Q&A - Ken Borland

Review of 2nd test Q&A 0

Posted on August 07, 2012 by Ken

Lesley asked:

Is Faf du plessis a possible replacement for Alviro Pietersen if he fail to recover for the third/final test?

Ken answered:

Yes – Rudolph would open and Faf could slot in at seven, Duminy up to 6

Morake Mojake asked:

What is the extent of Kallis and Petersoen”s injuries and will they be ready in time for the final test?

Ken answered:

Kallis had a lower back spasm and should be fine – he was bowling on the last day of the Test.
Petersen’s hamstring should take about a week to recover, so he should also be fine for the final Test starting on August 16.

Smanga asked:

Hi Ken,

Overall I think SA performed well and also think we very capable of taking 20wkt and scoring big runs, but with the injuries to some guys do you think we got a chance in the last test to finally be named the no#1 test team in the world??

Ken answered:

Absolutely. The injuries should have cleared up by the final test and I would expect us to bat even better – we had a few lapses at Headingley. On a generally better batting pitch at Lord’s, England are under huge pressure!

Lesley asked:

What”s are your intake about the balance of thr two teams going to the third test?

Ken answered:

Well England got their selection totally wrong in Leeds by not playing Swann. He’ll return at Lord’s, probably in place of Taylor, which means Broad will have to bat 7.
I would still like SA to play a specialist wicketkeeper – Tsolekile – but I guess the balance of the team is good at the moment with Duminy scoring runs. But I’ll be upset if AB doesn’t do more than just score pretty 40s!

Jeandre asked:

Hey guys are there any injury updates on our players? smith, petersen ans kallis did bat so i take it they will be fine or can we see a guy like faf makes his debut at lords?

Ken answered:

Everyone should be fit for Lord’s and I imagine they’ll choose the same XI.

Damien S asked:

Historically we have been very strong at Lord”s. However, this has always been the first test of our previous series. Will it make any difference that we are playing the final test here?
I am of the opinion that we are confident at this ground and can dominate.
Your thoughts…

Ken answered:

Dead right, we have generally done very well at Lord’s and there is the feeling that the venue inspires visiting teams. That’s partly why England didn’t want to play the first test there, but the Oval backfired on them quite spectacularly as well!

Mark asked:

Should Jacques Rudolph not be the first Choice opener with Peterson and have Smith at a later stage on 5?

Ken answered:

Excuse me?! What was wrong with the century Graeme scored opening the batting in the first test and the two 52s he scored at Headingley? SMH

SHAUN asked:

Hi Kenhonestly id firstly like to say that if the rain did not come…we(SA) would have lost, having declared with nine down, i dont think we would of made significantly more than we gave them to chase. That being said around 20 overs were lost due to rain… i am sure England wouyld have batted differently and indeed won the second test, do you agree? also what is your opinion on Tahir? should he play the last test based on the fact that he can only trouble lower order batsmen?

Ken answered:

Hi Shaun
Well it’s difficult to say because the rain also affected the way we batted. We had to deal with constant interruptions and the batsmen playing themselves back in again. Plus we batted with a certain amount of freedom in order to declare with only about 40 overs left in the day – more of a psychological statement than anything. And at 130 for four, England only held a slight advantage.
I think Tahir should play the last test because he’s our best spinner. We’ve had problems with the lower-order before – and England’s is strong with Broad, Bresnan & Swann – so it’s great to have someone who can wrap that up quickly. At the Oval, in conducive conditions, he did trouble the top-order as well.

ian asked:

Hi Ken
With Tahir not really doing the buisness,being quite expensive and still bowling too many bad balls,do you think it would be an option to make Duminy our spinner and bring in another player like faf Du Plessis who bats well and can bowl as well if needed.I know Tahir got some wickets but he basically wrapped up the tail and even part timer Pieterson of england was giving it a good rip.

Ken answered:

Test cricket requires specialists and I would be dead against having part-timers like JP and Faf as our spinners. It’s bad enough not having a specialist wicketkeeper! Wrapping up the tail – England have a very short one – is still an important job and we’ve struggled to do that in the past. Pieterson may have claimed three wickets, but he also conceded 52 runs in 9 overs.

Jeandre asked:

guys who would you say got the most out of this test. If our guys are not injured i would say proteas has the uper hand. we are 1-0 up , England knew had they lost one more wicket they might have been in yrouble too loose the test. i am a bit worried about tahir far too many no balls but he did manage to mop up the tail do you guys think he can only do that or does he have it in him to bowl out a KP OR COOK because they didnt have to much problem facing him. vernon great player but he did strugle bowling too left handers on a pitch that everyone said would suit his bowling, seeing cook and strauss are left handers would it not make more sense to start with steyn and morkel?

Ken answered:

South Africa definitely got the most out of the test because they are still 1-0 up going into the decider. England are now under major pressure! Tahir’s no-balls – in fact the number of extras conceded as a whole – are a concern and I believe the attack needs to tighten up to get back to the levels of the Oval. Tahir’s strength is bowling to the lower-order, but if conditions are suitable, he can trouble the top-order, especially left-handers like Cook. Pietersen took him on and played an exceptional innings.
I agree, I would like to see a change maybe in our bowling line-up, with Steyn taking the new ball at least once at Lord’s. I know Vernon is at his best when the seam is still standing up, but Dale is number one in the world!

Rex asked:

Hi Ken,With AB De Villiers now tasked with the keeping duties for what is likely to be both tests and ODI”s, do you think that this would affect the potential impact he could make by batting lower down the order, and his batting in general?

Ken answered:

Hi Rex
Absolutely. AB de Villiers wants to bat 4 and be the number one batsman in the world. And he can do it, so why on earth do we want to shove him down the order and make him an all-rounder?
I’m sure he’ll be disappointed if he does not make a match-winning century at Lord’s – that’s what he’s there for.

