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Proteas make Strydom happy
03/12/2007 16:30 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Convener of selectors Joubert Strydom has reason to be satisfied with his first few months in office.
After the controversy surrounding the non-selection of South Africa's best batsman, Jacques Kallis, for the ICC World Twenty20, and the disappointment of South Africa failing to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, the Proteas have done him proud.
After Test victories in Pakistan and against New Zealand at home, South Africa moved into third position in the ICC Test rankings, and their one-day international (ODI) series win over New Zealand brought them within four points of Australia in the ODI rankings.
"My only concern is that I would like to see us being a little more ruthless when we're on top," Strydom said on Monday. "We need to learn to really put the boot in when we're on top, and finish things off properly.
"For instance, in the last ODI (in Cape Town on Sunday), our bowlers did really well for the first 45 overs, and then took the foot off the pedal in the last five. New Zealand got 10 or 15 runs more than they should have.
"But I'm not hugely concerned that we lost a couple of wickets when we were coasting to victory yesterday (Sunday). That sometimes happens when two batsmen have played so well, and then go out in quick succession.
Pleased with the way the team came back hard
"The second match (in Port Elizabeth, which New Zealand won by seven wickets) was disappointing. We were just not sharp enough in all disciplines, but I was very pleased with the way the team came back hard in Cape Town."
Strydom denied that South Africa had been complacent ahead of the second ODI, after their narrow victory in Durban.
"We all know that New Zealand are a very good one-day side," he said. "Players like (Kyle) Mills, (Daniel) Vettori and (Scott) Styris have a lot of experience, and they are very good players. We always knew that the one-day series was going to be harder to win than the Tests."
The Proteas have a couple of weeks rest from international cricket before the arrival of the West Indies later this month, and Strydom said there were still chances for other players to force their way into the national team.
"If anyone plays consistently well, we will always consider them. That's what happened with Dale (Steyn)," he said. "There are two rounds of SuperSport Series matches, and there is also the warm-up game against the West Indies in East London (starting on December 19). Players like Neil McKenzie and Boeta Dippenaar are always in contention and the door is always open to players who show us what they can do."
The first Test against the West Indies starts on December 26.
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