South African summer 2009-10 : SA vs England

[ESPN]

"Strauss should skip Bangladesh" Michael Vaughan feels Andrew Strauss should be rested for the Bangladesh tour to give England the best chance of retaining the Ashes. Strauss flew out with his squad at the weekend for a tough tour of South Africa which follows hot on the heels of a gruelling summer schedule, which included a World Twenty20 tournament and the Champions Trophy on top of England's Ashes victory. After two 20-over and five 50-over internationals against the Proteas, as well as four Tests, England move next onto Bangladesh before another busy summer leads up to a trip to Australia. Strauss and coach Andy Flower were not slow to rest overworked players this summer - giving the likes of James Anderson and Paul Collingwood a break during the one-day series against Ricky Ponting's men. And Vaughan, who skippered England to Ashes success in 2005, believes Strauss must take time away himself to ensure he is mentally ready for the challenges ahead. "I think he should," Vaughan said at a signing for his new autobiography, Time to Declare. "You've got to look at the bigger picture. "The guys are playing far too much. "It's not the actual playing side, it's the mental side of being away and constantly being in a cricket environment. "So just taking Straussy out for a three-week break will regenerate his energy levels going into next summer and we have to have all our players fit and firing for next winter which is the big one - the Ashes." Another issue at stake is the captaincy succession. The abrupt departure of Kevin Pietersen from the post earlier this year put into sharp focus the lack of options England have at their disposal, with Strauss seen by many as the only man in the set-up capable of taking on the role. Not so simple Opener Alastair Cook is now the official vice-captain and logic would dictate that he would stand in for the Bangladesh tour should Strauss be absent. But Vaughan believes that, with the 24-year-old having struggled for form this year, the decision is not as straightforward as it may seem. "That's not been decided yet," he said. "I think we're all jumping to conclusions. "Cooky's under a huge amount of pressure this series to deliver. "He's had a good time in the team since he came in. "He's developed a real strong respect from the rest of the players which is ultimately what you need as a captain. "But he has to deliver with runs on the board and he has to get a lot of runs in South Africa just to give himself that confidence that, if he does get the job, he's speaking from a position of strength." Vaughan believes the relationship between captain and coach is vital to the success of any team - something he admits in his autobiography was not right towards the end of his tenure when Peter Moores was in the hotseat. He said: "I've got a huge amount of respect for him as a person. I think he's a good coach - I think he'll work wonders at Lancashire - but myself and him didn't quite click as a partnership. "For a captain and coach the partnership has to be good. "When it has been good for England, as it is now between Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, the performance is a lot more consistent. "The captain and the coach, whenever they're speaking to the team, have to be speaking from the same hymn sheet. "And maybe mine and Peter's relationship wasn't as strong in that bond on a professional basis." Teamwork Vaughan sees no such problems in the relationship between Strauss and Flower. He said: "(They're) very consistent. I don't think Andy Flower tries to get any bit of the limelight, he stays very much in the background. "It's very clear that Andrew Strauss is the captain and in control of the team. "I think that's important - I think the captain is the most important person. "The coach does work underneath him but on preparation days he becomes the most important person - but on match days it's the captain. "It looks like those two have got the formation and the strategies going perfectly. "That's why you've seen a good set of England performances."