Luvolwethu asked:

It”s encouraging to see the Proteas attacking but now will they employ the same tactics should the same situation arise or will they be content with holding out for a draw considering that they have potential injuries to key members of the squad?

Ken answered:

I think everyone will be fit for Lord’s and I’m sure they won’t be playing for a draw. But at Leed’s there was a risk-reward scenario in that South Africa had a chance of clinching the series win there and then. Lord’s will be different because a draw will give them the series, but I’m sure we will still play positive cricket.

Alex asked:

With AB moving down the order, and being given the gloves, would it not lessen the impact he could have as a batsmen? I say give ol” Daryn Smit, who is very solid with the bat and is a fine glovesman, a chance!

Ken answered:

I agree, why convert one of the world’s best batsmen into a bit-part player at 7? Smit is excellent with the gloves and he’s improved tremendously with the bat, so he will definitely be in the long-term picture.

malcolm sandt asked:

i am bit concerned if kallis wont be fit for the next test.i will pick albie morkel as he will cover the bowling side and he is a more than usefull batter coming in at 7 and just move the other batters up one spot with rudolph at 4 , ab at 5 and duminy at 6 or do we bring in thami as wicket keeper and go with 3 quicks and jp an tahir to cover the spin bowling. i would personally bring in morkel if fit.what do think which way will they go if kallis not fit.

Ken answered:

I think it depends on conditions and, being 1-0 up, you’d probably value Kallis’s runs more than his wickets. If it’s typically English conditions, then Albie would probably be the logical replacement, as you say at 7. But if it’s pretty dry, you could choose Faf du Plessis, which would make the batting very strong, leaving you with 3 frontline seamers in Steyn, Morne Morkel & Philander, Tahir and two part-time spinners in Duminy & Faf.

GIFT asked:

WHAT IS GONNA HEPPEN WITH DRAW BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND ENGLAND.

Ken answered:

A draw in the final test means South Africa win the series 1-0.

ADF asked:

Hi Ken
Having not followed the starts of most well known great spinners, do spinner sometimes start off ordinary and hone their skills to become great on the field ?
Basically its just a question regarding Tahir.
He is by no means useless with the ball but also not in the same bracket as Anil Kumble , Warne etc.
Could he become a great worthy to be mentioned among the greats , if given enough time if you look at the start of carriers of great spinners ?

Ken answered:

Hi ADF
Spin-bowling is an art and, traditionally, the exponents get better with age. Popular opinion is that spinners are in their prime after they turn 30. Tahir, of course, is already 33, so a lengthy career is probably beyond him. But he is getting better and better as he adapts to test intensity and is the best test spinner we have at the moment. He works hard on his fitness, so he could play for five more years and could be really good!

Grant asked:

After another fascinating Test, the questions have been asked why only a three test series. In recent times, SA has been party to some thrilling finales to Test matches, and we are (I firmly believe) about to be no.1 in Test cricket. Do you think a no. 1 ranking would see us secure longer series against the other sides? What about this farcical T20 on Boxing Day? What are CSA doing these days apart from cashing cheques?

Ken answered:

Unfortunately, I don’t think the number one ranking will change much. We’ve played Australia and India before with the top spot up for grabs, and this series too, and still the administrators only find space for three tests. The length of this series was decided by the England Cricket Board and CSA do have a point when they say the public needs to prove their love of test cricket by actually going to the games! Boxing Day attendances have not been great in recent years …

lonwabo asked:

hi Ken would the injuries that the S.A team have in the moment effect them in the match at lords

Ken answered:

Hi Lonwabo
I don’t think so – Kallis bowled on the final day, Smith had a lengthy bat and Petersen’s hamstring should be fine in a week.

Randall asked:

Why did Tahir Bowl so little? Why is the english commentators making out as if SA had to win, isn”t England no1 currently?

Ken answered:

I don’t think Tahir was under-bowled, he bowled 23.4 overs in the first innings, Pietersen at one stage hit him out of the attack, while an attacking leg-spinner is not really going to be the bowler you turn to during a runs-chase.
The pressure is now squarely on England if they want to retain that number one ranking!

Siyabonga asked:

Hi
Philander seems to have lost his form a bit. He bowled short and wide. This is different from how he got his 50 wickets

Ken answered:

None of our bowlers were at their best in Leeds and I think when someone as aggressive as Pietersen is coming at you, you will tend to pull your length back a bit. I don’t think Philander was too bad, he beat the bat a lot, but he will hope to bowl better at Lord’s.

james asked:

Are SA the world best team or are England holding back

Ken answered:

Yes, I believe so, and no! England certainly aren’t holding back, they’re fighting for their lives! They were much-improved at Headingley and SA will have to play very well to earn that number one ranking.

Walter ka Mhlambuluko asked:

Hi Ken, which players do you think can take places of Kallis and Petersen if they are not to take part in the final Test due to injuries that they have currently.

Ken answered:

Hi Walter
Well I’m confident they’ll both be fit. But if not, Rudolph can open the batting again with Faf du Plessis coming in down the order. Albie Morkel would probably be the most suitable replacement for Kallis, although Faf could also come into contention there.
Or Tsolekile could come in to allow De Villiers to concentrate on his batting.

Garreth asked:

Will the sage with KP and the ECB benefit the proteas ?

Ken answered:

Well it certainly won’t help England, so yes!

Jackson asked:

The pitch at Headingley was rather tame and provided the Proteas the opportunity to play within their comfort zone. Will England take a risk in the 3rd test to prepare a wicket that will guarantee a result?

