Why is de Kock Still on the Sidelines of ODI Cricket

APPLAUSE ALL AROUND: Jacques Rudolph
celebrates an elegant ton 

Although I was fairly young, I recall a youthful Jacques Rudolph on TV, making his Test debut against Bangladesh, Chittagong. In that same match, the 22-year-old left handed batsman scored an individual high score of 222* along with his long time and most trusted friend Boeta Dippenaar; who also scored an unbeaten 177 runs in the match.

A few years after his Test match debut, I once again caught a glimpse of Rudolph's elegant innings against England in the first Test of their tour series against the Proteas. Although the Proteas lost the Test match, it was again both Rudolph and Dippenaar who steered the South Africans to a match-fighting first innings score of 337 runs. Dippenaar this time top scoring with a superb 110 while Rudolph falling short of a century with his 93 runs off 192 balls. Apart from these scenarios, these men timelessly showed their determination to fight through rough spells in certain Test match situations. Without a doubt, both Rudolph and Dippenaar were extremely talented batsmen. On countless occasions these men dominated the domestic cricket scene at a very young age. They had to be South African cricketing legends in years to come.  

ALMOST GOT IT: A catch dropped by Rudolph Jacques
in the slips

However this was not the case. Both Rudolph and Dippenaar’s talents weren’t handled with tender loving care by Cricket South Africa. Rudolph, eventually been dropped after the two scenarios mentioned above, was fortunate to be granted a second chance into Test cricket in November 2011 after a sterling 2011/12 season with the Nashua Titans. Unfortunately Rudolph did not grab his long-waited second chance; failing to secure his spot in the Proteas Test line up after 13 Test matches into his career-resurrection. But he wasn’t to be blamed. He had been through torture with CSA not backing his talent and potential over the years he’s been in the system since U19 cricket level. Without a doubt, he was over the whole international cricket scene. He, Rudolph, ended up being wasted talent. 

BANG: Quinton de Kock on the pull during a
T20 International against New Zealand 

The way I see things, and with the way things are currently going thus far, this is unfortunately how CSA are currently treating 20-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock. He’s exclusion in the Proteas squad to the Champions League vividly shows how much lack of faith they have in the Highveld Lions young stalwart. It’s a fact that de Kock had no success whatsoever in his Indian Premier League journey, only top scoring with a lousy four runs, but his “just see ball hit ball” mentality might have been the one thing we need in our quest to obtain Champions Trophy silverware. After all, de Kock was the highest run scorer in the recent Ram Slam T20 Tournament, scoring 524 runs in 11 matches, which also included an opening ceremonial -century 126* in the first game of the tournament. To even suggests that the former SA U19s captain is a match winner. It was de Kock who was instrumental for the Lions claiming the Ram Slam T20 Trophy; scoring a much needed 44 runs off 31 balls in the final against the Nashua Titans.

As far as I’m concerned, when young talented AB de Villiers was noted, CSA did all they could to get him playing consistently in international level. What differentiates de Kock’s talents from de Villiers back in 2004? Whether we try to blind fold the situation or not, we all know what de Kock is capable of. The boy is ready for the international scene. CSA should use him while they still can.

Picture source: www.espncricinfo.com

-Mandilulame Manjezi
www.jizzyjakes.blogspot.com
@JizzyjakesTheIn 

An Imaginary Interview With Makhaya Ntini

[The following article I wrote here is not based on something that truly happened, just a creative imagination of how it would be like if I had the opportunity to sit and conduct an interview with the legendary South African cricket veteran. If you reading this, I hope you enjoy it and sort of get the feel of how it is being within the same space as the legend]

Its Test cricket fever in Cape Town and South Africa are hosting the unpredictable Pakistan outfit. The atmosphere around Newlands is electric -despite it being in a Test match. I slowly start getting soaked up into the historical fever around the ground; with Graeme Smith's 100th Test match being the order of the day. But I know there's something else around the Newlands Park media room I could use that has historical value as well.