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New Freddie Flintoff? I'm aiming to be the next Glenn McGrath, says Stuart Broad The man who won the Ashes at The Oval with one of the great bowling spells is only just coming to terms with the scale of his achievement but, after three weeks off visiting his actress girlfriend on set in Canada and contemplating the changes in his life, he knows that the hard work is just beginning.More... New Freddie Flintoff? I'm aiming to be the next Glenn McGrath, says Stuart Broad By Paul Newman Last updated at 1:22 AM on 04th November 2009 Stuart Broad has arrived here in South Africa via a Toronto film set with a clear vision of the starring role he has in England’s future. The man who won the Ashes at The Oval with one of the great bowling spells is only just coming to terms with the scale of his achievement but, after three weeks off visiting his actress girlfriend on set in Canada and contemplating the changes in his life, he knows that the hard work is just beginning. And Broad, who catapulted himself into the realms inhabited only by Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen in terms of attention outside cricket by demolishing Australia, has clear targets to ensure he can sustain that exalted level of achievement. In a wide-ranging interview, the new Sportsmail columnist talked of his ambitions to replace Flintoff as England’s premier all-rounder; how he will forego experimentation to try to emulate his hero Glenn McGrath and how turning down a lucrative Indian Premier League contract enabled him to destroy the Aussies in the final Test. But first come South Africa, brilliantly led by Graeme Smith and a tougher prospect, especially on their own grounds, than Ricky Ponting’s Australians. England know that the mistakes which followed their Ashes-winning success of 2005 must not be repeated if they are to avoid a Test false dawn. ‘Our goal is to be the best side in the world and if we are to be that then the must be seen as a stepping stone to what we want to achieve,’ said Broad, who conducts himself with a maturity beyond his 23 years. ‘This is a huge series and if we are to continue our climb then we must do well against South Africa. It’s very exciting. We want to give it a real good go.’ Broad will be integral to England’s chances in the four-match Test series and the limited-overs matches that precede it. Flintoff has gone and one of the biggest early decisions facing captain Andrew Strauss and team director Andy Flower will be whether to entrust Broad with not only the new ball but also the all-important No 7 slot in the batting order. He is determined to be ready. ‘I am looking for consistent improvement and I will be working particularly hard on my batting in the early days on tour,’ said Broad. ‘At the moment I’m a decent No 8 batsman but I want to put together a plan to ensure I’m ready if I’m asked to move up the order. ‘I want to push for No 7. It’s something I’m up for. I’d jump at it but I’ve got a lot of improving to do if I’m going to be capable of it on a long-term basis. My dad (former England opening batsman Chris) has talked to me about having the mentality of a proper batsman rather than someone who contributes down the order. ‘If we decide to go in with five bowlers and the same balance to the side we had with Fred, I’ve got a chance, but Luke Wright is in the Test squad now and he has scored first-class hundreds and taken five-fors. I’m delighted for Luke because he is one of my best friends and we will have to see who gets the nod.’ Proper batsman: Broad notched two half centuries and a combined tally of 234 runs in the last Ashes series What is not in dispute is that Broad will open the Test bowling with Jimmy Anderson, a partnership that will carry massive responsibility if England are to outbowl a formidable home attack led by Dale Steyn. Broad has, until now, been a man for all seasons with the ball. Strauss has asked him to fulfil different roles at different times as strike and stock bowler. Now, however, he is clear in his mind of the best way forward. ‘My bowling is crying out for me to move forward in a more consistent mode,’ said Broad. ‘The Oval game has made me confident that if I put the ball in the right place things can happen and the perfect role model for that is Glenn McGrath. ‘With Steve Harmison not there it might be easy for me to fall into the trap of trying to be our enforcer, but while there will be times when I have to experiment I want to concentrate on what I’m best at.’ What Broad is best at has brought him to the attention of the wider world, not least IPL supremo Lalit Modi, who is keen to lure the Nottinghamshire man to his lucrative new world as soon as possible. Role model: McGrath Broad was teased by his team-mates for turning down the ‘four or five’ IPL offers which came his way early this year but the resolve to keep himself as fresh as possible for England duty remains firmly intact. ‘Missing the IPL was very much the right decision because you just have to look at the fixture list to realise that you have to give yourself the best possible chance of staying fresh by taking a break whenever you can,’ said Broad. ‘It was an easy decision for me because, at the early stage of my career I was at, I had to do all I could to cement my place in the England side before the Ashes. And it meant I still had enough left in the tank to make a contribution at The Oval.’ For now, Modi will have to wait. ‘I can’t see myself playing in the IPL next year but in the future, when I am at a different time in my career, I would love to give it a go,’ said Broad. ‘Not just for the money. If England are to become a better Twenty20 side then we need the experience that the IPL offers.’ England, you sense, will always come first. What about that magnificent Long, Good Friday at The Oval when Broad ripped through Australia with a devastating spell of five for 37 which now stands comparison with Bob Willis’s bowling at Headingley in 1981 in terms of its Ashes impact? ‘It will always be a highlight of my career, whatever is to come,’ said Broad. ‘A lot of people have said to me that it compares with the great spells but you never look at it in those terms. I don’t think I will fully look back on it until I retire.’ But he did stop to contemplate the Ashes last month to put his thoughts down in words for his first book, Bowled Over, an Ashes celebration, which is released next week. ‘It was wonderful actually,’ said Broad. ‘When I came to do the book it was my first opportunity to properly reflect on what actually happened. It was brilliant and it will always be with me.’ New-found fame has been a good experience. ‘There hasn’t been any intrusion in my life and it’s been really nice that more people have come up to me in the street wanting to say hello. I have loved it, particularly when more kids have wanted shirts signed. ‘It’s not as if the paparazzi are camped outside my house. There is some way to go before that happens!’ Broad’s time on holiday in Toronto after the Champions Trophy saw not only a return to anonymity for him but also an insight into a very different world. He was there to see his girlfriend Kacey Barnfield on the set of her film, Resident Evil, the After Life. For Broad the script is already guaranteed to be a sure-fire hit. It is up to him to ensure the sequel to his Ashes blockbuster comes with another happy ending. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1225040/New-Freddie-Flintoff-Im-aiming-Glenn-McGrath-says-Stuart-Broad.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0VsO9NDH5

