Cricket thread

**RAMESH** · 02-23-2007, 12:02 PM

THIS IS WHAT U ARE GOING TO BE UP AGAINST

South Africa - Pace Ace

Age 29
ODI debut: v New Zealand, January 1998
Makhaya Ntini has terrorised batsmen across the world for almost a decade. Though not statistically the quickest, he is one of the most fearsome pacemen due to his unusual angle of delivery wide of the crease, stemming from his upbringing in rural Mdingi, where stumps were set in concrete. Sharp inward seam movement and a combative temperament make a formidable blend - as Pakistan found out in the Champions Trophy when he took 5-21, and Australians Justin Langer and Andrew Symonds discovered when he clouted them on the lid.

**RAMESH** · 02-23-2007, 12:17 PM

South Africa - Young Pretender

Age 23
ODI debut: v England, February 2005
AB de Villiers is a talented sportsman, who it is believed could have shone in golf - he is a scratch player despite playing infrequently - or tennis had he chosen them. Athletic in the field, running out England captain Michael Vaughan on his debut, he gave options replacing Mark Boucher behind the stumps, but with the gritty keeper back, de Villiers now patrols the important off-side areas. Still awaiting his maiden one-day century, but came closest in the final match of the series against India with an unbeaten 92.

**RAMESH** · 02-23-2007, 12:19 PM

South Africa - Dark Horse

Age 31
ODI debut: v West Indies, January 1999
An unsung hero in a set-up that likes to focus on team spirit rather than superstars, Andrew Hall offers more options for a flexible South Africa side. He has been a regular member of the one-day squad for eight years, has played county cricket with Kent, where he topped the batting and bowling averages in 2006, and has experience of West Indian conditions having taken 2-21 in Port-of-Spain in 2005. In November he produced a fine all-round display with an unbeaten 56 followed by 3-45 against India

**RAMESH** · 02-23-2007, 12:24 PM

Herschelle Gibbs

Gibbs made an impression in the West Indies

After Herschelle Gibbs is fined for smoking cannabis, BBC Sport Online traces the career of the flamboyant South African.
Herschelle Gibbs' latest indiscretion has further dulled the lustre of what promised to be a glittering cricketing career.
His admission that he smoked marijuana, along with four other members of the squad and physiotherapist Craig Smith, comes hard on the heels of his match-fixing suspension.
He revealed that he had agreed to accept money to play badly in a one-day international against India when quizzed during the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal.
But the 27-year-old opener has been at the centre of controversy before, following his fateful dropped catch against Australia in the 1999 World Cup.

Gibbs scored two one-day centuries in three matches

He also received a fine for partying into the early hours before a one-day international, and was revealed last year as the father of a young boy.
The suspended three-match ban for breaching the partying misdemeanour could now see him facing another period away from the cricket field.
After his six-month ban for his part in the match-fixing madness ended, Gibbs would have thought he was no longer going to spend time on the sidelines.
A precocious talent, Gibbs made his Western Province debut at the tender age of 16 and soon established himself as an attacking stroke player with a good claim to a place in the national side.
He was also a coloured cricketer in a sport dominated by whites, and as such helped fulfil the United Cricket Board's commitment to create a more racially-inclusive team.
Gibbs' Test record Runs: 1563
100s: 2
50s: 7

By the time he had forced himself into the South African team in November 1996, he had also acquired a flourishing reputation as a fielder.
He claimed his maiden one-day century against the West Indies in January 1999 and finally conquered his natural impetuousness to record his maiden Test ton against New Zealand in March of the same year.
His performances earned him an automatic place in South Africa's World Cup squad.
But it was his blunder - a crucial dropped catch in the Super Six match against Australia - that threw Steve Waugh's side the lifeline that would eventually lead them to the world title.
Gibbs' one-day record Runs: 2061
100s: 5
50s: 9

Gibbs caught Steve Waugh in the middle of what would become his match-winning innings of 120 at Headingley, but then dropped the ball prematurely as he celebrated.
The umpires ruled that he did not have full control of the ball. Australia survived to beat South Africa in the last four and thrash Pakistan in the final.
He recovered to play an important role in South Africa's Test series and one-day victories over England last year and looked set to enjoy a long tenure at the top of the game.
But in April 2000, Gibbs was charged with match-fixing by Delhi police, along with Cronje, Pieter Strydom, Henry Williams and Nicky Boje.
Late night shenanagins
He was in hot water with the UCB again when he admitted being out at a nightclub until 3am the night before South Africa's second one-day international against Australia in Cape Town in April last year.
He was fined 5000 rand and banned for three matches. All but a third of the fine was subsequently suspended on condition that Gibbs was not found guilty of a similar offence.
Now because of his dalliance with 'dagga' - the South African term for marijuana - he could be on the outer once more.

