Moving on-South Africa test series squad

[kumble_rocks]

He won't be missed...

[umpire]

Zaheer only bowls well in Eng and SA. Lets keep him for that :)

[flamy]

He wouldn't have had the flexibility of pulling out of a series, if it were not for our bench strength. So glad!

[cochise]

Ishant and Sreesanth to open and Pathan reversing the old ball. Can't wait.

[mhr123]

Zaks pulling of this series is blessing in disguise for Selectors and team management , now they don't need to break there heads to figure out whom to drop.

[mhr123]

Ishant and Sreesanth to open and Pathan reversing the old ball. Can't wait.

I don't see Sree getting a chance to bowl in this series, with I Sharma , Pathan and RP coming back into the squad.

[King Tendulkar]

Ishant and Sreesanth to open and Pathan reversing the old ball. Can't wait.

You have dropped RP! RP will lead the attack

[cochise]

Oh sh*it! Damn! I forgot him! How could I do that???? He's another beaut. Sorry...brain lapse. p.s. Blame the hamstring tear in Adelaide for it. What unfortuitous circumstance that was. If they had him on board, India would have romped through in Adelaide. BLAST!

[King Tendulkar]

Oh sh*it! Damn! I forgot him! How could I do that???? He's another beaut. Sorry...brain lapse.

Dont worry. i have a soloution. Drop crapthan

[cochise]

No man...he may have been up and down in the Oz series...but if he rediscovers his strength of swing...he is lethal!

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Hero JP Duminy awaits the big move to Tests JP Duminy is undeniably one of the most talented batsmen South Africa has produced in the past few years, writes Iqbal khan. More... Hero JP awaits the big move to Tests Iqbal Khan March 13 2008 at 11:58AM JP Duminy is undeniably one of the most talented batsmen South Africa has produced in the past few years. The 23-year-old young, rated highly by some of the best cricketers to have ever represented South African, was one of the mainstays in the Proteas seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the second One-Day International at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Wednesday. Early on Thursday the Cape Cobras star, said: "I would rate that innings as one of my hardest earned ones in my short career at this level. "I had to concentrate from the moment I got to the crease. It's natural for the mind to wander when you're batting but yesterday the condition of the pitch one ball would bounce, the next would not and another would spin just so much the mind had to be focused on our task all the time. "I've never concentrated so much to score 49 before, like I did here yesterday. The fact that I only struck one boundary in the whole innings will tell you how difficult it was." Duminy, who cemented his place in the side after being given an opportunity in the latter part of the Pakistan tour late last year, believes he has established himself in the team but is keen to get a one-day century. "I believe I'm there but a century is what will make my place permanent that would tell me I have arrived. I still think I have to prove myself in this team. "Consistency is what I'm looking for, and once I can get there then no-one can say I do not deserve a spot in the South African team." His next big jump would be the Test team, which is still a long way off, according to him. Duminy, who has now played 26 One-Day Internationals, will have to bide his time as the Top Six in the Test line-up have done their job, and only if there is sudden loss of form of one of the batsmen he will get his chance. "That's the big one," he said. "But I'm not worrying too much about that, and I'll still work hard and keep my eye on the ball." In Wednesday's game, Duminy and AB de Villiers saw the South Africans home after coming together at 60-3. They added 119 off 190 balls for the unbroken partnership to seal the victory and give South Africa an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. While Duminy was one short of his half century, De Villiers, who struggled with cramps during his innings, scored an unbeaten 69 with two 4s and a six. "The youngsters proved a thing or two yesterday in the most difficult conditions," an upbeat Proteas coach, Mickey Arthur, said. "I don't believe many players their age would have been able to handle the situation as we as they did. "I feel proud of their achievement and I look forward to more innings of this sort in the future." Meanwhile the Proteas, who end their tour on Friday with the final One-Day game against Bangladesh, have been given the day off today. Having won the series, the South Africans are expected to give both Andre Nel, who has refused to talk on his future after being dropped from the Test squad for India, and Charl Langeveldt a well earned rest. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel are expected to be given an opportunity of getting in some practice.

