Mailbox: Smith And SA's Troubles
Smith - underworked and overpaid.
Graeme Smith must stop his moaning and a couple of county heroes should be playing for South Africa, reckon some patriotic Saffers...
Underworked, Overpaid
South African cricket captain Graeme Smith's call for some much needed rest is his right. The Proteas selection panel should grant him his wish and send him on unpaid leave until he feels up to it again.
This should also be applied to any other player who feels the same way as, our poor over-worked captain.
The time has come for a serious change of attitude from both players and administrators. The players contracted to the national team are all professional cricketers, cricket is their job, they get paid to practice, train, stay fit and healthy and of course to actually play.
If one takes a closer look at the how many hours in day, and how many days in a year an international cricketer is actually working, you will find that in comparison to many other jobs, they have it easy.
In the real world we all get tired of work, some of us get bored, some hate it. It is quite clear that many of the South African players are experiencing some form of problem with their current working conditions.
These players should be asked to leave the national team, they need to perhaps look for an alternative career, or play a lower level of cricket, one where the demands on their time and energy is less.
Once they feel they are ready to play again, they should be required to prove themselves, in terms of form as well as their commitment to their national team and to their country.
I've read that Jacques Kallis will most likely cover for Smith. I'm not sure that Kallis needs this burden, especially with his current lack of form. I can only hope that the added responsibility might help him focus a little more. I feel very sorry for Kallis, the constant criticism he receives is playing a major part in his inability to score. The criticism is undeserved, he is South Africa's greatest cricketer of all time.
Cricket is not all about the captain, though it certainly helps if you have a good one, and for this reason I guess it is important to find someone who can lead from the front, motivate the team, and command respect.
South Africa just don't seem to have anyone capable of doing this job, Smith included. It's a major cause for concern, but not the only one.
Our team is not as good as it could be, we have to address the issue of quotas. We need to forget about colour, or we must forget about cricket. The standards have dropped and will continue to do so for a long, long time.
Most South Africans will support a successful team ( any sport ) regardless of what colour the people are who are playing. Those that don't, well they shouldn't call themselves South Africans. They are the trouble makers, the revenge seekers, the people who will eventually destroy our country.
Multiple olympic medalist, Zimbabwean, Kirsty Coventry, returned to Zimbabwe recently, she was swamped by supporters, almost all of them black Zimbabweans. Why? Because she was successful, I truly hope the day will come when South Africans can support successful South African sportsmen and sportswomen regardless of what sport they play and what colour the people are who play that sport.
When that day arrives, we will excel beyond our wildest dreams.
Neil Bennett
Greener Pastures Yonder
Now I see they're going to replace Graeme Smith with Hashim Amla, SA's worst fielder!
What about opening with AB De Villiers and bringing in Tyron Henderson or Justin Kemp, both are playing for their counties here in the UK, where all the best South African cricketers are playing. Henderson was the "man of the series" for the 20/20 Cup, and has been in outstanding form in the 40/40!
What the hell is wrong with SA Selection?
With England's best batsman, and now record-breaking wicketkeeper, being born and bred South Africans, maybe it's time we started searching the UK for South Africans to play for the Proteas.
Lance Klusener, Kemp, Henderson and Martin Van Jaarsveld are all currently topping their respective county's batting stats, as was Albie Morkel before his injury! Dale Benkenstein and Shaun Pollock are second for their counties, along with numerous other Jaapies most S'Africans haven't even heard of.
Obvious choices for captain would be Kallis or Boucher and not so obvious - Benkenstein or Pollock. But the fact that Henderson is a master of limited-overs cricket is obvious to me.
I'd probably drop Boucher from the one-day side in favour of an all-rounder (Morkel) at six or seven and get De Villiers behind the stumps. Then I'd open with De Villiers and Gibbs, and bat Henderson at four!
Concerned Fan