Kallis: Flood of criticism
2007-03-26 22:06
Georgetown, Guyana - The South African cricket team went into defence mode here on Monday regarding the flood of criticism about Jacques Kallis's slow innings in Saturday's match against Australia in St Kitts.
Coach Mickey Arthur said: "It's a matter that we're handling internally and I am not prepared to comment on it."
Kallis arrived with a grave expression on his face at the Everest Cricket Club training grounds.
The general feeling is that Kallis had not batted in the interests of the team and had been so caught up in his own world that the run rate increased to beyond reach while he was at the crease.
Australia scored 377-6 in their innings and South Africa were dismissed for 294 in 48 overs.
Kallis's batting has evoked criticism before and has come to the fore here again.
Frustrating day
When he went in to bat, South Africa's target run rate was 7.61. By the time he went out, it had risen to 14.09.
He eventually scored 48 runs from 63 balls.
Kallis started his innings very slowly and put unnecessary pressure on the batsmen in the middle order.
The South Africans experienced yet another frustrating day on Monday.
When they arrived at the field where they were supposed to start their preparations for Wednesday's first match in the Super 8 round against Sri Lanka, the conditions were totally inadequate.
Rain had made the pitch completely unplayable.
But, even if it had been dry, they would not have been able to practise on it.
Ordinary grass had been planted in various sections. Any ball landing there would either have rolled along the ground or shot through dangerously.
"Yet another day in which we won't do anything," exclaimed a frustrated André Nel.
His frustration is increased because he is not in the starting squad, but merely one of the "tourists" in the side.
Facilities inadequate
Not that Guyana is a tourist destination in any sense of the word. At this stage, it looks as if the Super 8 matches here are set to be a fiasco.
From inadequate training and other facilities at the new stadium where the matches will take place, which are shocking, to hotels that are not up to scratch.
The hotel accommodating the Irish team has no lift and the players had to lug their baggage up three floors.
In the South Africans' hotel, the players were greeted by dirty, muddy water when they opened their taps to shower.
Arthur said it was a great disappointment that the players couldn't practise, but it was something about which they could do nothing.
"It's given us the chance to sit down and analyse the defeat against Australia and get our planning in order for the Sri Lanka match," he said.
"But, we are still on track for what we want to achieve, even though we lost against Australia. We are playing the tournament phase by phase and have done our homework.
Rain stopped practice
"We know we need four wins in the Super 8 round to get us to the semi-finals, and that is our goal," he said.
The South Africans' plans to practise at the Providence Stadium, where the match will take place, later on Monday afternoon, were also wrecked, as it started raining hard.
It looks as though the three matches that South Africa are due to play here against Sri Lanka, Ireland and Bangladesh may be ruined by rain.
- Beeld