I spot legendary former South African fast bowler, Makhaya Ntini in the South African Broadcasting Commission (SABC) media room. He's on his break, sipping on a cold Sparletta Cream Soda; which from the looks of it seems to be quenching his thirst. Everyone who knows Ntini on a first name basis would know that Sparletta Cream Soda is undoubtedly his favourite soft drink by far. I don't want to disturb him bonding with his favourite drink, so I quickly head towards the media room fridge to get my favourite soft drink -a Stoney! I go back to where I previously found Ntini and notice he's still in the same place drinking his soft drink. "Hey Ta Makker [Ntini] I bet you would love to have what I'm drinking right now than that medicine-looking drink you having there" I say to the legend, attempting to mock him. "No no no never, never Mr Manjezi [sic]. We all know what Nelson Mandela would drink if we were to give him my drink and your drink," says Ntini.

I begin asking him about Graeme Smith and he’s thoughts of the 100th Test match skipper; who in more than half of those matches, captained Ntini when the fast bowler was still making trends across the cricketing globe. "Graeme [Smith] was the back bone of the Proteas Test team, and he still is even now. I don't know what would happen if he were to retire and give the captaincy to someone else. I remember when he had just come into the team as a young captain. Everyone was against the thought of him captaining us. But little did they know that he would end up being so successful 10 years down the line," commented Ntini about Smith and his captaincy.

HEAVY BALL: Makhaya Ntini in full action in his Test debut

Ntini and I suddenly hear noise from where the cricket action is taking place on the historical ground. The Proteas are celebrating a wicket taken by Vernon Philander who’s hysterical in his celebration, running across to his wicket-keeper, AB de Villiers. It was on this ground, on that same bowling end that Ntini got his first Test wicket, dismissing Sri Lankan batsman, Aravinda de Silva, for a well played 77 runs off 98 balls. "It was a long and hot day. Marvin [Atapattu] and de Silva were building a strong partnership, hitting us in all corners of Newlands. I didn't know what to do. I didn’t know where to bowl. So I quickly went over to Allan [Donald] and asked him what I should do. He just simply said I should intimidate de Silva, so I took his advice and thought he meant I should give de Silva a bouncer. My bouncer didn't really get up to his head, but it got his edge and I went crazy," explained Ntini about the historical day. It was indeed all historical as that Test match against Sri Lanka in Newlands, March 19 1998 -was the first time an African represented South Africa in Test cricket. That was the day in which Ntini made history.

More than a decade later, Ntini is enjoying life more each day. While occasionally playing cricket for his provincial franchise, the Chevrolet Warriors, Ntini juggles between his cricket, being a commentator and a brand ambassador for Volvo South Africa. Now at the age of 35, Ntini still longs to be on the field and have a few glorious overs under his belt. He simply doesn't want to let go of the sport which immensely changed his life for the better. "I still play cricket only for two reasons. One is because my body hasn't said my time is up, instead I feel fresher than I was back in 1998. Secondly for the young black cricketers emerging into the Warriors first team from the different Eastern Cape cricketing unions. In Border we've seen the introduction of young cricketers like Aya Gqamane and Vuyisa Makhaphela. I have to be around these black cricketers to ensure that they find they’re feet in professional cricket. After all that has been accomplished, then I can rest." said Ntini with a huge broad and proud smile on his face.

It's now 11:45am and Ntini is about to go on air for his commentary spell before the lunch break.

Ntini looks down onto the ground to see what the current situation in the game is. He watches Dale Steyn bowl three deliveries to Pakistan's veteran batsman, Younis Khan and taps me on my shoulder. "Look, look! Younis is moving his feet. He's dancing on the wicket to the fast bowler. He's going to score a big one if we don't get his wicket quickly," Ntini assured me. Younis Khan later ended his brilliant innings on 111 runs, after the edge of his bat caught a seaming Philander delivery. With over 100 Test matches himself, the one they call the Mdingi Exxpress definitely knows how the lovely game of cricket is played.