[Sachinism]

LOL England were hoping he's the next all-rounder for them. I guess he can still do it, but I like he is looking to concentrate more on his bowling, as that is what he originally was

[ESPN]

Paul Collingwood raring to go Paul Collingwood is feeling refreshed and ready to go following a three-week break that came to him after ICC Champions Trophy. The all-rounder is currently preparing himself for England's opening match of their two-and-a-half-month tour to South Africa that gets under way later today. The visitors face-off with the Diamond Eagles in a 50-over encounter in Bloemfontein and Collingwood is relishing his return from an injury that forced him to miss the Champions League in India with the Delhi Daredevils. "Well, certainly mentally (the break helped) I think," Collingwood said. "In all honesty, I think I was probably about 70-80%, physically coming out of the Champions Trophy. "Mentally it has been a hard slog, but you never quite know where you are until you've had a break. I wouldn't say it's a blessing in disguise, because it would have obviously been good to play for Delhi. "But it does refresh you a hell of a lot to be at home for three weeks with the family and just recharging the batteries." The 33-year-old suffered a torn buttock muscle during the Champions Trophy semi-final defeat against Australia, but revealed that he was now fully over it and itching to go. He continued: "It's absolutely fine now. I feel great, raring to go and excited really. I never want to get injured, that's the thing. "But whether it came it at the right time, you'd probably say yes. The three weeks was a godsend, I tell you. "But in actual fact, at the end of the three weeks, because we hadn't had those sort of breaks in the past, you start wanting to get back out there." Looking ahead to the game today, Collingwood said he was expecting a tough task against a strong domestic outfit that is captained by former South Africa batsman Boeta Dippenaar and also includes veteran Proteas wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk. He said: "I think when we tour Australia and here, you do come up opponents who are desperate to beat you and beat you well. "So we'll make sure the experienced guys will guide the younger guys and make sure we go out there 100% because anything less, there could be a hiccup there. "We want to start off well, we want to win the games, but also get the right kind of practice out of it as well."

[ESPN]

