South African Cricket: Kallis would make an all-time SA Test XI but what of the others of the current crop?

Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 17 November 2008 / 2 Comments

Andrew Hughes finds room for the immovable object that is Jacques Kallis in his all-time South African Test XI but what of the likes of Smith, Prince, Steyn and Boucher?

At various times since readmission, South Africa have been trumpeted as the likeliest challengers to Australian dominance. In truth, they have almost always fallen short and at the present time, it is clearly India who have first call on the title of challengers. But next month, Graeme Smith's men go to Australia with many pundits fancying their chances, not just because of the rocky transition that the Aussies are going through but also because this is one of the most promising South African teams in a long time.

This is undoubtedly a team on the up. Their win in Pakistan was followed by home victories over New Zealand and West Indies, a drawn rubber in India and a resilient triumph in England. After a brief rest, they are about to enjoy a gentle warm-up against what is virtually a Bangladeshi B-team, after an easy work out in the shorter formats against the same opponents. Although the market is fairly immature, I'd be surprised if the South Africans get much bigger than the current [1.1] to win the First Test starting on Wednesday with Mohammad Ashraful's plucky but seriously outgunned Bangladeshis likely to be around the [7.0] mark.

So just how good is this South African team? One question that cricket lovers often ask is how many of their current side would deserve a place in an all time national XI. A subjective exercise, but then that is one of the charms of the game and picking such teams can while away many a happy hour at the cricket. For what it's worth, I think there are three current South African players deserving of a place in that all-time XI.

Top of the list is Jacques Kallis, the rock of the batting line-up and the highest South African run scorer of all time. Sometimes criticised for slow play or for not imposing the full extent of his strokeplay on the opposition, he remains the man to anchor an innings, to repair the damage or to pile on the runs after a slow start. Given the number of stroke players who make my all-time XI, Kallis is the vital ballast.

Joining him in that team would be Mark Boucher. He has been around for ever and his tally of Test matches is double the number of his nearest challenger. A gritty competitor, proficient at shepherding the tail, leading a fight back or supporting a run chase, as he did brilliantly at Edgbaston this summer, his batting is as good as any who have kept wicket for South Africa.

I'd also find a place for Graeme Smith, just ahead of Eddie Barlow in the opening position. This dominant left-hander has improved steadily as a captain and has added some resolute defence to his punishing whipped shots through the leg side.

And I'd find room for Shaun Pollock and Alan Donald. Pollock was a loyal servant of South African cricket for many years and his accurate seam and swing bowling was a devastating foil for the quick men down the other end. Foremost of these of course, was Donald, perhaps the fastest and deadliest of all South African speed merchants; lethal and ultra-competitive.

You have to go back a long way to find a decent South African spinner, probably all the way back to men like Bert Vogler and Reggie Schwarz who bamboozled batsmen at the turn of the nineteenth century with their mastery of the new-fangled googly.

Consequently, an all-time South African XI would have to be reliant on pure pace. I'd include the legendary quick bowler Neil Adcock who carried his country's attack single handedly throughout the 1950s and all-rounder Mike Proctor, who's blistering pace bowling was supplemented with some lusty lower order hitting. With Proctor at seven, I'd have the flashing blade and lightning fielding of Colin Bland at six with pugnacious square-jawed left-hander Dudley Nourse at five behind Kallis.

That just leaves two spots for two of the greatest ever batsmen. As a left-hander, Graeme Pollock's power, timing and attacking intent has perhaps only been equalled by the great Gary Sobers. And opening the batting, I'd have the staggering talent of Barry Richards, a batsman blessed with such a repertoire of strokes, it seemed he could hit any ball to any part of the ground at will.

Comments (2)

1. Nahim | 04 February 2009

   Looks like a very good team, but the lack of a spinner could hurt. Why not get Hugh Tayfield into the side, to add some balance?

   Smith, Richards, G Pollock, Kallis, Nourse, Proctor, S Pollock, Boucher, Tayfield, Donald, Adcock.

   A bit top-heavy on bowlers (6 specialist bowlers!), perhaps, but the batting still goes down all the way to 8. Alternatively, if you're going for more batting depth, maybe you might replace Adcock with Bland (or maybe Clive Rice?), although that's going to be a tough choice to make!
   

2. Anonymous | 17 December 2010

   where is jonty rodes?