-Mandilulame Manjezi

www.jizzyjakes.blogspot.com

@JizzyJakesTheIn

What Lies Ahead For the Proteas

Once again the Proteas have come out of the April cut-off in first place of the ICC rankings in Test cricket. Both the Proteas Test squad and Proteas management staff had put in countless hours in making sure the players were well-equipped and fit to perform in literally each day of each Test match.

 

Although the Proteas Test squad had merely been the same starting XI for two consecutive seasons, a lot of interruptions have come about the Proteas camp of late. The much more recent interruptions were the two injuries that had Proteas coach and convenor of selectors, Gary Kirsten and Andrew Hudson respectively, in array of headaches and stresses. In just one season, we all witnessed legendary Wicket-keeper Mark Boucher being forced into retirement a series before his expected time to retire. It was the tragic freak-injury where a cricket bail cut Boucher’s eyeball socket off an Imran Tahir wicket-taking delivery in a warm-up game against Somerset. We also witnessed JP Duminy, who was beginning to show glimpse of maturity in Test cricket, injure his Achilles Tendor in a warm-down session in the first Test match against Australia in Perth.

Just these two injuries had set alight some huge debates within the South African cricketing nation. In Boucher’s case, a simple replacement of another wicket-keeper was the assumption, especially when Highveld Lions wicket-keeper Thami Tsolekile had already been granted a Cricket South Africa (CSA) contract before the tour to England. But the fairy tale story of Tsolekile’s comeback return into Test cricket was not to be when vice-captain AB de Villiers decided, along with both Kirsten and Hudson, that it would it best for the equilibrium of the Test team to take over the glove duties from Boucher. At this point in time AB de Villiers had already taken over the wicket-keeping duties from Boucher in T20 and ODI cricket for the Proteas making him also potentially eligible to take over with glove duties in Test cricket as well.

In Duminy’s injury scenario, Nashua Titans all-rounder Fanscois du Plessis was rewarded a Test debut for his remarkable performance in the domestic Sunfoil Series. Du Plessis immediately showed his worth, scoring a match saving 110* off 376 balls to see the Proteas securing a much needed draw in the second Test match against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Thinking of these two situations in a positive manner, the Proteas now have a much stronger squad with the inclusion of both du Plessis and Elgar into the foil. Alas with this is all said, let's not forget the sterling bowling performance from Kyle Abbott on his Test debut against Pakistan in Centurion, taking 7/29 in just 11 overs. All the Proteas’ new caps in the past season have shown determination to step up to the table when desperately needed to make miracles with both bat and ball. However the downfall of it all could be that a player like Elgar could end up being side-lined for a very long time once Duminy comes back from his Achilles injury. Duminy himself sat out for quite a long period of time before being granted the chance of batting at number seven in Test cricket. The same scenario could be the outcome for Abbott if Marchant de Lange finally gets fully fit during the winter period.

It shall all exciting to witness what shall happen next in the upcoming season when the Proteas once again collide against the sub-continent powerhouses of Pakistan in Dubai and India in the latter end of the year in South Africa. With so much talent Kirsten has in his disposal and a few other cricketers in domestic cricket fiercely knocking hard on the Proteas door –all shall be bitter-sweet dreams for the national head coach and his coaching staff entourage.

-Mandilulame Manjezi

www.jizzyjakes.blogspot.com

@JizzyJakesTheIN

Young Sigwili On The Rise

Ngazibini Sigwili simply can't stop smiling every time the topic of his mother, Bulelwa Sigwili, is brought up to discussion. He relentlessly keeps praising her for his recent cricketing success.

