CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

The Australians put on an awesome display. The win was emphatic as it was embarrassing for South Africans as they were routed on their own home ground and before their own crowd. Poor Mark Boucher, deputising for the injured Shaun Pollock must have been wondering what he had done to deserve such a humiliation.

What I found a little irritating was the constant reference to South Africa being the world's second best team, it being accepted by one and all that Australia was the best. About Australia, there can be no two opinions. About South Africa, I have some doubts.

South Africa is a team in transition, the old war horses have passed their prime and nothing is emerging to fill their places. In fact, South Africa has been on the downhill ever since Hansie Cronje had to leave the arena in most unfortunate circumstances, mainly of his own making. This is a purely personal opinion, I think it was too early to give the job to Pollock and South Africa might have been better served if someone like Jonty Rhodes had been appointed captain.

Australia won by an innings and 360 runs inside three days. Yet we might have had an altogether different Test match had Jaques Kallis caught Matthew Hayden in the second over of the Test match and before he had scored. That early breakthrough would have put the brakes on the Australian batsman.

Instead, Hyden went on to make a hundred. The bowler to suffer was Makhaya Ntini who alone bowled his heart out and in process set to rest the whispers that he is in the team because he makes up the black quota.

Allan Donald broke down with a hamstring and I doubt that he will play any of the remaining Test matches. In fact, I rather fear that we may have seen the end of a distinguished career. As he walked off the field, he was not only in physical pain but in great emotional stress and I couldn't help feeling that here was another example of a great cricketer who was deaf to his inner voice, that the time had come to hang up his cricket boots. It's a terribly tough decision and it is sad that such a fine bowler should be going out with a whimper.

South Africa is a very good one-day team because its bits and pieces players are useful in that version of the game. But say, that it is the second best team in the world, speaks poorly of other test playing countries.

Steve Waugh had something to prove and he proved it to the hilt. Unceremoniously sacked as the one-day captain, he showed the Australian selectors that he remains the best captain in cricket, in both versions of the game. He certainly had the team behind him and each of his players gave their hundred per cent. There may be a question mark against Mark Waugh but none against Steve and it still makes me wonder why he should have been axed so suddenly?Pakistan is preparing to take on Sri Lanka in the final of the Asian Test Championship, a tournament that was devalued because of India's refusal to play against Pakistan. But Sri Lanka is a vastly improved Test team. Pakistan hasn't played too much Test cricket, for no fault of their own, and the series against Bangladesh and the West Indies did not provide any kind of challenge though the Test matches did show up a certain weakness in the top order.

As matters stand now, with Saeed Anwar unfit, both the opening slots are up for grabs. I thought that Taufiq Umer and Shadab Kabir showed a lot of promise and it might have been a good idea to have persevered with them.

Taufiq, particularly, seems to be too fidgety outside the off stump but I would have thought that the team coach would have sorted that out. He simply has to be told where his off stump is and that he is inclined to play too far away from his body. I haven't seen too much of Shadab but he looked a good player and should not have returned from Bangladesh.

The main question will centre around Wasim Akram. When the chips are down, only Wasim is able to tell us whether he is fit or not. Fitness tests don't mean very much. At a certain age both the body and the spirit should be willing. I agree that he should be more selective but he cannot be wrapped up in cotton wool. When he does play, he should be fully fit, fit enough to start taking wickets.

If Wasim says that he is fit enough to play the Test match against Sri Lanka, then he should be played. To have taken him to Sharjah for the one-day series and then dropped for the last two matches was unfair to him.

And finally, what about Shoaib Malik. As a bowler, he is not in the same planet as Saqlain Mushtaq. Does he come in the team as a batsman? Not in the Test team, in my opinion.

It wouldn't be a bad idea if we took one more look at Imran Nazir. He will certainly tone up the fielding which could do with some improvement and that is stating it kindly. I also think we should stop thinking about the World Cup 2003 exclusively and play our cricket, one match at a time.

© Dawn