Strauss influence aids denly recovery Joe Denly hailed the effect of captain Andrew Strauss on his own batting form. Denly hailed Strauss on his own batting form after finally getting amongst the runs in England's second tour match against the Warriors at the De Beers Diamond Oval on Sunday. The Kent batsman hit 82, with his skipper carrying his bat for an unbeaten 117 as the pair put on a match-winning 175-run partnership. Together they dominated the home side's bowling as England chased down a 255-run victory target with 9.1 overs to spare. It was welcome time in the middle for Denly - whose last half-century for his country came during the NatWest Series against Australia - on the back of a poor Champions Trophy campaign. "It was brilliant to get ourselves off to a good start like that and the more I bat with Straussy the more I enjoy it," he said. "He is great to bat with and he is a very experienced player. "He is in great touch at the moment and that makes life easier for me when he is batting that well. I think the right- and left-hand combination works well at the top too." Competition for batting places is currently intense, with Jonathan Trott staking his claim in the opening game with a man-of-the-match display - he hit 85 - and the inclusion of Test opener Alastair Cook in the one-day set-up. The impending return of Kevin Pietersen this week is also likely to up the ante, but Denly was just pleased to finally get back amongst the runs. He continued: "It was nice to get out there and spend some time in the middle. "It is important to get some runs under your belt before the international games start and just have as much time out there as you can." Denly, whose 85-ball innings included seven fours and two sixes, also revealed that batting in Kimberley was not as easy as it looked. He added: "It was quite tricky to begin with because the pitch is a bit slow and they were bowling cutters which were hard to get away. "It was really about getting used to the pace of the pitch. "Once I did that I felt the more time I spent out there the easier it became for me to time the ball and in the end I was feeling very comfortable."

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England are unpredictable, but dangerous Proteas captain Graeme Smith says England's major strength is their unpredictability ahead of their series against South Africa. More... England are unpredictable, but dangerous Stuart Hess November 09 2009 at 11:32AM Graeme Smith has highlighted England's "unpredictability" as their major strength. The Proteas captain described the five-match one-day series against England, that starts at the Wanderers next Friday, as his side's first major challenge of the season and indicated that the re-building phase that Andrew Strauss's side were undergoing made them a dangerous prospect. "There is some unpredictability about them, they've got some new faces around," Smith said about the England team, who have beaten South Africa in five of the last six one-day internationals. "Their unpredictability is their strength," Smith added. "They've got an experienced middle order, with guys like Paul Collingwood who've been around for a long time now and read the game really well." 'An improved performance is necessary to allay fears ahead of the series with England' Much like South Africa, who have brought some new faces into their squad as part of their building process for the 2011 World Cup, England too have made changes to their one-day side. Joe Denly, Jonathon Trott, Eoin Morgan, Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen are an effervescent group who will trouble the South African bowlers. Some of South Africa's new and restored brigade were in action in a below par performance against Zimbabwe in Benoni on Sunday. Alviro Petersen was steady without being domineering in his new spot in the middle order. Critically though, he held the innings together at a time when the home-side's batsmen were struggling against the Zimbabwean spinners, Ray Price and Graeme Cremer. When the time came to attack late in the innings, Petersen turned the strike over to Albie Morkel who, in typically bruising fashion, smashed a half-century that gave the final total some weight. It was a good thing he did too because South Africa's bowling was flat. An improved performance is necessary to allay fears ahead of the series with England. The tourists were impressive again on Sunday with the top order, led by Strauss's unbeaten 117 and Denley's bustling 82, paving the way to an eight-wicket win with 55 balls remaining over the Warriors. In explaining England's strengths, Smith also expressed his respect for their bowling attack especially spinner Graeme Swann, who claimed 3/26 from 10 overs in Kimberley yesterday. "Their bowling attack gives them a lot of different options: Stuart Broad is tall gets bounce, they've got swing options with Jimmy Anderson, and Swann has proved to be a successful campaigner with the ball." 'Their bowling attack gives them a lot of different options' South Africa are expected to welcome back Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy, who sat out Sunday's match as a precaution following minor ailments.

