Latest News – Sanjay's Cricket World

As a supporter of the Proteas, my biggest frustration is that nothing changes.

Every ICC tournament is a failure. Just when you think it can’t get any worse…it does!

The latest failure at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies must generate an important lesson, and the lesson must be heeded, otherwise we will only ever keep getting substandard performances and a bare trophy cabinet.

Thankfully the Proteas current coach Corrie van Zyl is in agreement.

“We again could not cope with the pressure. The question has to be asked why we could not manage it and why it happens repeatedly” said Van Zyl.

“Is it our approach to batting, is it our general approach, or are we maybe too tentative? Those are the questions you need to ask yourself” continued van Zyl.

“You think about what the best way is going forward so that we can improve. We cannot keep repeating the same errors and not make changes. I think it’s time for renewal and change in certain aspects – like our approach” said van Zyl.

Many critics have called for captain Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher to be axed. I agree with Smith and Boucher as they have had their chances and produce very few match winning performances. But Kallis is still the best all rounder in the world and too valuable to drop. van Zyl hinted changes will be made, but will the selectors be brave enough to do what is needed?

“I don’t want to come down on individuals, but the time is right for change. We have to sit down and think about what is important to change and which players are the right ones to fit in with that change. If we need to make a few hard calls, it will be done. The point is that we cannot continue down this path. We won’t win the World Cup in 2011 if we continue like this. We’ll have to change our approach” said van Zyl.

Former South African convenor of selectors Omar Henry was more forthright in his opinion.

“I would axe Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and even Graeme Smith from the T20 team. I believe we need to build a new side and head in a new direction. Kallis is worth a lot as an all-rounder in 50-over cricket. I would retain Smith as captain, but he would have to agree to a number of changes in how he goes about his job” said Henry.

Former coach Ray Jennings raised a good point regarding Smith’s captaincy. “In seven big tournaments since Graeme Smith has been the captain not one could be won” said Jennings.

That is true and reason alone that a new captain should be found.

It is time for a new direction and look for the Proteas, the question is can the powers that be make the right call?

Once again the Proteas made a smashing exit from an ICC tournament and failed to deliver in a pressured environment. Whereas we normally choke, this time we were just made to look grossly inadequate.

The win against New Zealand could not atone for the 2 Losses to England and Pakistan. One has to say these are not the top tier sides in the world either. For a team that aspires to be the best in the world and has had the test and ODI number 1 rankings recently this is not acceptable, especially as it is a pattern that happens every ICC tournament.

Against Pakistan the bowlers did a solid if not spectacular job. Once again though we did see that we failed to deliver a knockout blow when it needed to be administered. Pakistan were able to recover from 18/3 to post a competitive 148/7.

My biggest concern is that even with different coaches we fail to learn how to chase down totals. I simply don’t believe you can leave it all for the last 10 (ODI’s) or last 5 overs of a T20 game to do the majority of the scoring.

Greater urgency needs to be shown at the beginning of an innings, getting up to or even past the required run rate so that if wickets fall you don’t lose momentum or worse still lose your way. Our batsmen take forever to get themselves set, often wasting deliveries that make them look silly if they can’t go on with the job. What’s needed is more manipulation of the ball around the field and into gaps like Jonty Rhodes used to do, and Hussey currently does for Australia.

Considering we needed a win with a massive improvement in our net run rate, I would have preferred an all or nothing approach trying to blast down the total as quick as we could. Better to go down with guns blazing! If you can’ score a single boundary between overs 7 and 15 in a T20 game, what are you trying to do? That’s embarrassing.

Until we fix this approach to the game, we’ll never win anything. I still believe the pressure of must win games holds us back as we are afraid to lose rather than brave enough to win. The record chase of 438 provides the blueprint of how to go about chasing totals. Please Graeme learn from what has worked!

Instead we get the usual dribble we always get.

“I guess you run out of excuses” said Proteas captain Graeme Smith at the post-match presentation.

“We were just not good enough again. It’s very, very disappointing. We bowled pretty well to restrict Pakistan, but we were tense with the bat and lacked fluency and positivity. Today we got strangled a bit with the bat” added Smith

“You always say you’ve got to learn your lessons. You have to say, with the talent in South Africa, it’s not good enough to perform at this level” continued Smith.

That’s an understatement! Changes have to be made, fast and permanently. This sort of rubbish is just not acceptable year after year. The question is can someone make the brave decisions?