Ken answered:

I don’t think the Headingley pitch was that tame – some outstanding batting by Petersen & Pietersen ensured both sides got over 400 and then the rain made it difficult to get a result. England obviously need a pitch that will help them take 20 wickets, but whether that’s a turning track or a seaming one remains to be seen. Whatever the pitch, South Africa’s attack just looks better.

JAN asked:

Haloo ken, what do you think should be south africas approached of the final test knowing that they are ahead in the series?. and how do you think they can control the game(i.e batting or fielding first?).

Ken answered:

Hi Jan
Well I think we have to stay positive and still play to win, otherwise you hand the momentum to England and get yourself in trouble. Bat first, bat big and control the game with the sheer weight of runs on the scoreboard!

Martin Engelke asked:

I believe that, should Peterson be unavailable, Tsolekile should play instead of yet another batsman( at 7, of course). Duminy showed a specialist batsman can still only last 1 ball and runs are”nt guaranteed. Just 1 reason.
Also,I feel in a fully fit squad, that Rudolph should move up to 3, everybody else down 1. Kallis is either a natural 3 or 5 and 3 is out as the short ball is getting to him. He is an awesome anchor, so less usefull as a 4 or 6. AB, again, looks most at home when showing attacking intent. He is possibly the most capable batsman in the world of getting a run-a-ball 200 from 6 batting with the tail.
What do you think of this?

Ken answered:

There really isn’t much difference between batting 3 or 4! or 5 and 6 for that matter! So I’m happy with the batting order as is, although I agree, Tsolekile should be at 7 in the long-term … so that AB can bat 5 and score those 200s!

Darrel Conolly asked:

Very little wrong with the Protea set-up at the moment. To score over 400 when put in to bat under such conditions and against one of the best pace attacks in the world is no mean achievement.
Two questions: why is Ashwell Prince no longer in the mix; and why does Smith persist in bowling Dale Steyn at first change?

Ken answered:

Ashwell Prince was dropped after the loss to Sri Lanka in Durban – he was out reverse-sweeping in the first innings and then turned his back on Hashim Amla in the 2nd as he was run out for 51. Would you choose Prince ahead of Rudolph, Duminy or Du Plessis?
The thinking with the bowling order is that Philander is at his best when the seam is still standing up and Morne Morkel has a great record against left-handers and Andrew Strauss in particular. Dale’s record against left-handers isn’t as good …

yazeed asked:

I am really frustrated with Imraan Tahir”s inability to pick-up top order wickets. What else can he try in order to get top order wickets?

Ken answered:

He just needs to be patient and build more pressure. He does trouble them, but too often there’s a release ball.

Wynand asked:

Do you think our batsmen giving away their wickets relatively cheaply is a product of the comprehensive win in the first test or the constant rain interuptions?Do you think Faf is ready to step up to test cricket?

Ken answered:

I think the rain did play a role in the second innings, but there was a definite hint of some complacency in the batting. Most of the dismissals were soft, especially in the first innings. It’s still a frustration that we are not consistently ruthless with the bat – follow up a great performance with another one.
I think Faf will do well whenever he gets his test chance.

Somila Spondo asked:

Do you think south africa has a chance of winning the test series with the couple of injuries that have happened, and the english team look to be perfoming better and better, even with the attention being focussed on KP?

Ken answered:

Absolutely. None of the injuries are serious and England now have to chase the game in the final test, which can lead to mistakes. They were much better in Leeds, but still couldn’t win. I think the KP saga is one they can really do without.

Ismail asked:

Hi Ken. The extras that SA have conceded thus far, especially the no balls & wides, is very concerning. By doing this we had basically given away free runs & the chance to declare earlier & thus attack England for a win. In comparison England”s bowlers wer very effecient & miserly with regards to extras conceded. Is AB playing wk part of this problem? is there an underlying overconfidence from our bowlers? added to that Tahir has not been effective enough! I fear that this upcoming third test will be heavily influenced by this ”free runs” scenario. What is/are the solution(s)? … our much vaunted bowling attack is giving away runs ”free”! Thanx for your time.

Ken answered:

Hi Ismail
I agree! We weren’t tight enough in the field and the wicketkeeper sets the tone in the field. AB is not as verbal as most wicketkeepers and perhaps the intensity suffers as a result. But the bowlers were also not quite at their best and need to get back to the levels of pressure they exerted at the Oval. I think Tahir is fulfilling his role of wrapping up the lower-order.

NEVILLE WINDELL asked:

Hi Ken
I expect swann coming back in the Eng side. Do you think he will? and will he be dangerous against our poor run of form against spinners over the years?

Ken answered:

Hi Neville
Yes, I’m sure Swann will return, but he has an elbow niggle and doesn’t seem to be the same bowler as when we last played England.
He is a dangerous bowler though, especially against our left-handers.
But I don’t think we’re poor against spin – we wouldn’t have done well on the sub-continent if we were – and I believe we play spin better than England!

Tumelo asked:

Hi Ken,I was happy our batsman got a chance but i”m a bit worried about AB with his indecisiveness at the crease and with Roudolf and the offspin.
Will Alviro and Kallis be fit for the game and both are not who will be the guys coming in

Ken answered:

Hi Tumelo
I’m not sure AB was that indecisive scoring 44 off 45 in the second innings! But I’m sure 2x40s will not satisfy him and he’ll be looking for a big hundred in the last test.
Hopefully Rudolph’s dismissals were just an aberration – he did score 19 and 69 before that … I’m sure he’ll be sorting out any hitches against off-spin in the nets before Lord’s …
I’m sure Kallis and Petersen will both be fit, but potential replacements have been discussed above.