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Laxman ready for African challenge The veteran right-hander said India's goal is to be the best Test team in the world and that starts with the home series against South Africa. He believes that if India performs as it did in Australia there is no way why they cannot achieve it. More... Laxman ready for African challenge Bikash Mohapatra in Mumbai March 13, 2008 Given a choice he would rather let his bat do the talking and refrain from answering the battery of questions that the ever-curious media hurl at him. At the same time he is aware of the demands of modern day cricket -- and the shenanigans associated with the same -- and knows that there are times when personal choice has to make way for worldly demands. And he is willing to oblige. That, in short, is VVS Laxman, your quintessential gentleman in the Gentleman's Game. The 33-year-old, who shone with the bat in the recent Test series Down Under and happily watched from home his team mates win the subsequently Commonwealth Bank tri-series, is back in the business again -- first off the field, and thereafter, you guessed it right. In the city to launch the India's Race to No.1 campaign -- initiated by television channel Neo Sports, Laxman, one of India's most technically correct batsman, felt the team definitely deserves their No. 2 Test ranking. "I think we have finally managed to change our reputation as poor travellers," said Laxman. "We have won a Test series in the West Indies [images], one in England [images] last year, then we won the Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg and then there was the victory at Perth." However, there was a word of caution that followed. "The next 12-15 months will be quite crucial. Our goal is to be the best Test team in the world and that starts with the home series against South Africa," he said. "I believe that if we perform as we did in Australia there is no way why we cannot achieve it. But we will have to be consistent." Sachin Tendulkar [images] has been quoted as saying that the Australians, this time, were not their aggressive self and that India managed to put them on the backfoot. Does he agree to this? "I definitely agree with Sachin that after the Sydney and Perth Tests, the Australian team got a bit defensive during the Adelaide Test," said Laxman. "They were not their normal self and were not as aggressive as before. Having said that, we played good, competitive cricket overall." The topic palpably veered towards the upcoming three-Test home series against South Africa, with the first Test to be played in Chennai from March 26. "We are looking forward to playing South Africa. The wickets will be suitable to the spinners and the conditions will be hot and humid, so it should be a challenge for South Africa," warned Laxman. "And they will also miss a match winner like [shaun] Pollock." But how would he compare the Proteas bowling attack to that of Australia? "Their attack is not different from Australia as they have also got good attacking bowlers in Makhaya Ntini [images], Dale Steyn and Albie Morkel," said Laxman. "But they also have a couple of good spinners in Paul Harris and Peterson, who can be handful in these conditions. Also the reverse swing will be a factor in these conditions." And what does he have to say as regards the new coach, Gary Kirsten? "It was a great experience working with Gary during the two weeks he was with us in Australia," said Laxman. "He is hard working and looks very balanced. I am sure he will give us some crucial inputs and the team will do well under him." Finally, it is imperative these days to ask any cricketer about the forthcoming Indian Premier League. More so, if he is Laxman -- someone who refrained from taking the "icon player" status, when other contemporaries like Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid [images] and Sourav Ganguly [images] readily accepted it. Why so, sir? "It was a strategy, so that we could get a good side for Hyderabad. I am very happy that we were able to do that," reasoned Laxman. And going by the fact that Hyderabad has signed players as varied as Andrew Symonds [images], Adam Gilchrist [images], Chaminda Vaas [images], Herschelle Gibbs [images], Rohit Sharma, Scott Styris and Shahid Afridi [images] amongst others, the strategy seems like a masterstroke, at least on paper. As for the rest, Laxman and his team mates will definitely do their homework well.

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Arthur hails Harris Being called "one of the most underrated spin bowlers in the world" can only be good news for Paul Harris. More... Arthur hails Harris March 13 2008 at 04:56PM South Africa coach Mickey Arthur on Thursday hailed Paul Harris as one of the best finger spinners in the world and backed him to cement his place in the one-day squad. Harris, 29, was awarded a one-day cap for the three-match series against Bangladesh and the left-arm spinner has not disappointed, frequently troubling the batsmen with his nagging line and length. "There is no doubt that Harris is one of the most underrated spin bowlers in world cricket," Arthur said. "If one accepts that Muttiah Muralitharan is in reality a wrist spinner, then Harris is as good as any finger spinner in world cricket. The Bangladesh batsmen have been stunned to see just how good he is." 'Harris is one of the most underrated spin bowlers' Harris picked up two wickets in the first one-dayer and although he failed to bag any in the second, he tied down the scoring in the middle overs and shaped the team's series-clinching seven-wicket win here on Wednesday. Arthur said Harris's debut in the shorter version of the game was significant as the Proteas were starting to focus on the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in September and the World Cup, to be held in the sub-continent in 2011. Harris, with 30 wickets from 10 Tests, has also been named in the 14-member squad for the three-Test series against India starting later this month and is expected to play a big role on the slow, turning wickets there. Arthur was also pleased with the way the youngsters were responding to the challenge of fitting into the shoes of charismatic all-rounder Shaun Pollock, who retired from international cricket last month. "It says a lot about Pollock's multi-talented skills that it was going to be impossible to replace him with one single player," said Arthur. 'It says a lot about Pollock's multi-talented skills...' "The media were always going to label Albie Morkel, Vernon Philander or some other unfortunate as the next Shaun Pollock but neither deserves that burden and must simply be himself as a player and with his own attributes. "The fact of the matter is that, for the time being at least, Morkel has taken over Pollock's batting role even though he has not had the chance to express himself in this role in Bangladesh yet." -

[cochise]

I can't wait to see him bat! The maestro of elegance is just biding his time to take on the attack...this upcoming series is going to be a classic!

[fineleg]

Interesting to read abt the new prospect JP Duminy.

[amits]

if we beat aus in the upcoming home series in oct, then we will be no.1 test team:D

[Inside_edge]

Not without a reason he is 'Sajon ka sajan'. Should be careful this time around though with fuller balls. IIRC soon after OZ trip, got hosed up couple of times trying to go back on Akhtar's over pitched ones.Steyn can do the same!

[fineleg]

. "If one accepts that Muttiah Muralitharan is in reality a wrist spinner, then Harris is as good as any finger spinner in world cricket. The Bangladesh batsmen have been stunned to see just how good he is." -

:rose:

[fineleg]

Not without a reason he is 'Sajon ka sajan'. Should be careful this time around though with fuller balls. IIRC soon after OZ trip, got hosed up couple of times trying to go back on Akhtar's over pitched ones.Steyn can do the same!

The look on his face when that happens...Hopefully he scores 100 against SA.

[Ram]

African Challenge !? What is it, some kind of cross-continent endurance race ?:haha: