Is Wayne Parnell The Next Shaun Pollock?
It's good to be Wayne Parnell right now
The Proteas may have lost the first one-dayer against India – and in some style – on Sunday, but one of the positives to be taken out of the game in the emergence of Wayne Parnell as a genuine allrounder.
With the game dead and buried, the former SA Under-19 captain played a brilliant knock coming in at number 9, eventually coming within 30 centimetres of salvaging what would have been a sensational draw.
It follows on some excellent displays with the bat in the Test series, where he again came close to rescuing a lost cause.
Parnell’s form with the bat should come as no surprise – he batted at number 5 for the SA Under-19 side, which he also captained.
And his talent with the willow – coupled with abilities of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel – will finally give the Proteas’ lower order what has been missing for so long – a bit of depth that has not been seen since the days of Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and Pat Symcox.
Jacques Kallis certainly believes Parnell has the talent to become one of the game’s great allrounders.
“He’s a talented cricketer and he’s going to take a lot away from today. Every time he plays he’s going to learn. He’s still very new to the subcontinent,” Kallis said. “He’s got all the attributes of becoming a good allrounder and that’s something that he’s working on. He’s a man for the moment, so he’s certainly got a bright future ahead of him.”
HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you reckon? Does Parnell have it in him to follow in Polly’s footsteps?
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- India win thriller as South Africa’s late charge falls short (guardian.co.uk)
Van Zyl Will Still Be Coach
Corrie van Zyl will remain as coach until 2011.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Friday that Corrie van Zyl will remain interim coach of the Proteas until April 2011.
Van Zyl was appointed interim coach after the abrupt resignation of the former coach, Mickey Arthur, last month.
CSA also announced after its Board meeting that Graeme Smith would continue to captain the Proteas until the end of the World Cup in the West Indies next year and veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis would serve as his vice captain in all forms of the game, also until the end of the World Cup.
The Board endorsed a new structure to provide the Proteas with a strong management team that supports excellence, innovation and international best practice, as proposed by CSA chief executive Gerald Majola.
The Board tasked the CEO with compiling a process of appointing the new structure, which will commence after the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The Board also accepted a recommendation from the Cricket Committee to appoint a four-member national selection panel comprising the National Convenor of Selectors, a High Performance Representative, the National Coach and the National Captain.
The process to establish this new selection committee will begin immediately.
In the meantime, the interim selection panel comprising Majola, Van Zyl and Proteas batting consultant, Kepler Wessels, will continue to operate.
“These decisions were made with the goal of streamlining the selection and management processes around the Proteas as one of the main objectives of getting the squad back on top of the world logs and staying there,” said CSA President Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka.
“The Proteas deserve the very best support and CSA wants to take time to formalize a management structure that supports excellence and innovation. At this time, we are of the opinion that Corrie van Zyl be kept on as interim coach, until the end of the 2010/2011 season, to take us through an incredibly busy period for the Proteas.”
The Board also announced that it had added six new players to the list of contracted players for the 2010/2011 season. The new players are Loots Bosman, Alviro Petersen, Charl Langeveldt, Ryan McLaren, Roelof van der Merwe and Rusty Theron.
Courtesy of iafrica.com
HAVE YOUR SAY: Is this a good decision?
Amla Thrills With Double Century
Hashim Amla sets off for a run during the day 2 between India and South Africa.
Hashim Amla was thrilled that his double century had put South Africa in a strong position in the first Test against India on Sunday.
“I think scoring a double hundred on any soil is a momentous occasion,” the number three batsman told reporters on Sunday after scoring an unbeaten 253 — his first double century.
“All the personal milestones are fantastic but on the day it’s about where the team is situated … it has certainly put India on the back foot,” he said.
Amla’s effort helped South Africa to declare their first innings closed at an imposing 558/6. India were 25 for no loss in reply at the close on day two.
Amla batted for more than 11 hours and took his overnight partnership with Jacques Kallis (173) to 340.
It was the pair’s second triple century stand, after they put up 330 against New Zealand in Johannesburg in 2007.