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Slow starters no more; Pietersen adds value to thriving unit - Swann Graeme Swann knows the winning mentality England have built up in their tour must continue into a more taxing second week. England meet South Africa in two Twenty20 matches from Friday. More... Pietersen adds value to thriving unit 9 November 2009 Kevin Pietersen's impending return will only add to England's "positive outlook" in South Africa, believes Graeme Swann Kevin Pietersen may be poised to return in South Africa after a long injury lay-off, but England’s star batsman will have to fight for his place in the line-up, according to Graeme Swann. Pietersen has been recuperating from surgery to his right Achilles tendon – an injury that forced him to miss the last three Tests of this summer's Ashes – but will arrive in South Africa tomorrow before linking up with the rest of the squad on Wednesday. The 29-year-old's arrival is set to further strengthen England’s resources a week into a tough two-and-a-half-month trip, which has already begun so promisingly with comprehensive victories in their opening two games. The line-up appears to be taking good shape on the back of an encouraging ICC Champions Trophy display in which England reached the semi-final. Pietersen was not part of that squad and neither was Jonathan Trott, but while the former has been recovering over the past three months, the latter has been shining with the bat – he delivered a telling performance on his Test debut in the Ashes decider. Trott has also made a flying start to the tour, scoring 85 in a man-of-the-match display against the Diamond Eagles to stake his claim for a place in the team, and Swann admits it will not be easy for Pietersen to walk straight back in. He said: “I don’t know what the situation is with Kevin and how close he is to being fit but I think it’s exciting for us to know that he’s going to come back in. “He’s a massive personality and a massive player. It’s going to be good for the team from a playing perspective because he’s one of the best players in the world. Runs have not been a problem for Jonathan Trott. He followed his century in the Oval Ashes Test with 85 against the Eagles “Kev’s just going to add to the positive outlook. I don’t think he’s going to change it. You never know, he might even have to fight for his place when he gets here.” England play their final warm-up match against a strong South Africa A side in Bloemfontein tomorrow ahead of two Twenty20 internationals against the Proteas at the weekend. Pietersen could taste his first action in one of those games - but, with or without him, Swann insists that the team can cope. Swann pointed to the final npower Ashes Test as the perfect example, saying: “Whenever you lose one or two of your big players, everyone else has got to step up to the plate and perform. “Last summer they did, that last Test match everyone was saying that it had to be Andrew Flintoff’s massive last game and it was Stuart Broad who took the limelight. “We can’t be reliant on one or two players, that’s unhealthy for the team and unhealthy for English cricket. Thankfully at the minute, everyone’s chipping in in their own respective areas, which is a more healthy state to be in. “From a confidence perspective and a results perspective, winning the first game is vitally important, so we’ll be just looking to go out and win those games.” Swann, the only bowler to statistically impress in England’s eight-wicket win against the Warriors with 3-26, is happy with the way the tourists have begun, especially considering their recent record of starting tours slowly. The Nottinghamshire off-spinner said: “As Andrew Strauss has said before both these games, nearly every tour he’s ever been on, England have gone terribly in these warm-up games. "In the past, we've not got anything like the practise and momentum we need out of the games going into a series. “So he’s put a lot of emphasis on treating them like full internationals and I think we have. Everyone’s performed, which is positive.” Swann was also full of praise for the way his captain, who made 117 not out at the De Beers Diamond Oval, had played. He added: “Yesterday 250 could have been one of those totals which is quite tricky to chase. “But the way in which Strauss and Joe Denly played at the top bodes very well because they looked very positives. “They also looked to play a fresh, exciting brand of cricket, which is something we probably need because we’ve not done it for a while.”

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'The hunger was summed up by Dale ': Mickey Arthur Mickey Arthur is looking for his charges to show their ruthless streak ahead of the series against England. Kevin McCallum reports. More... 'The hunger was summed up by Dale ' Kevin McCallum November 09 2009 at 04:18PM At the Wanderers Club - As South Africa head into their second MTN one-day international against Zimbabwe at SuperSport Park on Tuesday night, Mickey Arthur is looking for his charges to show their ruthless streak ahead of the series against England. The second and final match of the warm-up series against South Africa's neighbours north of the Limpopo will be South Africa's last run-out before they take on England in the Standard Bank Pro20 on Friday night at the Wanderers. South Africa were cruising along nicely against Zimbabwe at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday but after a rain break lost their focus and allowed Zimbabwe to stretch the game longer than it really should have been allowed to go on. "I think it was a little bit disappointing (on Sunday)," said Arthur at the Wanderers Club on Monday, where the launch of the Mutual & Federal SA Cricket Annuasl took place. "I think for 75-80 overs yesterday we were very good we achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve, but after the rain break we got a little sloppy and the intensity dropped off a bit. I can see how that can happen because the game was done and dusted. "Those are things are things we can change. We need to be more ruthless and becoming really hard again, and very clinical. We dropped off yesterday." South Africa looked underdone before the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa after a three-month break, but he believed that any rust have been shaken off since then. "They've been playing domestic cricket. I think the hunger was summed up by Dale (Steyn) running in yesterday. He looked really good. Our batters all looked very good so I was very happy with what I saw. All the cobwebs have been dusted off." JP Duminy was named one of the five Mutual & Federal SA Cricket Players of the Year on Monday. The others were Claude Henderson, Roelof van der Merwe, Wendell Bossenger and Imraan Khan.