**RAMESH** · 02-26-2007, 05:08 AM

A crouching lefthander with a high-batted stance and a grimace reminiscent of Graham Gooch, Ashwell Prince was helped into the national team by South Africa's controversial quota system, although he quickly justified his selection by top-scoring on debut with a gutsy 49 against the mighty Australians in 2001-02. That innings, and a matchwinning 48 in the third Test at Durban, seemed to shed his reputation as a one-day flasher. But by the start of the 2002-03 season, his form had fallen away horribly, and he failed in four consecutive home Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
However, Prince returned to the side following some good domestic performances, and valuable knocks in the middle order against the West Indies and England at home has seen Prince become a more regular member of the South Africa one-day side. Despite two hundreds in the 2004-05 season - an unbeaten 139 against Zimbabwe at Centurion and 131 in South Africa's 2-0 rout of the West Indies - Prince still does not find himself an automatic selection in the longer format of the game. Long rated highly by SA's cricket supremo Ali Bacher, Prince is strong through the off side, and was Western Province's player of the year in 2001. His throwing from the deep has been hampered by a long-term shoulder injury, but he remains a brilliant shot-stopping fielder in the covers. The highlight of his career was a fine 119 in the third Test against Australia at Sydney in early 2006, but it was during this series that he became bunny to a legend: Shane Warne. Warne dismissed him in the first five innings - though Prince played the rest of the bowlers admirably - and troubled him plentiful when South Africa hosted Australia in March. Scores of 17, 27, 33 and 7 overshadowed a fantastic 93 in the first innings at Johannesburg.
In July 2006 he was named as South Africa's first black captain in the absence of the injured Graeme Smith. The result was a disappointing 2-0 whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka. Prince made way for Mark Boucher to captain in the tri-series, also featuring India, which was ultimately aborted following South Africa's withdrawal over security concerns. Prince was not included in South Africa's squad for the Champions Trophy, but continued his sterling 2006 Test form against India at home. The highest run-scorer on either side in the three-Test contest, Prince's series highlights included an outstanding 97 in a loss at Johannesburg and a third career hundred at Cape Town. When Pakistan toured next, Prince was the only centurion in the three-Test series. His 138 laid the foundations for victory in the first Test at Centurion Park, and his numbers can't be argued with, as he ended the season's six Tests averaging 60.67. It was enough to earn him a recall to the one-day side, including a ticket to the West Indies for the World Cup.
Jamie Alter February 2007

**RAMESH** · 02-26-2007, 05:35 AM

South Africa take No. 1 spot
This team is special - Pollock
Cricinfo staff
February 18, 2007

Shaun Pollock: 'If we get it right on the day, we have shown we can beat anyone' © AFP
Shaun Pollock has experienced his fair share of World Cup highs and lows, but is confident South Africa can finally go all the way after they took Australia's spot at the top of the one-day rankings.
Pollock, the man-of-the-series in the recent Pakistan contest, said South Africa had no reason to fear anyone ahead of the tournament which begins next month in the Caribbean. "I believe we have the ability," he told the Sunday Times. "If we get it right on the day, we have shown we can beat anyone."
South Africa have had a miserable time at previous World Cups. As the host nation in 2003, they were embarrassingly knocked out before the Super Sixes after a mix-up over their target in a rain-affected match. They also lost out to Australia in 1999 after Herschelle Gibbs famously failed to hang on to a catch off Steve Waugh before their semi-final tie at Edgbaston.
Pollock, who will be appearing in his fourth and final World Cup, said the current team was the strongest he had played in. "I believe there is something special about this one. And it will be extra special for me because it will be my last one."
Captain Graeme Smith, who replaced Pollock in charge after the 2003 debacle, also said in a weekend interview the team was on the top of its game. "The one-day side has just been getting better and better. Our fielding has gone through the roof, the team ethic is getting better, the players are maturing, the confidence is high and players are performing well under pressure, which is fantastic."
However, Smith has downplayed the importance of the number one ranking. "It doesn't make us a better team than Australia. One-day cricket is about performing on the day," he told The Star newspaper.
To add further spice to the World Cup, Australia and South Africa have been drawn together in the group stage of the tournament and will meet at St Kitts on March 24.

**RAMESH** · 02-26-2007, 05:37 AM

where we are going to fuck them up

**RAMESH** · 03-06-2007, 03:44 PM

i'm so glad that one of the 1st teams we are going to play against is australia those yellow fuckers should be scared to death i know pontin must be pissin himself
the reason why people don't talk shit like this before the match is because if they loose they going to look bad so you must fuckin know that i know my team is the best
australians is a bunch of actors those fuckers deserve an oscar for their umpire perormances
the way those fuckers can put on a show the umpire just puts his finger in the air for that wonderfull performance that they put on the motherfucker doesn't realise it's not out
nothing wrong with those actors it's just an austalian drama
we africans we don't do that shit
we don't talk for nothing if i was 100% confident i wouldn't say this shit

**rainbow** · 03-08-2007, 03:18 AM

i dont think scared would be a word that comes to mind.

australia, the best one day team in the world...playing south africa.

we will wait and see, your comments about umpiring decisions are ridiculous.

and its coming from a guy who supports the most notorious team (south africa) in the world for match fixing and general cheating.

**RAMESH** · 03-08-2007, 03:26 AM

bullshit the whole world will see if south africa cheats
the only match fixing we were involved in was to loose not to win
the last time you cats came down here alot of our players were given out without us really being out make me cross
but we will see real soon i can't fuckin wait anymore it's driving me mad