Smith targets Cricket WC 2011 title before bowing out as SA ODI captain

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More... Less fuss and pressure on South Africa this WC: Amla Monday, February 07, 2011 Johannesburg: With the chokers tag behind, South Africa will arrive in India on Tuesday in search of their first ICC World Cup in 13 years but experienced batsman Hashim Amla said there is less pressure and hype around the team this time which might act in their favour in the mega-event. "In the past the team was loaded with big names and it was frequently the number one in world rankings," Amla said. "This created huge expectations and placed great pressure on the boys, but that is something we are not experiencing now. This time around there is a lot less fuss being made about us and that is how we prefer it," he said. The right-hander said approaching the tournament without the favourites tag give the Proteas an excellent opportunity to break their World Cup title jinx. South Africa are currently third in the ICC ODI rankings and 11 players out of its 15-member squad have never played in a World Cup before -- Amla being one of the them. South Africa's World Cup squad feels "more excitement than pressure," as they go in search of the country's first piece of ICC silverware in 13 years. The team is widely regarded as the best never to have a won a World Cup, despite going into every tournament as one of the hot favourites. "In previous years, the squad had a lot of big name players and was even ranked number one in the ODI rankings so there was a lot of expectation," Hashim Amla told ESPNcricinfo. "There is a little less hype around us this time." Eleven of the 15 squad members that will travel to this month's World Cup have never played in the global showpiece before and many of those players will form the core of South Africa's team. Amla is one of them, and is already regarded as a stalwart in the side, though he has only played 42 ODIs. "I feel like a senior player," he said. '"I haven't played many matches compared to guys like Graeme [smith] and Jacques [Kallis] so I still regard every match as a learning experience. I don't claim as to know everything about one-day cricket but I do feel like senior player." That feeling may stem from the fact that Amla has had a stunning last nine months in the game, in which he has scored six of his seven ODI centuries. Over that time, he has surged to the top of the ODI batting rankings and carved his own niche in the shorter form of the game, despite being initially painted as someone who could only play Test cricket. Amla said the improvements in his strike rate are not as a result of any major shift in mindset, but more a reflection of his growth as a cricketer. "It helped to play a few Test matches before making it into the one-day side because I got to know my own game. When I started off in the one-day side, it took me a while to find my rhythm." When he found that groove, he found it perfectly and Amla now boasts an average of 59.88 and a strike rate of close to 94. The Amla that batted in last month's ODI series against India was the Amla that had come full circle from those first stuttering days in coloured clothing. He scored, by his own admission, two "swashbuckling" fifties before stabilising to end the series with a century. That innings, at Centurion, was near perfect, timed exquisitely and played as though it was set to a script. Amla hopes he can continue in that vein in the World Cup. "I am going to try and strike a balance between being positive upfront by scoring as quickly as I can and making sure I stay at the crease for as long as possible." Time at the wicket for the top order is vital because South Africa's soft underbelly, the batting in the middle-to-lower order, was exposed against India. Kallis' return to full fitness will solve some of the problem but there is still concern over the relative inexperience at number six and seven, and the lack of a big-hitting all-rounder in the mould of Lance Klusener. Amla, however, is certain that the likes of Faf du Plessis and Colin Ingram can do the job. "Someone in the top order should aim to bat through to at least the 40th over so that the lower can capitalise on that. Those guys might not be the same as Albie Morkel or Mark Boucher but they can hit the ball hard, they run well between the wickets and they are relatively unknown to the opposition." South Africa are banking on the element of surprise with both bat and ball, having included uncapped legspinner Imran Tahir in the squad as well. Amla warned against loading too much pressure on the Pakistani-born player. "We shouldn't put all our hopes on Imran. He is a quality player with a lot of first-class experience and he should be allowed to settle into the team at this level." Tahir is one of five spinners that South Africa have at their disposal and although he is expected to make the biggest impact, Amla said that seasoned campaigner Johan Botha may the man who makes headlines. "He has done a great job for us over the years and is a very intelligent bowler. He may not be known as a wicket-taker but he controls the middle portion of an innings and if the runs need to be dried up, he is the go-to man." Spin and the subcontinent go together like vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce and while South Africa are making sure they have enough players who can bowl spin, they are also preparing for many overs of facing spin. "We got a taste of what to expect against India when they rotated many bowlers against us during the one-day series. Spin will play a big role." South Africa's once-dodgy record of playing against spin has improved significantly in recent times and although they don't look obvious favourites for the tournament this time, when Amla describes the players they have at their disposal, they have all the elements to be top contenders. That means that's even though it's understated, the pressure to be crowned World Champions does hang over them. It might be why Amla says he is "quite keen to get on the plane and get the tournament started."