[Lord]

wen is it starting n who will show it in India?

[Sachinism]

England XI vs SA A England XI bowled out for 89 :haha::haha::haha: SA A 42/1 http://www.cricinfo.com/rsaveng09/engine/current/match/387559.html

[StriKe]

Eng got pwn3d ! :cantstop:

[Guest Hiten.]

Lulzinton!

[WeStMiDz]

Love it. Nothing better than seeing England humbled.

[Ram]

lol, thats some uber pwnage there. More ironic since in the last few weeks, a number of English players have given some really tearse statements reg. how they're ready for the challenges of the future and this and that.. :D

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SA A lord it over England The SA A team have put in a fine all-round performance against the touring England side in their Twenty20 match in Bloemfontein. More...

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Smith fires opening shots in personal battle with Strauss If Graeme Smith was starting the way he means to go on, England are in big trouble. South Africa's captain yesterday launched his seventh home season with the most delicate undermining of the tourists. More... Smith fires opening shots in personal battle with Strauss The South Africa captain proves his mastery of mind games as he hopes to draw first blood against an England side led by Collingwood. In Johannesburg, Stephen Brenkley reports Friday, 13 November 2009 If Graeme Smith was starting the way he means to go on, England are in big trouble. South Africa's captain yesterday launched his seventh home season with the most delicate undermining of the tourists. It demonstrated overwhelmingly in a trice how far he has come in the years since he was entrusted as a mere stripling of 22 with the leadership of his country – one with confidence, certainty and natural command but still a stripling. To make his point at one time he would have used a blunderbuss and still would have missed a barn door at five paces but here he was with a scalpel neatly making telling incisions. On the eve of a campaign in which his team, the best in the world, will play England in 11 international matches in 10 weeks his target was Andrew Strauss. Although Strauss is the tourists' captain, he will miss the two Twenty20 internationals this weekend because he has decided it is a form of the game to which he is no longer suited. All his form lately, not to mention the T20 form of England's other batsmen suggests that he may be extremely well fitted for it. But although England have Stuart Broad and Kevin Pietersen unavailable, and Alastair Cook left training early yesterday feeling unwell neither Strauss nor England is for changing yet. Invited to express an opinion, Smith grabbed the opportunity. "It does surprise me," said Smith. "It's very difficult to keep chopping and changing and I think it will be difficult for Andy Flower to be working with a different captain with different views and a different outlook. "If you're trying to create a consistent environment I guess Andrew's view is still important as he's still with the team. Who handles team meetings, who runs the show? Those are questions it's difficult for me to answer but it must be an interesting dynamic within the side. He's scoring runs, he has been successful in one-day cricket over a period of time, maybe it's something he is reassessing in his own mind but it does surprise me that on a tour like this having started so well that he's not playing a part." It was almost possible to hear the response from the England captain which went something along the lines of: "Ouch, ouch and ouch." There is nobody smarter these days than Smith at playing the game of subtle innuendo and cunning digs, not only dressed up with the utmost sincerity but also adorned with the gravitas that comes with being an international captain of substance for so long. There was more because Smith warmed to this theme. Smith and Strauss had a small difference of opinion during the recent Champions Trophy when the England captain (who plays the longer form of limited-overs cricket) went along with the umpires in denying his South African counterpart a runner as he pulled up with severe cramp amid an epic century. "From Andrew's perspective there are no personal hard feelings," said Smith. "It is going to be competitive. I guess we're trying to work out at the moment how Andrew is going to go about things. As I have said in the last few weeks he has been a very quiet individual whenever we have played against him, almost stuck in the background, a clean and tidy type of character. "I think he is trying to be a lot sterner and tougher in his ways and maybe he thinks the England environment needs that. He is much more outspoken now, I guess the captaincy does that to you so it will be interesting to see how he goes this summer." For the record, it was agreed yesterday that cramp will not be sufficient reason to have a runner in the forthcoming series. Smith was ridiculously young when he became captain in 2003, as he would no doubt concede now. South Africa felt they had nowhere else to go. They were still coming to terms with the aftermath of the Hansie Cronje era which ended in match-fixing disgrace and the failure by the senior pro, Shaun Pollock, to step into the breach. The feeling was that, as Smith was obviously going to be captain one day, it might be as well be straightaway. Since he was appointed, he has missed only four of South Africa's 72 Tests, 20 of their 142 one-day internationals, and six of 24 Twenty20s. He knows what he is talking about and his form and immense strength of character, his aggression and his stubbornness have been the trademarks of an admirable tenure. "I have said quite often I tried to be a certain way when I took over," he said. "At 22, 23 I felt that I needed to be a strong individual whereas I reckon in the last two to three years I feel I have really settled into the job and am much more comfortable with who I am and being myself. "I think that's the key as captain, there is a lot of pressure on you. It is a tough environment to manage consistently and I think being yourself is a crucial aspect. I think it's also tough to allow people to see who you really are and that's something that it took me time to come to terms with." Another ouch. Smith said he still had things to achieve as a captain but will probably reassess the position in 2011. He is already planning his succession. "I have no problem in playing for South Africa as a good senior pro at some stage in my career. I've been captain almost from my first game so it is something I'm looking forward to, but there are still more things I want to achieve as captain." Smith is still only 28. It could be said that he has already caused the downfall of two England captains, both Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, in 2003 and 2008 respectively, resigning their post mid-Test series against him. Did he fancy the hat-trick? "I hope it is not third time unlucky for me. It was two very different times for me. When I was 22 I was a bit 'balls to the wall', trying to find my own way and trying to be strong and work out what captaincy was all about. I didn't really appreciate the things Nasser was going through at the time and what he was saying, but the stuff Michael said resonated with me having been captain for a long time. "Any national captain would be lying if he told you that there weren't periods of being tired, or being stressed, or being exhausted but you learn to manage, you have to learn to manage these things, finding your ways to make it successful, whether it's finding more time for yourself or finding areas to improve your emotional state, it's the mental side of the game more than physical really." Smith will treat the Twenty20 matches this weekend with profound seriousness, intending to seize an early initiative. The feeling was that he had already done so.