Bongani asked:

Great to see NEW Greame Smith since introduction of Gary Kirsten to the National set-up, the last 4 series were great to watch as I see him try lot different elements to the previous predictable GS.
With injury to Alviro I would love to see Faf been given a chance as he bring another wicket taking option with him on field and his batting has mature like great wine, what your thoughts?
Playing XI for lords

Ken answered:

Petersen should be fit, but if not, yes, Faf should play and I believe he’s ready to do well at test level too.

Christian asked:

Hi Ken,Just like in the first test, South Africa conceded a large number of extras compared to England. Surely this must be a matter of concern to Allan Donald and the rest of th coaching staff?

Ken answered:

Hi Christian
Yes, it should be a concern and, as I mentioned above, I can’t help wondering if some of the looseness is down to not having a specialist wicketkeeper?

Jody Abrahams asked:

Hi Ken,My question is about Imran Tahir it”s great watching him bowl to tail enders but extremely frustrating watching him against the England top order because he does not seem to trouble them.

Is it harsh to criticise him now or will he learn because I think about 70% to 80% of his wickets are tail enders?

Cheers

Jody

Ken answered:

Hi Jody
I think he has troubled the top-order sometimes and I think we should be patient. At least he’s doing the important job of knocking over the lower-order, which we have struggled with in the past!

Philani Nzuza asked:

Hi Ken,two questions,I think this England team can”t win against us considering KP saga and our team form allround,can we choke on the last test as usual?second one,is Faf coming in for Peterson in order to not take any chances with AP?

Ken answered:

Hi Philani
The pressure’s firmly on England going into the final test, so I don’t think choking comes into it! Petersen still has a week to get fit, so I’m sure he’ll be available for Lord’s.

Brinley asked:

Hi Ken, I think the guys have the measure of England. My question is, did the batsman not make Broad look good as they were going for runs?

Ken answered:

Hi Brinley
Yes, I think there was a suggestion of that. But we cannot allow the England bowlers to get their confidence back by being complacent. The batsmen must be ruthless!

Realeboha asked:

Hi Ken
Dont you think it”s time for King Kallis to focus only on batting. It seems like the load of being an all-rounder is too much for him lately especially on his health.thanks for your time

Ken answered:

Hi Realeboha
I think Kallis is being managed carefully and he’s only bowled 42 overs in the two tests, roughly half the workload of the other frontline bowlers. He’s also made 3 crucial breakthroughs and is great at building pressure, he’s been our most economical bowler. Having him as a bowler is one of the greatest strengths of the team!
He’ll also be resting for the ODI series afterwards …

Greg asked:

I have really been impressed with the way SA have played on this tour. The team seems stronger without Boucher, sorry Mark, but some of the umpiring descions made were appauling. I umpire at junior and club level. With the technologie available how can you get it wrong? It”s the first time that I have seen the benefit of the doubt going against the batsmen. Jacques Rudolph stumping and Graeme Smith”s batpad.Ridiculous! Why not give 5 reviews each coz poor old AB also got a shocker. I think umpires like Steve Davis really need to be looked at. Because if 95 percent of us Umps had DRS and Hotspot and 3rd umpires we would make errors 0.1% of the time thanks.

Ken answered:

I would say the umpiring was outstanding in the first test, Davis in particular. 2nd test wasn’t as good, but there’s no such thing as “benefit of the doubt” in the rule book! That’s just a convention.
On close scrutiny, Rudolph was out, nothing behind the line, and Smith seemed to get a scratch off the bottom of the bat – you can even see him mouth the words “the bottom of my bat” to Amla when they’re chatting about the review. There were no more reviews left for AB’s decision and that wasn’t a good one.

percy asked:

Will the Proteas still go 2 No 1 spot if they win the series 2-0…?

Ken answered:

Yes, if we win the series, even 1-0, we’ll be number 1.

Kyle asked:

Hi Ken.2 questions.

No.1 – If the injuries of King Kallis and Alviro turn out to be serious, which will cause them to miss the next test, who will replace them?

No.2 – In my opinion Faf has been in great form and showed his ability to play in all formats. whats your thoughts on him being selected in all 3 formats of the game ?

Ken answered:

Hi Kyle
I’ve covered both questions above.

Shonisani Gabara asked:

Why don”t we groom Makhaya Ntini as one of the coaches?.

Ken answered:

I’m not sure Makhaya wants to go into high-level coaching, but maybe somebody should ask him?

Grant Callaway asked:

Hi Ken,
As much as we all like to hate Kevin Peterson, and as many reasons as he gives for that to be justified, I truly believe that he has single-handedly transformed English cricket for the better.Do you think that England would ever have been ranked world no.1”s without the injection of aggression from KP? To me, it seemed that Enland were always too conservative to ever dominate.Also, although SA were in the driving seat for Test#2, it seemed that the English bowlers did a lot more than ours (surprising since the English had a massive workload in the 1st test). Do you think our bowlers will prove more the threat they SHOULD be in the last test, or do you think our chances hinge more on our batsmen?Thanks.
Grant

Ken answered:

Hi Grant
Pietersen is a phenomenal batsman no doubt, not many could have played the sort of innings he did. He didn’t just rescue England from trouble, he also put them in position to win the test – that’s the aggressive intent you’re talking about.
Although our bowlers weren’t on top of their games, it still took a special innings to get the better of them, and I think I’m a little more disappointed in our batting.
In both innings we failed to capitalise on great starts – the openers put on 120 in both innings! Especially in the first innings, there were some soft dismissals and we really should have scored more than 500 to really shut England out.
At Lord’s, we’re 1-0 up, so it will be all about our batsmen putting us in a position where we cannot lose.

Peter asked:

Even though after the declaration the odds were heavily on a draw, the batting after lunch(with the help of a couple of poor umpiring decisions} was not great.99% impossible to dismiss a side in 40 overs.Far more possible if highly unlikely to get the runs. I wouldnt have given England a sniff. Your comments please, Ken

Ken answered:

I think the declaration was more a psychological ploy than anything else. It was saying, “we’re not in trouble here, we have enough runs, we believe we can skittle you out.” Otherwise England might have thought we were trying to hang on for a draw, it put the shoe on the other foot!