[kabira]

In short he is saying This time around they will choke without any pressure.

[jibranpatel15]

In short he is saying This time around they will choke without any pressure.

For that u will have to wait till they reach final & win it for U baby i am quite sure this time SA will win it, AMLA will be they key weapon in those pressure games & will definately step up to those moments. :good: GO HASHIM GO :good:

[Laaloo]

every 2 days, some saffer comes around and says the same s.h.it. Aren't they adding more pressure to them in the process?

[Clarke]

Choking comes naturally to some, with or without pressure.

[flamy]

until they reach a knockout that is

[jibranpatel15]

thats what i m saying. Just wait n watch the way SA winning this WC in front of ur eyes guys.

SOUTH AFRICA WINS 2011 WC

This is what u will find some time after inshallah!! ameen !!!

[gaurav92]

LOL @ Comments

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Steve Waugh picks South Africa as favourite More... Steve Waugh picks South Africa as favourite R. Narayanan It is quite natural for a defending champion to hog all the attention in the lead-up to a mega event like the World Cup. It's not quite natural when a team seeking its fourth successive crown doesn't get as much attention as the others. Australia has not been dethroned for 12 years, but the side has somehow not been in the limelight in the run-up to the 2011 edition which begins on February 19. “This could actually work in the team's favour,†said Steve Waugh, who lifted the cup that has remained in Australia's grasp since. “They are the No.1 ODI side in the world, and they will be very competitive at the World Cup,†added the Laureus Academy member, who is here for the awards function. The 45-year-old former Australian skipper said he felt that the lack of quality spinners would not hamper the team's chances. “There are part-time spinners like (Michael) Clarke and (David) Hussey who can do the job. I don't think that the spin department will be a major concern.†Waugh also backed Ricky Ponting to the hilt. “He has won the last two World Cups and knows what is needed to win it again. His phenomenal record at the World Cup will be hard to match,†he said. Asked about the format and whether the players were right in complaining that the event was too long, Waugh said: “The players are on a good wicket and should not worry about the duration at all.†“South Africa!†came the answer when Waugh was asked to pick the possible winner. “They will not be under any pressure and have a great chance,†he said, quickly dismissing suggestions that they were chokers on the big stage.

[don_corleone840]

:finger: south africa struggled against indian B side in their home ground.

[Sir john]

totally Disaggre

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South Africa will not rush Kallis back into action More... South Africa will not rush Kallis back into action 11 February 2011 Chennai, (Reuters): South Africa will not rush Jacques Kallis back into action at the World Cup to help the all-rounder recover fully from a rib injury, captain Graeme Smith said on Thursday. Kallis, 35, suffered a side strain during the third test against India last month and missed the subsequent five-match one-day series. Smith told a news conference that Kallis had taken part in a full net practice on Thursday and had started bowling again. "I don't see the need to expose him too early," Smith said. "I don't feel the need to put him under pressure today to be ready tomorrow. Having him fit is a big asset so we will manage him well up front." Kallis will slot into the number three position in South Africa's batting lineup and his variations in bowling, making full use of cutters and reverse swing, will be crucial in subcontinental conditions. Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock predicted on Thursday that the team would get to the final even though they are currently fourth in the world rankings and only four players have previous experience at a World Cup. South Africa have never got past the semi-finals at previous tournaments and under Pollock they made a humiliating first round exit at the 2003 World Cup on home soil. "I have a firm belief that we will definitely make the final, I've got that feeling. We're only ranked fourth, but maybe that's what we need, it's going to be a very open tournament," Pollock told Reuters in Johannesburg. "We need to plod through the opening round and then put three good performances together at the end and there's no reason we can't win it." "We've been extremely unfortunate in the past, so we are due some luck, we all hope for a happy ending this time. At some stage, things will run for us and we always have a team that has an excellent chance of winning the competition." Pollock said he thought 1996 champions Sri Lanka had a real chance of winning the competition. "The conditions will suit them, even though they have no real pace, Lasith Malinga does a job for them and then their spinners will be a handful. The opposition don't know much about a lot of their players and they've all matured quickly in the last couple of years," he said. "India will be under a lot of pressure at home while England are low on confidence at the moment and the injury to Eoin Morgan will be a huge loss." "Australia have their problems too. There's no doubt they'll be competitive, but they've had a few wobbles in recent history that have rocked their foundations. They used to have guys that they could depend on to quickly turn games around, but now everyone needs to be at their best and contributing for them to win." "Michael Hussey won't be there and they will miss him, but Australia have been there and done it before, which counts for a lot. A lot of their players already have a World Cup under the belt." South Africa are in Group B at the Feb 19-April 2 tournament with Bangladesh, England, India, West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands.

