South Africa

There has been very little interest in this section of Dooyoo, and so I thought I would offer my opinion on the current situation in the South African team. The South African team has always been under the shadow of the legendary Australian team, over the past couple of years and the ongoing series against the Aussies was a perfect chance for them to prove their ability. However, just like most other test cricket nations they have been totally outclassed and currently trail 2-0 in the series with the series lost and only one test remaining. To be honest I never thought the current South ... more

I'm lucky enough to write a column for my local paper, the Northampton Chronicle & Echo, on Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, now known as Northants (the abbreviation all rather cheap and to save money on decals and letterheads, knowing our tight Chief Exec) and so got to know some of the South African players as the Kolpak ruling flooded the county championship with this particular breed of cricketers. I can't say they are the nicest blokes but they play hard on and off the pitch so fair enough, Herschel Gibbs cracking biography detailing exactly that attitude. But small clubs like ... more

Since the reintroduction of South Africa to world cricket after the apartheid years it has been an interesting few years. South Africa had built a team under Hansie Cronje which was capable of rivalling Australia and the West Indies who in the late 1990’s were still one of the teams to beat. There were still some problems to overcome not least an overzealous and in my view misguided attempt to ensure there was a multiracial element to all the South African teams. The South African cricket squads and even some teams were fielded which had a token non-white player in them. Though within ... more

South Africa are the chokers of world cricket. With the talent they have at their disposal, they should be challenging and beating Australia, the best team in the world. When you look at the South African batting lineup, it is difficult to imagine any team bowling them out cheaply, especially with Mark Boucher batting as low as number nine on a regular basis. This shows just how good the middle order really is. The bowling talent is also formidable, with Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald being the best fast bowling duo in the world at present. Mornanteau Hayward also looks to be a promising ... more

With the results of the Cronje affair not to be released until mid October, one must now wait and see what further effects the ordeal will have on the state of South African cricket. Yes, Cronje has been disgraced, what he did was selfish, greedy and totally unprofessional, and yes, he has somewhat dragged the integrity of the game through proverbial mud. However, we must all understand that he was a pawn caught in the complex web that is asian gambling. He had been drawn in and could not get out without the ringleaders threatening to expose him....a 'spiral of deceit' as one could put it ... more