Kirk Lawler asked:

Would a specialist keeper not be a better option, instead of AB ?

Ken answered:

Yes!

Thabani majaqaba asked:

If south Africa win third test,will they be number one in test cricket in the world.

Ken answered:

Yes, and even if they draw. We just need to win the series to be number one.

Ndabenhle Ngcobo asked:

Beating England won”t prove we the number 1 side in the world. I bealive going to the sub continent and winning there unlike would be the proof. Care to comment?

Ken answered:

Been there, done that. We’re the only team that has won consistently on the sub-continent, we haven’t lost a series there since 2006.

Gibbie asked:

Hi,How difficult is it for a spinner not to bowl no-balls? Surely its a matter of changing your run-up/walk-up?

Ken answered:

Hi Gibbie
It is unusual for a spinner to bowl no-balls because their run-ups are shorter – less can go wrong! Can be fixed in the nets.

Dilo asked:

Hi Ken.I personally think that the 2nd test was SA vs Kevin Petersen. SA completly dominated the test, but yet, the English commentators refused to say that SA were dominating and in a better position..They held on to hope that England could still win right until maybe 13 over to go yesterday..It was ridiculous and terrible to listen to..No praise for SA and how well we had played..Whats your opinion regarding those commentators?Even Pollock got carried away and he spoke about England 90% of the time.If SA were not chasing runs, Broad would not have goten 5 wickets, but the commentators never mentioned that SA was chasing runs and thus loosing wickets..Only Nichael Holding mentioned it..Your comments?

Ken answered:

Hi Dilo

I wasn’t phased about the commentary and I thought the test was pretty even.

Riaan asked:

Hi Ken, from a snowy Jhb hope you are well.
Is the perception mutual between all of us that Hash is an excellent batsman, but a poor runner between the wickets. I think the stats might indicate that he is involved in WAY too many run-outs?

Ken answered:

hi Riaan
The perception is there – but stats show he’s been run out just four times in 106 innings. Not too bad.

Pregasen asked:

Hi Ken.I read today that Kevin Petersen is undecided if he wants to play for England in tests after test 3 against SA.Is this true or is it the English media sensationalizing things again? He did retire from ODI, but then wanted to return, and now he is undecided regards test cricket..I think that the English selectors should leav him out of the team as he seems to want attention all the time..No play, not Bradman, not Petersen can be above the game and do as they please..I think he should be taught a lesson.He did play irresponsibly in the 1st test when England needed to bat time to save the gave, but here he scores a magnificent 149 and it seems his ego is back as well..What happens next time he needs to bat 300 balls for 70 runs to save a test for England?I dont think he could do it, so i say, sack him..your taughts?

Ken answered:

Hi Pregasen
He made the comments on the BBC, so they’re true.
It’s very sad that straight after winning back public opinion with his marvellous innings, he lets his ego get in the way again!
KP needs test cricket more than the game needs him!

Andrew Robinson asked:

What allows players like K. Petersen, Kallis and Duminy make beakthroughs where the regular bowlers have failed?

Ken answered:

The batsmen may relax a bit, lose concentration. But Kallis has 279 test wickets – he’s a regular and highly skilful!

chumani kwanini asked:

hi lets say sa lost the final test would it be a bad result if it finish with a drawn series

Ken answered:

Hi Chumani
Yes it would be very disappointing after we’ve dominated the series.

Shaun Reznik asked:

Hi KenI just dont understand why there is such a delay in between test matches? Surely 5 day sis enough and not 10 days?

Swann is playing a county crickey game today. It also adds to the length of the tour..

My main gripe is 3 tests instead of 4/5. The money conscious killers of cricket still could have gotten their limited over games, and more tests…

Ken answered:

Hi Shaun
With the injury niggles we have, I’m sure the rest will do our players the world of good!

Kris asked:

Do you think England will take any positives from the second test and how do you think they (England) are psychologically?

Ken answered:

They will believe they put themselves in a position to win and they claimed 19 wickets, which was a big improvement. Pressure is still on them though, which they haven’t been under at home for several years, so it will be interesting to see how they respond.

Adam Sack asked:

Hi KenAny news on how Boucher is going? Has he recovered well?

And your thoughts on the wicket keeper pecking order? Are you a supporter of Thami?

Ken answered:

Hi Adam
Boucher still needs more surgery, but so far his recovery has been better than expected. We’ll know more tomorrow.
Yes, I think Tsolekile should play.

phillip phiri asked:

dont u think faf needs some game time, not that duminy z not gud but i jus think faf du needs some game time

Ken answered:

Why does Faf need game time? It’s the last test of a series we have to win!

Johnny Kay asked:

Hi Ken,Are you happy with our bowling attack or do you think we need to bring in someone to help us dismiss teams. We keep hearing about how good our attack is but we don’t seem able to really dominate like we should. Would it be possible to fit Albie Morkel in the team? He could potentially help both our batting and bowling.

Ken answered:

I’m very happy with the composition of our attack! They claimed 20 wickets at the Oval when the opposition took just 2 and took 14 wickets in 160 overs at Headingley.

Daniel Linde asked:

HiIts been great to see that the SA A side has had a lot of fixtures over the lats few months. This is new for SA Cricket. Will their fixture list continue?

I feel its brilliant for their development to be in a national set-up and with other contenders. And touring is always good for development.

Ken answered:

hi Daniel
The SA A program is being expanded which is a good thing.

