"How shit you must be if I got you out twice!"
-Paul Harris to Andrew Symonds, Perth 2008

Monday, April 5, 2010

Saffa T20 WC squad

First of all, why the fuck is this tournament taking place again? Didn't they agree to have one every two years? How silly to fight over a cup every year. This isn't a beauty pageant you idiots!

Anyway, now that it is upon us and after the ever-lasting IPL, we might as well embrace it. I suspect I will have to embrace it for a few days anyway, because of this squad:

Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis (vice-capt), Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Juan Theron, Roelof van der Merwe. 

What's wrong with it you say? Well let's start with the Buffalo, who is coming off an injury. This will be his first international game since the broken finger. Yes, he has had to bat with his broken finger/hand/elbow/some part of his upper limb a lot of times, so he should be able to deal with it by now. Works in theory, not always in practice.

AB, JP, Hersch are in terrible form. JP is yet to play in an IPL game. AB was dropped because he was struggling, just like my Hersch. Mark and Dale were also dropped for no reason. Regardless, Mark hasn't been awesome with the bat in T20's and Dale, although a feared T20 bowler hasn't really been taking wickets. They can't win without taking wickets. And the Saffers don't have any other wicket takers. Johan has also been sitting, like ROFL. Morne's wides makes Albie look like a bowler. Albie may or may not have found his mojo again. But we can't rely on his yo-yo form. And of course, there is no Wayne.

That leave Jakes, Loots Bosman,Kleinveldt, Charl and his one eye and Juan Theron. Juan is a debutant and Rory hasn't played an international match since 2008. Does it matter? He probably won't get a game. This mean it's upto Loots and Jakes to win matches against India and Afghanistan. Unless the Afghans pull off an upset, the Saffers will probably make it to round two as the second team.

And then crash out.

The only consolation we can take from this is that they won't be crashing out in the semis. No choking for them this time around! YES!

See how well I fake excitement?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Bosman's a great player to watch - he and Kallis can have the sort of partnerships that Pandey and Kallis have for BRC. And that means very little dependence on the lower order. Maybe.

Purna said...

And what about the bowlers? Should we not depend on them as well?

South Africa's trump card is their fielding. I hate to say it, but they haven't been doing very well in that department either.

Anonymous said...

The best thing about the T20 WC is that will mark the end of the IPL ... yay!!

I'm hoping for a decent result from the Aussies this time around; we seem to be getting our shit together in T20 lately.

Purna said...

Well you will win against Bangladesh, so I guess you will make it to the second round as well!

Don't know after that...Saffers, Aussies, Indians and Bangaldesh will be all gone...maybe WI will win?