The success' of him being selected for the SA Youth U19 squad in January earlier this year is a dream in which he’s always wanted to fulfil. This is after his mentor and Border U19s cricket coach, Raymond Booi, praised the left-handed fast-medium bowler's talents; advising him about the ability he has to make history for his school, Hudson Park High School which is based near the coastal areas of East London, and for Border Cricket -who Sigwili treasures dearly.

Sigwili, 18, who’s currently doing his matric at Hudson Park High School, has always associated himself around positive people since the tender age of nine. It was around that age when a group of his peers insisted he should continue playing cricket, than to pursue a rugby career -a sport which Sigwili was highly passionate of.  However, the young Sigwili didn't understand what all the fuss was about. To him cricket under the swelling East London heat, on the George Randall Primary School cement wicket, took far too long; drained his entire afternoons which never left him amused when he had to walk back home in the late sunset hours of the afternoon. It was until Sigwili's left-handed deliveries slowly started drawing familiar crowds of various school pupils from around the area when Sigwili began to notice the raw talent he possessed within him.

"It was at George Randall Primary School where my cricket career all began. I started seeing people being extremely happy when they would come watch me bowl after their classes in the afternoon. Some people who were in George Randall Primary School before but were then in high school, would go back to the primary school just to watch me bowl. That's when I knew that I should start focusing a little on my cricket." said Sigwili while reminiscing about all those incredible moments.

After much success in the Standard Bank U13 cricket week representing Border, Sigwili was soon approached by Hudson Park High School where he received a three-year scholarship with the prestigious school. It was also in Hudson Park where Sigwili was highly inspired by Chevrolet Warriors All-rounder, Ayabulela Gqamane. In 2011 Sigwili was selected amongst 30 other cricketers from across the country for the Cricket South Africa (CSA) National Academy. This was a set-up by CSA which closely watched school cricketers around South Africa in an 18 month period for National Academy selection. His superb form in the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola U19 Cricket Week guaranteed him a squad selection into the SA U19s squad for the Youth Test and ODI series against England U19s.

Many of the school cricketer’s first encounters with SA U19 coach, Ray Jennings, is always perceived as a dreading story; but luckily for Sigwili, his first encounter with "The Jet" was in a more peaceful environment; away from all the heart-throbbing trials. "Coach Jennings wasn't with us at the national camp, so my first encounter with him was when I had initially made the SA U19 side. Since I started working with Jennings, I've managed to reach certain fitness levels I've never thought I would because of coach Jennings" humbly explained Sigwili. Unfortunately it was a groin injury that saw Sigwili side-lined from the Coca-Cola Youth Test series against England in the latter days of January earlier this year. Not feeling down and dusted by the exclusion from the starting XI, Sigwili kept on rehabilitating his groin injury with SA U19 physiotherapist, Megan Dutton, ensuring himself to be fully fit for the upcoming Coca-Cola Youth ODI series which was then to be the following clash with the British visitors in February.

It was in the Youth ODI series against England where Sigwili's SA U19 team continuously displayed sterling performances throughout the series to see England U19s being white-washed 5-0 in the series. It took a much motivated Sigwili, who finished with 12 wickets in the series, the most wickets taken by a bowler in the Coca-Cola Youth ODI series. Sigwili took a thrilling 4/43 in the 4th Youth ODI match which saw him walk away with the man of the match prize.

So what's next for the East London-based rising superstar? According to Booi, the Border Cricket Union is assured to look after him –even if it means leaving Sigwili in the hands of the Eastern Province Union, its cricketing neighbouring union. “As Border Cricket we are going to look after him. We shall try pulling all strings to put him into an institution he desires to further his cricket and education, even if that means him moving to Port Elizabeth and studying at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The main objective with Ngazi [Sigwili] is for him to play for the Chevrolet Warriors in the next couple of season when he’s ready to play professional cricket. His development shall be very vital for Eastern Cape cricket as a whole as we are short of left-handed bowlers,” said Booi.

