Arthur Turner

The national selection panel has left their most experienced fast bowler, Makhaya Ntini, out of the South African squad to participate in the ICC World Twenty20 in England in June. This is a brave decision but the right one as the signs have been there for some time now that Ntini’s limited overs career has come to an end. However, this does leave the fast bowling department thin on experience and depth.
 
The selectors have reversed their decision of 2007 and picked Jacques Kallis for the tournament - and this is also the right decision. Kallis offers a lot to the team with regards his experience, presence and all round abilities. It will be interesting to see where he is accommodated in the batting line-up. The ideal position for him in the T20 arena is to open the batting even though this role usually belongs to Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs.

The role of spinners in T20 cricket has been wisely acknowledged by the selectors with the selection of three genuine spinners in Johan Botha, Roelof van der Merwe and Robin Peterson. Add to this the two batting spinners in JP Duminy and Justin Ontong, and the Proteas are well equipped in this area of the game.

A concern

The fast bowling department is the only area of concern as there are only four fast bowlers in the squad. Dale Steyn is the only really experienced fast bowler while Morne Morkel remains a concern in all forms of the game at international level. The two left-handers Wayne Parnell and Yusuf Abdulla are both inexperienced but deserve their selection. Parnell has shown that he has not only the ability to play international cricket but also the temperament. Abdulla deserves his selection due to his fantastic performances in the domestic Pro20 Series and in the Indian Premier League. However, Smith does have the luxury of two genuine all-rounders in Albie Morkel and Kallis if needed.

All in all the selectors have picked a well balanced squad with the exception of Justin Ontong. Since his politically-forced debut in Sydney in 2001 he seems to have enjoyed the support of numerous selection panels without justifying their faith in him. In 28 ODIs he has an average of 11.92 with a strike rate of 67.33 and in three T20s an average of 10 with a strike rate of 71.42.

It would have been better to have selected a fast bowling all-rounder in his place like Rory Kleinveldt or Vernon Philander. This would have bolstered the fast bowling department and increased the boundary hitting at the back end of the innings if necessary.

One global event

South Africa have enjoyed a fantastic period of success in Test cricket under Mickey Arthur and Graeme Smith. They have beaten all the Test playing nations in the last four years. However, the Proteas have failed to deliver in global tournaments and have been tagged chokers.
 
The Proteas have only won one global event - in 1998 - under the guidance of Bob Woolmer and Hansie Cronje when they won what was then called the” Mini World Cup” and now the ICC Champions Trophy. The Proteas over the years have been a much better team than their results show.

Currently the Proteas are ranked the number one team in the world in limited overs cricket. Over the next three years they will have the opportunity to rectify the below par performances of their predecessors and indeed themselves. This mission starts with the World Twenty20 in England and is followed by Champions Trophy in South Africa in September and the Cricket World Cup in India in 2011.

If the record books are to record Smith’s South African team as one of the great teams in history they will need to add limited over success to their outstanding Test match results.

Arthur is a former cricket administrator and current player agent.

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