Hashim Amla takes a drinks break.
“The way he has developed his game has been fantastic,” Kallis said of Amla. “People wrote him off early on but, the tough character he is, he has proved everyone wrong.
“He is going to score a lot of runs for South Africa in very important situations.”
India coach Gary Kirsten said Amla’s effort had put India under a lot of pressure.
Courtesy of Reuters
HAVE YOUR SAY: How do you think this test will pan out between South Africa and India?
Hashim Amla celebrates his double century. 
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Arthur resigns – who now for Proteas?
Arthur and Smith - BFFs no more ...
As if India isn’t a tough enough place to tour in the first place, they will now have to do so with major disruption in the ranks after Mickey Arthur resigned on Monday evening – four days before the squad heads off to the sub-continent.
Arthur’s shock move comes after his relationship with captain Graeme Smith had “deteriorated irreparably” over the last year, with the recent 1-1 series draw against England being the final nail in the coffin.
Corrie van Zyl has been appointed caretaker coach for the tour to India, having previously been assistant coach of the team. He these days acts as coach of Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) High-Performance Centre in Pretoria.
But who will take the role on a permanent basis? One thing for sure – it won’t be someone with a strong personality like Smith.
That would rule out former Proteas coach Ray Jennings, as well as for SA captain Kepler Wessels, who has achieved success as coach for Northampshire in England and in the IPL.
Duncan Fletcher was brought on board as a batting consultant during the series against the English and has long been thought of as a potential Proteas coach. He achieved amazing results while holding the reins for England, leading them to a famous Ashes series victory in 2005.
He also has the advantage of knowing the players fairly well, and is the one credited with transforming Jacques Kallis into the player he is these days.
On the local scene, former Titans coach Richard Pybus is probably the favourite. He knows the majority of the players like AB de Villiers, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn very well, and has international experience following a stint as Pakistan coach.
And what about a completely left-field suggestion and getting someone like Allan Donald on board? He has served as a bowling coach for the England team and knows the players better than anyone.
Too early? Maybe, but then at least get him in as a bowling coach and off the TV as a commentator!
HAVE YOUR SAY: Who would you like to see replace Mickey Arthur?
Big Money for our Cricketers
Makhaya Ntini has been in top form
It’s high stakes at this weekend’s two MTN40 semifinals, with the biggest-ever prize pot up for grabs in local domestic cricket.
Most of the Proteas will be back for this weekend’s MTN40 semis, as our top four teams battle it out to be crowned domestic champions.
The Cape Cobras take on the Warriors from the Eastern Cape at Paarl tonight in a clash that will see Graeme Smith and JP Duminy (for the Cobras) go up against their SA teammates in the shape of seasoned pros Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, as well as impressive youngster Wayne Parnell. With 18 full internationals on the park, it’s bound to be a humdinger.
Up north on Sunday, the table-topping Titans should boast a host of Proteas, with AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Paul Harris and Morné Morkel all available. Add to that the fact that their current squad also includes Albie Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe and Jacques Rudolf, and it’s no surprise that they are favourites to win their semi (and the tournament). The inexperienced Dolphins team – the Titans’ opposition at Centurion on Sunday – only have Hashim Aala to bolster their squad.
There’s a lot at stake, as tournament sponsors MTN have put up a whopping R750 000 for the winning team, easily the richest purse in domestic cricket. It’s a winner-takes-all approach, as both the losing semifinalists, as well as the losing finalist will only walk away with R50 000 for the team. Event organisers are hoping this strategy will result in the best players being available, and producing exciting, intense cricket.
Teams for tonight’s clash at Paarl:
WARRIORS: Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Colin Ingram, Justin Kreusch, Mark Boucher, Davy Jacobs (capt), Johan Botha, Nicky Boje, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Jon-Jon Smuts, Makhaya Ntini, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Andrew Birch
COBRAS: Graeme Smith, Andrew Puttick, Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Justin Kemp (capt), Justin Ontong, Stiaan van Zyl, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, François Plaatjies, Sybrand Engelbrech
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