-Mandilulame Manjezi

www.jizzyjakes.blogspot.com

@JizzyJakesTheIn

Picture Source: Gavin Withers Photography cc

Proteas' Steady Downfall in T20 Cricket

It's a fact -The Proteas field a better Test side than in T20 and One Day Internationals. This might sound fantastic to some patriotic South African cricket followers; that the Proteas take their Test cricket seriously, but it still doesn't hide the obvious fact that it's within the T20 and ODI Internationals that championships of nobilities are won.

So what could be the problem with our limited overs squad? What could be the reason or purpose in which led the Proteas to home series defeats against New Zealand in the ODIs and Pakistan in the T20s? The captaincy duties seemed to overwhelm Francois du Plessis in the recent T20 series defeat to Pakistan. Du Plessis was given the T20 International captaincy on a permanent basis despite him having only played less than 10 T20 International matches for the Proteas. This decision was undoubtedly a surprise to cricket analysts’ with him not having much if not any captaincy experience in this format of the game with his domestic team –the Nashua Titans. No matter how you project du Plessis’ captaincy situation in different angles, argue the fact that he’s a team leader or show off his T20 domestic and IPL stats –in conclusion the decision of him being given the T20 captaincy is appalling. There’s no reason why AB de Villiers can be South Africa’s ODI captain but not the T20 captain –especially in this time of need where the Proteas desperately are in need for an experienced T20 captain.

Highveld Lions’ Quinton de Kock has had a marvellous streak with the bat of recent. Opening his T20 RAM Slam T20 Challenge account with an unbeaten 126 against the Cape Cobras in Potchefstroom then scoring 47 in both clashes against the Nashua Titans and Chevrolet Warriors simply suggests the young talented wicket-keeper batsman should be utilized a little more efficiently in the Proteas squad. There was no reason why de Kock couldn’t open the batting with Henry Davids in the 2^nd T20 match; leaving AB de Villiers in the middle order to stabilize the batting order. The fact that de Kock went on to score a well fought 65 runs in the warm-up game for the South African Invitational XI against the Pakistanis is even more of a mystery why he didn’t feature in the 2^nd T20 International against Pakistan on March 3. With de Villiers opening the batting, in an inexperienced batting line up creates instability in the middle order –which then leads to an inconsistent flow to create genuine partnerships.

However the Proteas management can’t be blamed for introducing players who have performed in domestic cricket into the Proteas set-up. But that doesn’t mean that they should now have an influx of new breeds into the T20 squad. Creating a revolutionary team for championships in a certain format takes time –at most several seasons. The fact that the Proteas have an untouchable Test team is evident that their starting 11 is never tampered with unnecessarily. Jacques Kallis still plays IPL cricket in India for the Kolkata knights. Why can’t he play for his national team? We understand the necessities of him taking a break off cricket now and then; but the looks of recent performances by the Proteas –They dearly need him to be part of an inexperience Proteas T20 top order line-up. With that been mentioned, the introduction of new capped players should be done in an environment where its atmosphere is surrounded by senior players. 

Kyle Abbott’s T20 International debut against Pakistan wasn’t the most illustrious simply because he didn’t have a senior seam bowler guiding him through the different phases he would encounter with playing in the highest level of the game. If Dale Steyn were to have played (since Morne Morkel was injured) things might have been different. Not because of Steyn’s ability to put the Proteas in a commanding position, but his influence in a player like Abbott who in return –might have put the Proteas in a commanding situation against 95 runs-victorious Pakistan outfit on that tragic Sunday of March 3.

-Mandilulame Manjezi

www.jizzyjakes.blogspot.com

@JizzyJakesTheIn        

   

I Want To Play County Cricket!

“I want to play County Cricket" says a young cricketer who hails from the small town of Port Alfred.

Siphe Gift Mzaidume suddenly found himself playing in the Minor Counties cricket league in England for Oxfordshire and Holmesdale.

