Sporting Life - South Africa Cricket | Cricket World Cup, South Africa News, South Africa Scores, South Africa Profiles, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini.

SOUTH AFRICA PROFILES

E-mail this Article

Print this Article

Subscribe to RSS Feed

Graeme Smith (c)

Born: 01.02.1981
ODIs: 114
Role: Opening batsman
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 39.29
Strike-Rate: 82.28
Bowl: Right-arm offspin
Average: 52.83
Economy: 5.56

Smith was thrust into the cricketing limelight aged 22, when he was handed the South Africa captaincy following the 2003 World Cup. He started his tenancy in blistering fashion with the bat, but a recent slump in form brought doubts about his position. However, some good scores and more importantly good results against Pakistan have silenced his critics.

Herschelle Gibbs

Born: 23.02.1974
ODIs: 208
Role: Batsman
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 36.20
Strike-Rate: 82.38
Bowl: n/a
Average: n/a
Economy: n/a

No stranger to controversy and perhaps not the man to front any South African diplomacy campaigns, Gibbs is certainly a man you would rather have playing for you than against you. Frustrating at times, Gibbs proved what a talent he is in the epic win over Australia in Johannesburg, fairly bludgeoning his way to 175 from 111 balls to set the Proteas well on their way.

AB de Villiers

Born: 17.02.1984
ODIs: 41
Role: Opening batsman
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 34.86
Strike-Rate: 86.05
Bowl: Rt-arm medium
Average: n/a
Economy: n/a

At his best one of the most elegant batsman in the world, at his worst de Villiers can be a frustrating case of style over substance. A more than useful wicketkeeper as well as batsman, de Villiers has suffered from his own versitility, having batted anywhere from one to seven. A dip in form came last year, but good scores in the recent series against Pakistan cemeted his place in the side.

Loots Bosman

Born: 14.04.1977
ODIs: 9
Role: Opening batsman
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 25.25
Strike-Rate: 91.40
Bowl: Rt-arm medium
Average: n/a
Economy: n/a

A hard hitting opener, Bosman made his international debut in the Twenty20 game against Australia in February 2006. He took his ODI bow against Zimbabwe later that year, but despite some decent scores against them he suffered against superior opposition. If things go to plan for South Africa he probably won't get a game, but he's there as an alternative at the top of the order.

Jacques Kallis

Born: 16.10.1975
ODIs: 257
Role: All-rounder
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 45.47
Strike-Rate: 71.30
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 31.52
Economy: 4.79

Currently duking it out with Andrew Flintoff for the title of world's best all-rounder, Kallis is certainly one of the best batsmen around. A Kallis innnings is rarely a pretty affair, but an ODI average in the mid-forties simply can't be argued with. A more than useful, if sometimes reluctant bowler, Kallis can get impressive amounts of swing at a brisk pace, but can go around the park.

Ashwell Prince

Born: 28.05.1977
ODIs: 52
Role: Batsman
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 35.10
Strike-Rate: 67.77
Bowl: Left-arm slow
Average: n/a
Economy: 1.50

An elegent left-hander, if he achieves nothing else in the game Prince will always be remembered as the first cricketer of colour to captain South Africa. At times brilliant, at time rather ordinary, Prince has been in and out of both the Test and ODI sides since making his debut in 2002, at the time a controversial choice due to the quota system employed by the South African selectors.

Mark Boucher

Born: 03.12.1976
ODIs: 243
Role: Wicketkeeper
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 28.02
Strike-Rate: 84.35
Bowl: n/a
Average: n/a
Economy: n/a

Something of a veteran these days, Boucher is perhaps the best gloveman regularly playing international cricket. A much underrated batsman often thought of as simply a lower order clubber, Boucher hit the winning runs in the astounding record victory over Australia in 2006, and was also the Proteas' top run-scorer at the ICC Champions Trophy in September.