Mpumelelo asked:

in an effort to make a short series like this one interesting (or test cricket at large), don”t you think an optional 6th day should be added if a result is possible especially if we lost play due to lights, bad weather, etc?

Ken answered:

They’re barely managing to fit 5 days into the schedule these days, so 6 is not gonna happen!

Riaan asked:

What is your take on the standard of umpiring thus far in the series…Steve Davis has got quite a few wrong during the series and then also the shocker from Asad Rauf yesterday. With the final test the world number one decider should we be concerned over the standard of umpiring?

Ken answered:

No, umpiring has generally been very good – see answer above.

Reece Davies asked:

Are you gay?

Ken answered:

Only when it’s snowing in Johannesburg or when South Africa claim the number one ranking!
How about you?

Andre asked:

Hi
If we draw the next game would we be world no 1. Thanks

Ken answered:

Hi Andre
Yes, series win gives us number one.

Myles Ritchie asked:

Can KP theoretically ever play for SA? Does he have dual citizenship?

Ken answered:

No – the rules have changed, once you’ve played for one country at international level, that’s it.

Sarooben Chetty asked:

Will Hansie ever come back to captain?

Ken answered:

Gee, I hope not. Who else would be emerging from the grave … ?

Mark Booysen asked:

what did you make of Morkel”s and Philander”s opening spell in England”s first Innings?

Ken answered:

Not great. Lacked rhythym and intensity, and consistency.

Mlilo asked:

I think Philander can do better I am not sure whether he is now comfortable or what but they need to have a talk with him. What”s your take?

Ken answered:

I’m pretty sure complacency is not an issue.

Grant Callaway asked:

Hi Ken,
Can you offer any explanation for Tahir”s numerous no-balls?I used to consider myself a quick bowler, and had the long run-up to suit. For about 2 years, I used to land about 20cm SHORT of the crease, and just couldnt fix my run-up. When you change the distance, your body “auto-corrects” in the stride, taking you back to where you were before – so I understand that part….but a spinner literally only takes 3 or 4 steps. I find it very hard to believe that his no-balls are anything more than him just wanting to get as close as possible?Surely he needs to curb this now, as one of those no balls could cost us a wicket (and a match) soon! And there”s nothing worse than something like that happening when it can be easily avoided?

Ken answered:

Hi Grant
Quite right – for the spinner he should be able to fix it with work in the nets.

Alan asked:

The game changing or saving innings was that of KP.
Do you think the Proteas and in particular Greame Smith got his tactics right when bowling to KP. All that short stuff on a wicket that clearly required the ball to be pitched up. Was this not simply Greame Smith”s ego vs that of KP….?

Ken answered:

I doubt the tactics would have been decided solely by Graeme. There would have been input from Gary Kirsten, Allan Donald and the bowlers.

Francois asked:

When england was under pressure having lost 4 wickets last night, Smith did not apply the pressure with aggressive field placings, thus allowing the game to peter out.
Your opinion?

Ken answered:

Well he couldn’t be too aggressive because there was an outside chance of England chasing down the runs.

Len Swart asked:

Hi Ken. I think SA played well. The weather spoiled what would have been an exciting finish to the 2nd test. Am I correct in saying that we have a pretty good record at lords against England? I recall us winning there in 2008. Also who do you think is the favorite to win the ODI series coming up?

Ken answered:

Hi Len
We have a great record at Lord’s – we haven’t lost a test there since 1960 and have 3 of the 4 since isolation, 2008 was a draw!
For the ODI series, England are probably slight favourites. They have an excellent record at home recently and we’re resting Kallis.

wilbur pienaar asked:

if jacques kallis is unavailable for the lords test match, do you think they will replace him with an allrounder, say a ryan mclaren?

Ken answered:

Ryan McLaren is not on tour and Albie Morkel is the reserve all-rounder.

joel asked:

What a breaktaking series its been so far, yesterday was epic! So Ken, its safe to say we”ve had the better of the Pommies in the last two matches, they”ve never been in a clear winning position throughout the series, they”re always chasing the game (Apart from KP”s heriocs)… Is it premature to say we ARE better than England, even if they win the 3rd test? Are we the most complete test side in the world?

Ken answered:

Joel, we only earn the right to call ourselves the best if we beat England and have that number one ranking! We’re a formidable unit, but there’s still room for quite a bit of improvement – more consistent batting, a proper wicketkeeper/batsman, and Tahir developing further.

jacques asked:

Why is it that SA”s bowlers are down on pace. Before the test series Dale wanted toe be the quickest SA bowler, last sesion on the last day of play in the second test after the ball was 20 odd overs old he decided to bowl like everybody knows he can. Shouldn”t tha have happend with the new ball up front?

Ken answered:

Pace has a lot to do with the bowler’s rhythm on the day and also the match situation. Sometimes they are just striving for better control or more swing.

donwan asked:

How serious is kallis injury?

Ken answered:

Not serious – he was bowling on the last day.

Greig asked:

Hi Ken,Thanks for taking the time on the q&a. Keen to get your thoughts on:
1. Huge fan of Vernon P. but do you think he bowled a touch short during the whole 2nd test and if so, why wasnt it corrected. He shouldve been more successful?
2. Ive seen this before when we try and attack Pietersen and he rises to the challenge. Shouldnt we just be sticking to line and length and bore him out instead. He obviously has a point to prove being ex-south african so why play into his hands?
3. If you had to choose, who would it be Faff, JP or Rudolph.

Ken answered:

Hi Greig
Yes Philander did bowl a bit short, but that’s likely to happen when someone like KP is striding down the pitch to attack you!
But yes, Pietersen loves rising to the challenge and he had a point to prove after taking a lot of flak from the Oval thrashing. I tend to favour the bore-him-out approach, I must say, although he did pop a catch to short-leg that wasn’t taken!
Rudolph at the moment …

phillip maritz asked:

Hi Ken,I think Eng will be kicking themselves for leaving out swann..Tahir has been a bit disappointing in his consistancy,Sa should rather play robbie p who can bowl more consistant and he can bat.tahir has not come to the party!