The 23-year-old seam bowler stresses that just like South African born but English capped international cricketers, Jonathan Trott and Craig Kieswetter, he decided it was time to leave South Africa and pursue a professional cricketing career elsewhere. Mzaidume made his decision after coaches and selectors in both Border and Eastern Province cricket unions started doubting his cricketing ability during his development years. Although he urges that one should not walk away from their troubles, he advises young upcoming cricketers in the country to never give up on their dreams of playing cricket professionally.

 

Mzaidume’s passion for the gentleman's sport started on the partially-green cricket field of Port Alfred High School, A small fry in the Eastern Cape sporting high school scene. Whilst in Port Alfred, he obtained Eastern Province (EP) U13, U15 and U17 cricket colours. "Suddenly the EP coaches didn't want to select me for the EP U19 team in my matric year" says Mzaidume. But fortunately for Mzaidume, Border cricket agreed to grant him a chance for the Border U19 cricket trails.

He stunned the coaches present at the trials and saw himself soon playing for the Border U19 and Border Academy side for two years. But this wasn't enough. Since Border Cricket officials had ruled him as an average player, Mzaidume started thinking ahead by planning to further his cricket career.    

Mzaidume knew that he was worth more than just club cricket, where at the time represented the Old Selbornian outfit based in East London.  The young man was hungry to play professional cricket.

Mzaidume managed to get into contact with the Hampshire staff in England hoping somehow he would get in contact with also South African born cricketer, Kevin Pietersen.  After some patience and persistence, Mzaidume finally got into contact with Pietersen. Surprisingly Mzaidume's counterpart in England was none other than now Chevrolet Warriors all-rounder, Ayabulela Gqamane. "Aya [Gqamane] was also in the same shoes as me at the time.

"The Border Cricket Union were not giving us anything promising nor lucrative, so we decided to leave for England that year.  We kept each other in contact of our performances on a weekly basis. Aya got home-sick and ended up going back to South Africa." said Mzaidume while reminiscing about the early days in the cold English weather with his former Border teammate.

Mzaidume explained that he's got a year and a half left until he's legible for county cricket.

He recently toured Port Elizabeth with the Northamptonshire second side to play in pre-season games against the Warriors and a few other local teams. The English clearly see something in Mzaidume the South Africans were not.  His recent performances on the cricket field are the main contributors to all the success thus far. After his first tough season in England, Mzaidume stood strong, obtained 43 wickets in the second season, 45 wickets in the third and 47 wickets in the fourth.  The South African-born, now overseas wonder-kid also made raves in Melbourne, Australia where he recently picked up match figures of 9-47 in 20.4 overs for the East Malvern Tooronga Cricket Club. 

He'll hope to surpass the 50 wicket-barrier when he returns back to England from his winter-break later on this year. Mzaidume gives credit to his father and the rest of his family for his current success. “It was my desire to make dad proud for all the sacrifices he had made for my brothers and I. "My dad would drive me from Port Alfred to East London for cricket every time I had to attend training, and then drive would drive me back in the late evening. Just the one trip to East London from Port Alfred is over 100 km. He really believed in me. That belief he had shown in me was one of the reasons I decide to look for opportunity elsewhere."

-Mandilulame Manjezi
www.jizzyjakes.blogspot.com
@JizzyJakesTheIn

The Tsolekile-de Villiers Saga

MANY people didn’t expected Highveld Lions Wicket-keeper batsman, Thami Tsolekile to be dropped from the South African squad –including Tsolekile himself concurs his franchise coach, Geoffrey Toyana. “Thami was very disappointed to hear that he had not been selected for the New Zealand tour to South Africa -especially after he was promised to play. But you know Thami, he’s a fighter and I can assure you he shall keep pushing the boundaries.” said Toyana.

After being promised by Cricket South Africa (CSA) convenor of selector, Andrew Hudson, to take over the glove duties in the Test series against New Zealand, Tsolekile was astonished to have not found his name in the South African Test squad to play the Black Caps. Knights and Titans batsmen, Dean Elgar and Jacques Rudolph, were still kept in the Proteas Test squad despite them both failing in Australia when given a chance with the bat.

