Preview
Group B
South Africa versus West Indies
Venue: Ferozshah Kotla Stadium, Delhi
All the games barring the opening one have featured minnows as one of the team and more or less been one-sided affair.
Now, it is time to have two heavyweights playing each other. Delhi’s Ferozshah Kotla will be home to this game as South Africa and West Indies start their world cup campaign with the encounter.
As always South Africa have been billed as one of the tournament favourites and their opponents on Thursday, West Indies are very much under-dogs for the tournaments.
A good start to the world cup campaign is what both teams will want. But it will be South Africa who will be under pressure to perform.
They will have slower Kotla pitch to confront with and spin tracks, over the years, have proved their nemesis.
For West Indies, they need to be playing to their potential to harbor chances of a win over mighty Proteas.
All said and done, a cracker of a game awaits cricket lovers on Thursday as both teams will be giving it their all get their world cup campaign off to a good start.
South Africa
Ever Since their readmission to the international cricket, proteas have turned out to be perennial ‘chokers’ in the big tournaments. Despite the fact having second best winning percentage in world cup matches, South Africa is yet to win the tournament.
Inability of South Africans to go the distance in the any of the five world cups they featured in has earned it an inauspicious name in any sport-chokers. It isn’t the lack of quality players that contributes to this inability but can be simply put as players not having big match temperament. History isn’t on their side but they can put it this way-past is lost. ‘Let us start afresh’ to translate the enormous talent that South Cricketers have into a major silverware-winning the World Cup this time around.
They have a bunch of players in the current squad to turn the tables in their favour. Hashim Amla’s unmatchable form with the bat, having world’s best all-rounder In Jacques Kallis, lethal fast bowling pair of Steyn and Morkel, compact middle order and best all round fielding unit in the world should make South African fans believe that world cup can be won this time around. World Cup 2011 in sub-continent will be Graeme Smith’s last assignment as a skipper in limited overs cricket. That can motivate players for a grand farewell to their skipper-winning the elusive trophy.
A lot of preparation and homework went in before naming the squad. With spin friendly pitches expected in the sub-continent, South Africa selectors abandoned their past practice of crowding the squads with fast bowlers, instead have gone with three frontline spinners who will be assisted by occasional off-breaks of J P Dumminy.
For someone like Devillers, an immensely gifted player, WC is a right stage to tell the world that he is one best in the business.
The emergence of youngsters like Faf du Plessis, Collin Ingram and reserve wicket keeper Van Wyk has added to the batting reserves.
It will be their bowling that will be under spotlight. Steyn and Morkel combination are arguably the world’s most lethal bowling pair. Steyn seams and swing it at pace supplemented with slower ones and yorkers. The disconcerted bounce generated by tall Morkel has troubled best in the business.
Lonwabo Tsotsobe might not have the pace as his other two colleagues have but definitely not lacking in guile and clever change of pace.
Not often one sees South African team loaded with three spinners besides some part-timers. The inclusion of Imran Tahir, yet to play an ODI, has clearly shown the how proteas are going to approach this world cup. Smith has dubbed Pakistan born Imran a surprise weapon for their march towards the title and hopes to unleash him in at the right time.
Experienced Botha will be tight and frugal as ever, building up the pressure for other bowlers to get benefitted. Slow left arm, Robin Peterson and part-time bowlers like Dumminy and Plessis make bowling an all-round unit.
Squad
Graeme Smith (c), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wk), Jean-Paul Dumminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk (wk)
West Indies
Standing ninth at current ODI ranking is a reminder to the West Indies and its fans that all hasn’t gone well for them in recent times. Poor on-field performances, player board disputes, star players abandoning contracts offered by West Indies Cricket Board and lack of quality domestic cricket structure are few problems faced by the West Indies cricket.
Going into the world cup after being slumped to their lowest ever ranking in its cricketing history doesn’t do their confidence any good. Off late, Windies have lacked consistency in all three departments and won hardly anything.
An average fielding side, Windies batting line-up having explosive Chris Gayle and Kieran Pollard in its ranks is something its fans would hope to fire in the world cup.
Led by a young all-rounder Darren Sammy, the Caribbean side is clearly looking for redemption of their fortunes in this event. A good show in the tournament could well initiate a revival in West Indies Cricket.
At the top is ever aggressive Chris Gayle who should score heavily and quickly on the docile batting tracks and new batting sensation in Adrain Barath, warming himself up for the tournament with a well constructed century against Srilanka.
The chances of West Indies posting up big scores will hinge on the form of experienced duo of comeback man Ramnaresh Sarwan and evergreen Shiv Chanderpaul. Both would try to steady the innings in the middle over to give a platform to lower order batsmen.
All eyes, however, will be on big Kerran Pollard whose hitting prowess is what everyone is looking for.
Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampal and Dwayne Bravo shoulder the fast bowling duties in the team, gives an account of how fast bowling resources have dried up.
One thing is for sure, West Indies lacks a quality fast bowling unit. Kemar Roach might have the ability to bowl fast but not penetrative enough to create havoc.
Their spin department lacks experience of playing in sub-continent pitches and it will be interesting to see how they perform against African batters.
Squad
Darren Sammy (Capt), Chris Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Adrain Barath, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Caulton Baugh, Nikita Miller, Suleiman Benn, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach and Kieran Pollard
Coach: Otis Gibson
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