Team South Africa – Hot Favourites...

The South African squad for the world cup is as follows –

Graeme Smith (captain)
Jacques Kallis
Loots Bosman
Mark Boucher
AB de Villiers
Herschelle Gibbs
Andrew Hall
Justin Kemp
Charl Langeveldt
Andre Nel
Makhaya Ntini
Robin Peterson
Shaun Pollock
Ashwell Prince
Roger Telemachus.

South Africa is today the No.1 Limited Overs Cricket Team in the world, displacing the Australians who had made that spot their own, ever since the ratings were introduced about 5 years ago. While many may argue that South Africa didn’t earn the top spot and that it was only gifted to them by the hectic-beyond-belief schedule of an injury ridden Australia and some outrageous display of cricket by Messrs. Collingwood and McMillan, the fact remains that South Africa has been the only team that has played the most consistent cricket over the past year or so. By retaining most of the players that have played in the run-up to the big tournament, South Africa would be hoping that they continue their golden run for another 2 months at least.

Let’s analyze the individual disciplines -

Batting –

Smith, Bosman, AB de Villiers and Gibbs at the top (though only 2 or 3 of them would be in the eleven) is probably the most aggressive top order combinations in world cricket today. Kallis and Prince in the middle order could serve as the perfect defensive foil, sandwiched between the aggressive top order and the over-aggressive lower middle order comprising of Kemp, Boucher and Pollock. The all-round options – Hall, Telemachus and Peterson can more than whack the ball whenever they are given the opportunity. This is definitely a batting order to die for…

Bowling –

The aggression of Ntini and Nel, the impeccable line and length of Pollock, the accuracy of Langeveldt and Telemachus and finally the options provided by the all-rounders Kallis, Kemp and Hall – what more could you ask? Smith has always preferred to play 4 seamers and bowl a little bit of spin himself. But in the slower pitches West Indies he could be well served to retain the services of Peterson. This bowling attack has been the primary reason for South African emphatic victories in the last 2 series (ask the Indians and Pakistanis) – only time will tell, if they can be as effective in the West Indies too.

Keeping –

Boucher is the first keeper with AB de Villiers providing back-up options.

Fielding –

This is the best fielding side in the world – no discussion needed on that… Right from Bosman and AB de Villiers (who surprisingly looks a lot like Johnty) to the old statesman Pollock – they are all just superb.

Guys counting themselves lucky –

Most of them deserve their place in the team but one person who would feel extremely lucky is Peterson, especially considering how effective Harris was in the test series against India and Pakistan

Guys who would be complaining –

Harris for the above said reason.

Johan van der Wath, who in-spite of being a better hard hitting new ball bowler than Telemachus, lost out because he was directly competing with Ntini and Pollock.

Dippenaar and Rudolph, for being the docile run accumulators in this aggressive and flamboyant cricketing form.

My First Playing Eleven –

Smith
Bosman
Kallis
Gibbs
AB de Villiers
Kemp
Boucher
Pollock
Hall
Nel
Ntini

How could someone find anything wrong with the above playing eleven? But my guess is that Smith would prefer opening with AB de Villiers and bringing in Prince for Bosman at 5. Even then it is as good as it can get…

Steve Waugh, very famously had described the South Africans as a group of chokers and he wasn’t wrong at all. They have been the favourites in all world cups since ‘92 and they have been very successfully managing to get eliminated much before the championship game. If it was the very strange Rain Rule in ‘92, it was a blitz of an innings from Lara’s in ‘96, then it was the nervous duo of Donald and Klusener in ‘99 and finally the communication (or lack of it) between the captain Pollock and vice-captain Boucher in the rain-marred match in ‘03. Only time will tell if ‘07 will be South Africa’s…