Inexperienced team for Ray

2004-10-27 21:39

Christo Buchner

Johannesburg - The new South African cricket coach, Ray Jennings, will take a young and inexperienced side to India for the two Tests next month.

Just four of the 14 players have played in India. The squad includes four newcomers - the versatile Titans players, Zander de Bruyn and Alfonso Thomas, the WP-Boland wicketkeeper, Thami Tsolekile and the captain of the Dolphins, Hashim Amla.

Alma is the first Indian to play for South Africa. The inclusion of Thomas is probably the biggest surprise. He was not included in the Titans' team against the Warriors in East London last week and was initially also not picked for this weekend's match against the Dolphins.

Two Lions players, Andrew Hall and Justin Ontong, return to the South African squad after a spell in the wilderness. Hall last played Test cricket against the West Indies at Centurion in January this year before he was sidelined with a back injury.

Ontong's only Test so far was the controversial one in Sydney in 2002, when he was included in place of Jacques Rudolph to make the team more representative.

Six players who toured with the team in Sri Lanka two months ago have been excluded. They are the vice-captain and wicketkeeper, Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs, Nantie Hayward, André Nel, Lance Klusener and Andrew Puttick. Gibbs was not available for selection because of the Hansie Cronjé match fixing debacle and Nel is nursing an injury.

Match fixing debacle

Nicky Bojé, who the Delhi police also want to question for his alleged part in the match fixing debacle which was uncovered on the previous tour to India in 2000, has been included and will become the new vice-captain.

He is still waiting for an assurance from the Delhi police that he will not be prosecuted on arrival in India and his availability depends on this.

If Bojé chooses not to go to India, the seamer Charl Langeveldt will be his replacement and Boeta Dippenaar will become the vice-captain.

Jacques Rudolph must also pass a fitness test before he will go on tour. He is suffering from a back spasm.

Jennings says although it is a very young team that will go on tour, it is an ideal opportunity for the youngsters to return as heroes to South Africa. Only Bojé, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Dippenaar have toured India before.

"I will be satisfied if we draw the series, although we will definitely play to win. We will not have a negative attitude.

"This tour will form part of the players' learning curving and we are not expecting miracles. They can play without much pressure," Jennings said.

Captain Graeme Smith acknowledges that it is not the ideal situation that just one of the top six batsmen (Kallis), has experience of Indian conditions.

"We have many fighters in the team that will give their all for South Africa. That will count a lot," Smith said.

The Protea squad: Graeme Smith (c), Nicky Bojé, Hashim Amla, Zander de Bruyn, Boeta Dippenaar, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Thami Tsolekile, Alfonso Thomas, Martin van Jaarsveld.

- Beeld