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England edge South Africa in rain-hit T20 Eoin Morgan played a stunning innings of 85 not out off 45 balls as England won a rain-affected first Twenty20 international against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. More...

[champ]

Duckworth lewis .. take that .. u suck .. :finger:

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Rookie captain Cook has his fingers burned by brilliant Smith and Bosman Alastair Cook, long considered a future England captain, would have dreamed about what might happen when he first led his country. This would not have been it.More...

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More injury woes for England All-rounder Stuart Broad is among the England players sidelined for tomorrow's warm-up contest against South Africa A. More... Monday 16th November 2009 More injury woes for England All-rounder Stuart Broad is among the England players sidelined for Tuesday's warm-up contest against South Africa A. Broad, 23, has had injections in his right shoulder in a bid to make the first one-day international on Friday but will not feature in Potchefstroom. He incurred the damage in a practice match 11 days ago and missed both Twenty20 internationals against Graeme Smith's side. "He's had a number of injections in the past few days and we are waiting to see the reaction to those injections, to see whether it settles," said England coach Andy Flower. England are even considering calling up an extra bowler to the touring party, such is the current injury blight on the limited-overs squad. Fast bowler James Anderson (knee) played in Sunday's 20-over mauling despite not being 100% fit, while Graeme Swann has an intercostal muscle problem and neither will be considered for Tuesday. Paul Collingwood, another of the regular one-day bowlers, is also extremely doubtful with a recurrence of long-standing lower back discomfort. "Unless it loosens up a lot today I don't think he will play in tomorrow's game either," Flower said. Availability is such that the side virtually picks itself and Graham Onions will return following his back injury.