Ken Borland

The SABC announced on Wednesday that they would only be providing live coverage of the limited-overs and T20 internationals between South Africa and New Zealand, and Cricket South Africa (CSA) are set to lose R20 million as a result.

The only coverage SABC are willing to provide of the two Tests against the Black Caps will be two highlights packages per day and, as a result,  CSA will only receive R11 million – R3 million from the SABC and R8 million from advertising time that has already been bought by the sponsors – for the television rights, when their actual value is R30 million.

“We are disappointed that the Tests will receive limited coverage and, although we are committed to the free-to-air broadcaster as part of our development mandate, we took a substantial cut in our broadcast rights fee to ensure we can take cricket to the South African public,” acting CSA chief executive Jacques Faul said in a statement released on Wednesday.

But behind the scenes, the cricket governing body is seething over the SABC’s unwillingness to fulfil their Icasa-stipulated mandate of providing live coverage of sporting events that are in the national interest. South Africa have been the number one ranked team in Test cricket since August, but the matches against New Zealand are their first on home soil since winning the pre-eminent ranking.

CSA sources told Business Day that Faul is so upset over the deal that he had to be talked out of considering whether to step down as CEO.

“The decision to broadcast these matches is a clear indication that we take our mandate seriously and we are cognisant that the public of South Africa deserve to see their cricket team – which is rated number one in the world in Test cricket and also highly in the other formats of the game.

“The SABC will continue to serve the public of South Africa and be true to their mandate of educating, informing and entertaining them,” SABC spokesman Sizwe Nzimande said.

CSA are now determined to handle their television rights differently next summer, with SuperSport likely to be offered exclusive rights and paying considerably more for them.

As one high-ranking CSA official said: “We’ve been falling over backwards to try and get cricket on free-to-air television because we know how vital that is to developing the game, especially amongst the disadvantaged communities. But now we’ve sold the rights to SABC at nearly one-third of their value. Where do they think most of our money to run our development programmes  comes from? It’s from selling the television rights and now we’ve taken a big knock in that department.”

Negotiations with the SABC had been ongoing for the last two months through world leading television rights company IMG, while CSA had also tried to get Sascoc and the sports ministry to intervene on their behalf as Faul acknowledges the importance of cricket being on the majority of TVs in the country.

“To grow our game, we need cricket on free-to-air. We see it as an obligation to all South Africans that they can see their number one team in action,” he said earlier this week.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/sport/cricket/2012/12/20/cricket-south-africa-seethes-over-sabc-test-rights-snub

South Africa limited-overs captain AB de Villiers on Wednesday expressed his support for a new-look T20 side to be chosen for the series against New Zealand later this month.

The Proteas squad for the three T20 internationals between December 21 and 26 will be announced in Cape Town on Thursday and De Villiers expects fresh faces after South Africa’s disappointing ICC World T20 exit before the semi-final stage.

“You’ve got to keep the T20 team fresh and exciting and it’s a great vehicle to get youngsters through into international cricket. We want to try fresh faces and there will definitely be a few new names because there are youngsters who have really performed at domestic level and we need to give them a chance,” De Villiers said at the Wanderers on Wednesday, where he attended the announcement of KFC as the title sponsors for both the New Zealand and Pakistan T20 series.

“These new players will bring different talents and skills, which is exciting.”

The general trend in international cricket has been for countries to use T20 specialists rather than relying on their Test players and De Villiers said it was clear South Africa would have to go further down that route.

“The Test players have played a big part in the T20 side, but that might change in future and you’ll probably see a team with a whole different look,” De Villiers said.

De Villiers, fresh off his thrilling hundred in the series-clinching Perth Test victory over Australia, returned to limited-overs action over the weekend with a century for the Titans, albeit in a losing cause against the Cape Cobras in their Momentum One-Day Cup eliminator.

“That was one of my better hundreds because it was against a really good attack. You can tell the standard of domestic cricket is very good from that match and I like to play domestic cricket when it’s like international cricket,” De Villiers said.

New Zealand have suffered two major blows with the loss of injured spinner Dan Vettori and the unavailability of former captain Ross Taylor, and De Villiers conceded South Africa should beat the Black Caps if they play to their full potential.