Justin Kemp

Born: 02.10.1977
ODIs: 77
Role: All-rounder
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 31.48
Strike-Rate: 82.70
Bowl: Rt-arm medium
Average: 30.43
Economy: 4.63

The natural successor to Lance Klusener, Kemp is a destructive right-handed batsman, who also chips in with useful medium-pacers. His astounding hitting ability makes him another capable match-winner in the line-up - indeed the 2005 ODI series against England almost turned into a personal battle with Kevin Pietersen over who could smash the farthest.

Shaun Pollock

Born: 16.07.1973
ODIs: 284
Role: All-rounder
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 24.65
Strike-Rate: 85.04
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 24.02
Economy: 3.71

South Africa's Mr Reliable, Pollock made his international debut twelve years ago and is still going strong, despite recently being denied the new ball in Tests, and enjoyed an excellent series against Pakistan recently. From the Glenn McGrath school of infuriating accuracy, Pollock starves batsmen of runs in a way that is useful in Tests, but both vital and lethal in ODIs.

Andrew Hall

Born: 31.07.1975
ODIs: 85
Role: All-rounder
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 21.77
Strike-Rate: 74.44
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 25.74
Economy: 4.50

The spirited all-rounder is a bits-and-pieces player, who bats right-handed and also bowls a decent fast-medium pace. Was famously shot in the hand in an armed robbery, and played indoor cricket for South Africa before breaking into the first-class game. Is another unlucky player due to the abundance of all-rounders in South Africa, but his contributions with both bat and ball often prove vital.

Charl Langeveldt

Born: 17.12.1974
ODIs: 46
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 3.28
Strike-Rate: 31.94
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 29.22
Economy: 4.99

A quick bowler who can swing the ball both ways, Langeveldt has been in and out of the South African ODI side since his debut in 2001. After an inconsistent start, Langeveldt produced his best limited overs performance on the 2005 tour of the West Indies, claiming a hat-trick to snatch a win in the third ODI. Selected despite some average showings against India and Pakistan.

Robin Peterson

Born: 04.08.1979
ODIs: 35
Role: Bowler
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 13.36
Strike-Rate: 75.77
Bowl: Left-arm slow
Average: 58.35
Economy: 4.75

Tidy rather than spectacular, Peterson has been in and around the South African set-up since his debut in 2002, but has never quite managed to nail down a spot in the team. Peterson is a decent batsman (whose ODI average doesn't befit a man with a Test fifty to his name) and sharp fielder, but his primary role in the Proteas squad will be as their only specialist spinner.

Makhaya Ntini

Born: 06.07.1977
ODIs: 151
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 9.10
Strike-Rate: 65.03
Bowl: Right-arm fast
Average: 23.59
Economy: 4.41

The definition of raw ability and aggression tamed and channelled. When he charged on to the international scene nearly ten years ago, Ntini was very quick and physically threatening but not a lot else. Since then he has refined his action to make him a very hard bowler to hit, with his natural wide angle of delivery jagging into the right-hander's ribs at an uncomfortable pace.

Andre Nel

Born: 15.07.1977
ODIs: 62
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 7.50
Strike-Rate: 50.84
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 27.61
Economy: 4.63

To describe Nel as an 'in-your-face' cricketer would be a gross understatement. Either aggressive and passionate or chippy and annoying - depending on your view - what is without question is that Nel now has the quality to back up his mouth. After his early career was littered with disciplinary problems, Nel has now settled and established himself as a valuable member of the team.

Roger Telemachus

Born: 27.03.1973
ODIs: 37
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 6.08
Strike-Rate: 77.65
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 27.94
Economy: 4.89

One of the unluckier cricketers around today, Telemachus has been on the fringes of the South African side ever since he was selected to tour Australia in 1997. A succession of injuries have blighted his progress, and he is probably the surprise pick of the squad given that he has only played in a handful of ODIs since returning to the side in 2006 after a four year absence.