[vamos_rafa]

How can Pollock say that they have been very unfortunate in the past?

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Smith targets Cricket WC 2011 title before bowing out as SA ODI captain More... Smith targets CWC title before bowing out as SA ODI captain 10 February 2011 Graeme Smith hopes to bow out as South Africa's oneday captain by winning the World Cup for the first time. The Proteas have never won the tournament and have gained a reputation for choking at the crucial moment, but Smith said his team is confident ahead of the start of the Feb 19-April 2 event in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. "It will be an exciting and tense tournament and we need to peak at the right time if we have to go all the way," Smith said Thursday. "We have come here with lot of confidence and good preparation and hope to play to potential. The youngsters in the team are excited about the opportunity to play in such a big event. And, as captain I would love to win the cup and leave it at that." Smith, who became South Africa captain at the age of 22, will give up the one-day captaincy after the tournament. "I am proud of the achievements and hopefully we can win the trophy here," he said. "As captain it is important to trust the guys and hope they play well." The 2011 World Cup is also likely to be Jacques Kallis' last chance to win the tournament, but the 35-year-old allrounder is still recovering from a right side injury. "We will manage him as per the needs," Smith said. "He's (Kallis) is a huge asset if he's fit." South Africa had a strenuous net session on Thursday ahead of a warmup game against Zimbabwe on Feb 12 at the M A Chidambaram stadium. The Proteas then play Australia on Feb 15 before beginning its World Cup campaign against West Indies in New Delhi on Feb. 24. Smith has three specialist spinners in a squad selected with the sub-continent conditions in mind. "I guess we have all the bases covered on the bowling front," he said. "India is India. To play a World Cup in the most passionate area is a dream come true for any cricketer and each player would give his best." South Africa no chokers, says de Villiers Choking under pressure is a thing of the past for the new-look South Africa, wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers said on Friday as his team attempts to win the World Cup for the first time. South Africa have been a formidable force ever since they made their World Cup debut in 1992, but have consistently fallen short on the biggest stage. They failed to clear the semi-final hurdle in the 1992, 1999 and 2007 tournaments despite starting among the favourites. "We've shown recently that we can play in big situations and under pressure," de Villiers said in Chennai ahead of a warm-up game against Zimbabwe on Saturday. "We are not focusing on what happened in the past. We have a different look now. In recent times, we have been the opposite of chokers. ICC tournaments are different, there is pressure in the knockouts but we will be ready for it." South Africa's build-up to the event this time around has been encouraging, with hard-fought one-day series wins over Pakistan and India. De Villiers put the recent success down to his team's ability to perform in tense situations. "We have shown more than enough flair," he said. "I don't want us to be the unpredictable side of the tournament and I think we are at the level where we can read situations and adapt." The 26-year-old also dismissed the need for a mental conditioning expert, given their failures in crunch situations. "The team does not need any extra help," he said. "We are focusing on the small things and not worried about failing under pressure at all." The Proteas are fielding a fresh-looking squad for the tournament with as many as 11 players set to make their World Cup debuts. South Africa open their campaign against the West Indies in New Delhi on February 24, followed by games against India, England, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands. The World Cup, being co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, starts on February 19.

[jibranpatel15]

exactly what i say as waugh but for that to happed G.Smith will have to be a lot more aggressive rather than biting nails when a batsmen is going hard at them. I have seen this happen quite a lot of time that Smith gets very concerened when a batsmen cracks 3/4 boundries in couple of overs time. What he needs to do is give more confidence to bowlers & not panic himself he got to cheer team when something like that happens and think ahead of the batsmen in changing bowlers. If he does this there's no doubt SA can't win this WC inshallah & they will show the world what they haven't seen for years from them Inshallah AMEEN

[prinzo]

We will see who chokes when SA vs India in the group match

[FairCricket]

another choke coming up

[spectre]

Smithy boy - Even when your grandson becomes SA captain, you aint going to win any Worldcups

[Akshat]

We'll see in today's warm up again Australia if SA is well prepared to take the cup or not.

[99.94]

Do these choking jokes ever get old..? Apparently not.