“New Zealand are always a dangerous side, they beat us in the World Cup and they’re really tough to beat when they get things right. But we know we’re the favourites and if we play good cricket, then we should win. We have a mental advantage over them because we beat them over there at the beginning of the year.

“They have had a lot of changes to their Test side, which is still trying to find its feet, but they’re definitely more dangerous in T20. They’re a very busy team, very good in the field,” De Villiers said.

But even if fresh faces such as Aaron Phangiso, Hardus Viljoen, Chris Morris, Roelof van der Merwe, Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Andrew Birch are included, South Africa’s T20 strategies are not going to undergo any dramatic change.

“We may have new players, but we’ll use the same strategy and follow the same game-plan,” De Villiers said.

Which means De Villiers will definitely retain the wicketkeeper’s gloves.

“Yes I’m glad I’m a wicketkeeper now, after 50 overs in the field against the Cobras I’m a bit stiff!” he joked.

Probable squad – Faf du Plessis, Richard Levi, AB de Villiers, Farhaan Behardien, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Roelof van der Merwe, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn or Morne Morkel, Andrew Birch, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Despite a spectacular loss to England in their last match of 2012, it was clear throughout the year that world champions New Zealand remain the benchmark in world rugby.

Their unbeaten run – extending to 20 Tests from the start of last year’s World Cup – came to a shuddering halt in London as England beat them 38-21, giving some hope to the chasing pack that are busy growing sides for the 2015 showpiece tournament.

It was a fabulous end to the year for the Red Roses after promising much but delivering little in losing three times to the Springboks and once each to Australia and Wales.

South Africa were also busy building a team, having lost the likes of John Smit, Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha, Jaque Fourie and Danie Rossouw. Their new coach, Heyneke Meyer, seemed to have developed a sturdy, hardy outfit as they ended the year with an unbeaten northern hemisphere tour, but there were few flashes of brilliance from the Springboks and the rugby they played was generally dull.

Australia endured a troubled year, beset by injuries and speculation over the future of coach Robbie Deans, but if the crop of talented youngsters they have reach full bloom, then they will certainly be a major threat at the next World Cup.

Argentina immediately showed the benefits of joining New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the southern hemisphere’s Rugby Championship (replacing the Tri-Nations) for the first time, and the game can only grow in that country.

France, under new coach Philippe Saint-André, are also developing rapidly into another formidable outfit.

Wonderful attacking flair was once again the hallmark of the All Blacks’ success, but their game was also based on a steely defence and the core of experience that ran through the side was also a great help. By the end of the year, Tony Woodcock (96), Keven Mealamu (102), Owen Franks (45), Richie McCaw (116), Kieran Read (48), Dan Carter (94), Ma’a Nonu (76), Conrad Smith (66), Cory Jane (41) and Piri Weepu (69) had 753 caps between them, compared to the 431 the entire Springbok team had for their last Test of the year, also against England in London.

But South Africa had won – albeit by just a point – in the rain at Twickenham the week before against the same England side that then put the All Blacks to the sword and the other indication that they are not impossibly far off the world champions came in Dunedin in September when they tied New Zealand down for long periods. They would ultimately pay for Morne Steyn’s poor goalkicking and Dean Greyling’s lack of discipline in that match, going down 21-11.

In their return meeting in October, the iconic FNB Stadium would prove to be no protection from the attacking brilliance of the All Blacks as they swept to a 32-16 victory in their most impressive display of the year. Without the amulet of forward dominance, the Springboks were made to look second-best and the anti-Meyer chorus grew louder.

But even the All Blacks’ attacking brilliance is no protection from defeat if they lose the forward battle, as England showed two weeks ago when their pack put their bodies on the line in such impressive fashion.

The good news for the Springboks is that it is easy to see their pack developing into a world-class unit. Despite the absence of Bismarck du Plessis for most of the year through injury, Adriaan Strauss stepped in and enjoyed a superb season in the middle of the front row. Jannie du Plessis manfully filled the tighthead berth throughout the year, but there is no lack of loosehead talent with Tendai Mtawarira, Gurthro Steenkamp, Heinke van der Merwe and Coenie Oosthuizen all in the frame.