Ken answered:

Tahir has done a great job in wrapping up the England lower-order – Broad averages 5.66 in the series, Bresnan 18.50, Swann 22.00. Their career-averages are 26.75, 36.27 and 21.73 respectively, so he’s kept them very quiet.

Shaylin asked:

Hey Ken,the result wasn”t wat we were looking for bt none the less the boys did well. My question to u is,do u think tahir should be dropped so another pace bowler can enjoy the slope at lords? So they can xploit the english batsman.

Ken answered:

hey Shaylin
I think as England proved in the 2nd test, you generally need a specialist spinner in test cricket.

Karl asked:

Do you think the Keven Pietersen should play for England in the next test or be dropped after what has been released in the press here today.

Ken answered:

I don’t really care to be honest, except to say it’s sad to see such a talent go to waste.

Bart asked:

Do you think the England camp will self destruct with this whole K Peterson saga?

Ken answered:

It won’t help them, but they’ve been dealing with the KP ego for some time, so I doubt they’ll self-destruct.

raygan asked:

South africa need a longterm wickedkeeper and quinton de kock is the perfect guy for me …the 3rd test would”ve been great if we won that game yesterday to test new guys like de kock I think faf should replace peterson if not fit but what position is his best in the batting line up ??

Ken answered:

De Kock is nowhere near ready – has lots of work to do on his wicketkeeping. He doesn’t even keep for the Lions!
Faf should bat middle-order.

rendal asked:

Hi ken all our top batsmen got runs will england prepare a green pitch at lords or a flat track will their take that gamble

Ken answered:

Hi Rendal
England need a result pitch!

Sivuyile asked:

With South Africa not playing a specialist keeper where do you see them starting to play Thami Tsolekile in the squad and a full time basis?

Ken answered:

Hopefully as soon as this series is over!

Akeel asked:

Would you rate kallis batting in the same breath as lara tendulkar and pointing..he”s stats surely say so,so why do international commentators and media disagree with it..

Ken answered:

Absolutely – and I believe most pundits believe this now as well.

Riaan Snyman asked:

Why did the SA bowlers bowl within themselves for most of the the test Match?Dale Steyn and co seemed to just put the ball there and not “bowl” it, why? was this part of the strategy?

Only when the match outcome was certain did they reach some proper speeds?

Ken answered:

The intensity wasn’t quite there, but it would not have been deliberate. Bowlers sometimes just don’t quite have their best rhythm.

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120807/Review_of_2nd_test_QA_with_Ken

Tags: Alviro Petersen England Faf du Plessis injuries Q&A South Africa third Test
Category Cricket, Sport

England Test series preview Q&A 0

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Ken

sms asked:

Do you think imran tahir will succeed in english conditions.

Ken answered:

Imran has played a lot of county cricket & has enjoyed plenty of success there before, so yes! It would help him more though if there could be plenty of sunshine to dry out the pitches a bit!

Robin Meth asked:

Will Steyn and Morkel have an advantage in the bowling department as I would imagine a lot of attention would have gone to The Vern?

Ken answered:

I think the beauty of our pace attack is that it can succeed whatever the conditions: If there’s bounce, Morkel & Kallis can capitalise on that; if there’s swing, Steyn & Kallis will thrive; if there’s seam movement, then Philander will be our key bowler. If anything, England might still be underestimating Philander a bit … but there’s no doubt the two bowling attacks have been the focal point.

Johann Bezuidenhout asked:

Morning Ken. There has been no indication as to a second spinner in this series for the Proteas. With our pace attack looking rusty, and the Poms sure to prepare a pitch that will assist Swann from, shouldn”t we have a second spinner there to support Tahir and make the English think a little bit?

Ken answered:

Hi Johann. Teams very seldom need a second frontline spinner in England, although it seems South Africa will play Duminy as a sort of all-rounder at 7. I doubt England will prepare spinners’ pitches because their strength is in their pace bowling attack and their batsmen’s recent record against spin is not good! I personally don’t think we need a second spinner, especially since it’s been a pretty wet summer over there.

Johann Bezuidenhout asked:

Morning Ken. Seeing the pace attack struggle makes me think that the Poms will want to take them out of the game and prepare a slower pitch that will suit Swann. Shouldn”t we also consider sending over a second spinner for Tahir? Who would you reccommend?

Ken answered:

Hi again Johann, to add to my answer above, we already have another spinner over there in Robin Peterson, plus there’s Duminy, so no need for any reinforcements.

Barend de Beer asked:

Do you think it will be wise of SA to drop Tahir (if they will,haven”t seen the squad yet) for a extra batsman and part time spinner in JP

Ken answered:

No – only if it’s a greentop

Thami Gorolo asked:

I read an article where flintoff said England will win the series ”easily” and today saw Boycs underestimating taheer saying he can face him at 70yrs old. Many english journos are giving us no chance in this series, I think this alone is enough to ignite the fire inside the boy”s camp. So I would like to know what edge do the Poms have over us that makes their press so arrogant?

Ken answered:

For the English press, their teams are either the best in the world or absolute rubbish, there’s no in-between! England have been doing very well, so they naturally over-rate them at the moment!

John John asked:

Are this English side really as good as the English media make them to be, comparing them with the Ausies in there prime.Also do you think we will be sharp from the get go as we didnt have any competetive build up?

Lastly will the absence of Boucher have an negative effect on the players ?

