Lange since he was sent home from South Africa’s tour of England in July. Then, it was thought that de Lange had overcome the injury which he picked up during South Africa’s unofficial T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe. When de Lange complained of pain in the United Kingdom, he was assessed, deemed to be carrying an even more serious injury and given a three-month recovery period.

That was then extended to six months when Repton began working with De Lange and predicted he would only be back around Christmas. “It took longer than that for two reasons,” Repton told ESPNcricinfo. “We had to try and get his action absolutely correct so that the injury does not recur and then we had to wait for the muscle memory to take hold.

“There is no point in him bowling a few balls with the new action and then reverting back to the old. We were willing to take as much time as we needed.”

Repton has promised De Lange will return with a more efficient action, which will involve less pressure being placed on his lower back. “It will be a biomechanically better action,” Repton said. De Lange has already been practicing in the nets under the watchful eye of Corrie van Zyl, Cricket South Africa’s general manager of cricket.

With three first-class matches remaining in the season, it appears unlikely that de Lange will feature in that format this summer. “It is very important that he gets overs into the legs now, so he is going to start off slowly and then we will see how it goes,” Repton said. De Lange has remained upbeat throughout, according to Repton, “because it was explained to him that this would take time and may not be simple to fix.”

Rusty Theron, the Warriors quick, is suffering from the same injury and has yet to make his comeback after being out for the same length of time.

De Lange has played two Tests for South Africa and was 2011’s most successful Test debutant with 7 for 84 against Sri Lanka in Durban. He was also becoming an important member of the Twenty20 side and bowled South Africa to a series win against New Zealand in March with his last over heroics.

But he has lost ground in the Test stakes since Rory Kleinveldt became the preferred reserve seamer. Kleinveldt has also played two Tests for South Africa and is now considered back-up if one of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel or Vernon Philander is injured.

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Important Player Notice

It is important to remind all SACA members and agents, of the rules and regulations set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding player clothing and equipment. Of late, there have been several cases of players and manufactures exploiting the rules set by the ICC.

Logos appearing on a players clothing and equipment are solely and entirely the responsibility of the player. The list below can be used as a guideline to ensure that all SACA members comply with the ICC code of conduct:

  1. Only the Logos of one manufacture can be displayed on the players bat
  2. Duck-tape and/or plasters are not to be used to cover or hide branding on the bat
  3. No unauthorised commercial logos may appear on a players bat.

As of 1 February 2012, the ICC officials will be enforcing a zero tolerance to players who do not comply with the code of conduct of the ICC.

 

For more information, please email us on info@saca.org.za or contact us on 021 462 0438

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Philander Ruled Out Of Second Test match

Proteas fast bowler Vernon Philander has been ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand in Port Elizabeth, which starts on Friday, after suffering a recurrence of the hamstring injury that had him in doubt for the first Test. Fellow captonian Rory Kleinveldt will come into the team to replace him.

Philander bowled 30 overs in the Cape Town Test and taking seven wickets. His six overs in the first innings saw him claim his eighth Test five-for. He had to leave the field after his final five-over spell on the third day when he felt pain in his left hamstring.

The same injury forced him to pull out of a first-class match two weeks ago and he required a two-week rest period but was ready for the first Test. With the second niggle coming so soon after the first, team management have decided not to risk Philander.

“Vernon’s hamstring strain will require a seven to 10 day recovery period at the very least,” Mohammed Moosajee, South African team manager – who is also a medical doctor – said. “Although he is responding to treatment received over the past few days, we feel it’s unlikely that he’ll recover in time for this week’s Test match.  With the Pakistan series less than a month away, it’s not worth the risk of aggravating the injury.”

South Africa’s three Test series against Pakistan starts on February 2 and Philander will target that to make his return. He will have missed three of the 16 Tests since he made his debut in November 2011 through injury. He missed the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka in 2011 with a knee problem, the Adelaide Test against Australia because of back spasms and now this coming match with a hamstring problem.

As a result, Kleinveldt will play his third Test for South Africa. Kleinveldt debuted in Brisbane where he was so nervous, he overstepped 12 times in the match and went wicketless. But he kept his place ahead of Philander in Adelaide and, despite another 11 no-balls in the match, redeemed himself by removing the Australian top three in one second-innings spell. He has only played two first-class matches at St George’s Park and this will be his first Test on home soil.

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Neil Adcock Dies Aged 81

Neil Adcock, the former South Africa fast bowler, has died at the age of 81 in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal. He had pneumonia and was also suffering from cancer for a long period of time.

Adcock played 26 Tests for South Africa between 1953 and 1962, and took 104 wickets at an average of 21.10. After he took 26 wickets in a Test series in England in 1960, Wisden honoured him as one of their five Cricketers of the Year in 1961. He played 99 first-class games, taking 405 wickets at 17.25 apiece. After retiring, Adcock became part of SABC’s radio commentary team.

“Neil was one of the great fast bowlers during what was truly a golden era of fast bowling,” Cricket South Africa’s acting chief executive Jacques Faul said. “At that time England had Trueman, Statham and Tyson; Australia had Lindwall, Miller and Davidson; and the West Indies had Hall and Gilchrist. Neil was right up with the best of them.

“On behalf of the CSA family and fans around the country I extend our condolences to his wife, Maureen, his family and friends.”

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