Eben Etzebeth showed signs that he will fill the considerable boots of Bakkies Botha, while, despite several injuries, the loose forward stocks still look strong with Francois Louw, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee and Duane Vermeulen all having an impressive year.

It is among the backs where the future looks cloudy for the Springboks.

Burly inside centre Francois Steyn only played half of the Tests in 2012 due to injury, captain Jean de Villiers slotting into the number 12 jersey in his absence. With problems inside of them – Morne Steyn was in poor form at flyhalf, Johan Goosen was then injured before Pat Lambie eventually played in Britain and Ireland – there was little inspiration from the backline when it came to attack.

In Meyer’s defence, his first year in charge was always going to be a conservative one. In 2013, he should be able to build on the positives of 2012, most notably some incredible defensive displays, to ensure the Springboks are no longer left in the wake of the All Blacks.

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-12-12-rugby-2013-the-all-blacks-will-still-be-the-team-to-beat

–

One-day internationals between South Africa and New Zealand always seem to have added spice, mostly because on the odd occasion the Black Caps have managed to win, they have often been the key games that have hurt the Proteas the most.

Of the 55 ODIs the two countries have played against each other, South Africa have won 33 and New Zealand 18, with four no results.

World Cup matches have been particularly happy occasions for the Kiwis, starting back in 1992 when they played an ODI against South Africa for the first time, at Eden Park in Auckland.

Kepler Wessels’ team, fresh out of isolation, were pummelled by seven wickets with 15-and-a-half overs to spare as New Zealand brought a fresh approach to limited-overs cricket.

South Africa did win their 1996 World Cup meeting in Faisalabad, thanks to their superb fielding and a fiery half-century from Hansie Cronje, and swept to victory at Edgbaston in 1999 after a brilliant all-round display by Jacques Kallis.

But since then, the Black Caps have notched three successive World Cup wins, with the trouble starting in Johannesburg in 2003 when Stephen Fleming’s great 134* powered New Zealand to victory and overshadowed Herschelle Gibbs’s wonderful 143, leaving the hosts on the brink of elimination and giving the visitors their first ODI win in South Africa.

New Zealand also took the spoils on the tropical island of Grenada, just off South America, in the 2007 World Cup, winning by five wickets to clinch a semi-final berth.

The 2011 World Cup defeat in Dhaka was perhaps the saddest of the lot because South Africa were riding high, their form steadily growing as they reached the quarterfinals, before Jacob Oram brutally chopped them down on a deteriorating pitch.

It felt like the apocalypse but, to their credit, South Africa rebounded by whitewashing the Kiwis 3-0 in New Zealand less than a year later in their most recent ODI meeting.

Despite all the World Cup pain they have inflicted, it is clear New Zealand will be up against it in the three ODIs between January 19 and 25. They have limped their way to just two victories in 18 previous matches against South Africa here, but perhaps it will suit the tourists that the games will be played in the smaller venues of Paarl, Kimberley and Potchefstroom.

With Ross Taylor, his captaincy having been called into question, on sabbatical, New Zealand will rely heavily on new skipper Brendon McCullum to lead the batting, while there will also be a heavy load on the shoulders of 34-year-old all-rounder Oram.

The attack is also missing key experience with spinner Dan Vettori out injured, but there is potential aplenty in young seamers Tim Southee and Trent Boult, while veteran Kyle Mills usually enjoys conditions in South Africa.

The ODI series kicks off on Saturday a.m., January 19 in Paarl and South Africa will no doubt be eager to repay one of their arch-enemies for all that World Cup misery.

But it is clear the Proteas ODI squad is still a work in progress, with coach Gary Kirsten having an eye firmly on the next World Cup final at the end of March 2015, probably in either Sydney or Melbourne.

At the moment, there are places open in the team, with perhaps a third of the squad still not settled, but there is no reason to fear that. Kirsten and the selectors should have an amnesty from criticism as they sift through the potential talent and they will no doubt have plans to introduce some new faces in this series.

And, with Paarl, Kimberley and Potchefstroom renowned for being three of the driest places in the country, rain is unlikely to interfere with those plans!