The two batsmen had scores of 43, 9 not out and 9, 77 respectively in their recent Sunfoil Series matches coming back from their tour of Australia. Elgar grafted 21 runs off 52 balls in South Africa’s first innings against New Zealand in the first Test match; then scored a beautiful century in the second and final Test match against the Black Caps at St Georgies Park, Port Elizabeth. Tsolekile scored an unbeaten 88 against the Warriors and 46 against the Knights in that similar time frame as Elgar and Rudolph.

CSA selectors simply don’t have confidence nor are they supportive with Tsolekile’s abilities with the bat despite him relentlessly producing the goods for the Lions outfit. This also forms speculation around Tsolekile’s sudden CSA contract when he had not yet played for the Proteas since 2005. When Neil McKenzie’s international career was resurrected in early 2008 thanks to good knocks playing for the Lions, he took his golden opportunity by scoring 226 runs and obtaining the highest partnership record for the first wicket of 415 runs, along fellow opening batsman Graeme Smith against Bangladesh. He then scored an unbeaten 155 against India in Chennai then followed it up by an important and very patient 138 runs off 447 balls at Lords against England in 2008. McKenzie had scored 1050 runs in the calendar year of 2008.

After a dismal series in Australia and constantly being exposed with the new ball by the Australian fast bowlers, McKenzie was dropped from the Test side –despite scoring a desperate 59 runs not out in Melbourne. McKenzie was never looked at again for Test cricket selection. Rudolph was blessed with the same opportunity similar to McKenzie when he was selected to play for the Proteas in the summer of 2011. Since then Rudolph has played in 13 Test matches and has only managed to score one century and three half-centuries against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England. Many could argue that McKenzie deserved more time, just as Rudolph, especially with the figures he had produced with the bat in just 2008.

Many wicket-keepers speak of the profession in a prestigious manner. They’re dedication to the art of wicket-keeping is unbelievable. All these wicket-keepers started their cricketing careers with the gloves from high school cricket then grow up with the skill into professional cricket. AB De Villiers’ journey into the keeping duties is simply a mockery towards the art of wicket-keeping. Picking and choosing which format of the game you want to take wicket and not take wicket is a spit on the face for those other wicket-keepers who work tirelessly on their keeping skills. You can’t compare De Villiers with New Zealand wicket-keeper, Brendon McCullum, because he initially is a wicket keeper. So if he feels that the gloves are affecting his batting in certain formats of the game, he can by all means drop the gloves and instead focus on his batting. He is a wicket-keeper batsman –not a part-time wicket-keeper batsman like De Villiers. If De Villiers is serious about wicket-keeping then he has to take the gloves for all formats of the game just as Mark Boucher had done.  

So what are the verdicts that come out of these statistics? Firstly is that it’s not a matter of coaches or the selection panel being racist as people are quick to assume, but a matter of inconsistency within the South African selection panel. It is evident to similar statistics to these that player selections for different players are biased. Secondly, it’s vividly evident that certain players in the national team just do as they please and the management team will in a posh manner accept any demands made by these players. According to Herschelle Gibbs’ book, To the Point, similar tales are highlighted in this article exist within the South African cricket camp.   

What’s now done certainly cannot be undone. CSA have already granted Tsolekile a CSA contract, despite the selectors not eager to use his wicket-keeper services for the national side. Arguments and debates won’t solve Tsolekile’s problem. Tsolekile has to be given a chance if he continues with his form in domestic four-day cricket. And when he’s given the opportunity, De Villiers has to play as a batsman. It’s that simple. It’s unquestionable that Tsolekile has the best wicket-keeper skills in South Africa at the moment. Statistics of recent seasons and performances prove it.

-Mandilulame Manjezi
@JizzyJakesTheIn
www.jizzyjakes.blogspot.com