Ken answered:

I definitely feel this England team is being over-rated a bit. They are a very good side, but to compare them to Australia in their prime is ridiculous! England struggle to win away from home.
The South Africans are adamant that they have had all the preparation they need, so we shall see … they believe preparation is more mental than anything else. History suggests otherwise, but maybe Gary Kirsten & Paddy Upton are going to rewrite conventional thinking …
The absence of Boucher is obviously a blow, and will have affected the players emotionally. It’s up to them whether they use that emotion positively or negatively.

Sean CIllier asked:

Hi Ken, my question is around the addition of Albie Morkel in to the squad. From various articles I have read I believe the thinking could be to have AB keep, Duminy at 7 then perhaps have Albie Morkel at 8 and not play Tahir. The thinking behind this is that Albie has a good understanding of UK conditions and will further strengthen our batting line up. Duminy will then be used as a spin option. What are you thoughts on this? What do you believe is the best route to go for the first test?

Ken answered:

Hi Sean.
Firstly, I am against AB keeping wicket. I believe you need a specialist in English conditions and Thami Tsolekile should play. A team with seven specialist batsmen looks unbalanced to me and there is the danger that the top-order go into the Test with the attitude that “someone else can get the runs”. Plus AB is such a key batsman, I want him to focus on that, scoring big hundreds that win Tests!
However, if the pitch is an absolute greentop and a spinner is unlikely to have much work, then I can live with AB keeping & Duminy and Albie Morkel playing.

Loyiso asked:

The english media and pundits are praising this english team and really overating them, do you think they a better side than South Africa?

Ken answered:

I do believe England are a very good team, but I honestly don’t believe they’re better than us! Of their team, only Cook, Pietersen, Swann, Prior and Anderson would make our team I reckon.

Realeboha asked:

Do you see Tahir play any part in this series now that Duminy is on-form as an all-rounder?

Ken answered:

Duminy may be on-form as a batsman, but he’s certainly not on-form in terms of being a test all-rounder – he’s hardly bowled! I do think Tahir has an important part to play as England have traditionally struggled against wrist-spin … he just needs the sun to shine and dry out the pitches a bit!

Khwezi Mgquba asked:

Naturally England would know the conditions well and they also have some good match practice under the belt, but I do feel that we have the slight edge especially in the batting because of the 7 specialist batsmen.My concern is that historically we have struggled to break the opening partnership of the two left handers and that will be vital.Also M Morkel, against his natural length, will have to ensure he bowls a fuller length and not relent on the pressure that we expect Steyn and Philander to exert.We achieve that and we will have a great chance to win yet another series in England.

Ken answered:

Good points Khwezi, but having seven specialist batsmen can backfire because there’s a tendency to leave the job of scoring runs to the next man in! Remember when we batted all the way down to number 10? That was also the 90-5 era exactly because of that attitude! Bowling to the left-handers up front will be crucial, but Steyn has improved a lot in that department, Kallis is also good at it and I think Philander will threaten them outside their off-stumps. The last time we toured England, Morne Morkel had a tremendous series, so hopefully he can recall that form!

Dan Ferguson asked:

Morning Ken. Enland have played tests against the west indies and have played against the ozzies. We have had 2 short warm up games in which we did not shine. Are we not under prepared? If this was a boxing match and we were coming up against the champ we would get walloped.
If I was telling my country I was serious about being number 1 then why have we not prepared in this way?

Thanks

Daniel

Ken answered:

Hi Dan. The South African team are adamant that they are 100% prepared, saying most of their preparation is mental anyway … We shall see … This goes against conventional thinking, but Gary Kirsten was happy with the schedule. There is a chance that England may struggle having to make the switch back from ODI cricket to tests, plus they may be getting a bit mentally stale … Let’s hope so anyway!

Jody Druce asked:

Who do you think really are favourites for this tour? I have another question. The South African side seams to be very optimistic, do you think thats a good thing?

Thanks Ken
Jody

Ken answered:

Hi Jody, I don’t think either team can really be considered outright favourites, but I will be very disappointed if we don’t win the series. There’s no harm in the confidence because we do have a really great team that has won all over the world and they’ll be hungry to win in England again and claim that number one ranking.

Derek Druce asked:

I have a few q”s for you.
1. Would you agree with me if I said that i don”t think SA should be talking so much about how they are going to be number 1 before they have even started playing and they are playing the world number 1?

2. Do you think Morne is going to be at his best?

3. Do you think that SA”s batting line up will meet the chalenge?

4. Since both England and SA have bowlers in the top 10, who do you think will be better as far as bowling goes?

Thanks

Ken answered:

I don’t think the team have said they will be number one, but they have clearly identified that as their goal … and why not? It’s a great motivation.
You never really know with Morne, do you? But I’m heartened by his recent form, he was absolutely brilliant in the IPL and was consistent right through our summer. Plus he bowled extremely well the last time the team was in England.
I’m very happy with our top six, they all have plenty of experience in English conditions and they’re the best people for the job. But we need big hundreds – one of the reasons I don’t want De Villiers to keep wicket.
I also think our bowling attack is better than their’s – we have a bit more pace plus a wrist-spinner.

ian asked:

Hi Ken
do you think Steyns pace and Morkels bounce will be a big factor on the English wickets or is more line and lenth and swing thats going to get the wickets via Philander and maybe Kallis and how do you think Tahir will shape on the English wickets

Ken answered:

Hi Ian
The weather conditions play a major role in England, but the beauty of our attack is that they have all the bases covered! Line & length will generally get the job done, but it’s great to have that extra pace and bounce, plus Philander can get assistance from the pitch when most other bowlers can’t. If there’s turn and bounce, Tahir can then be a handful, as he’s proven before in county cricket.

Craig asked:

Hi Ken

Do you reckon the selectors will give Tsolokile a start in the second Test and will they change the batting line-up with AB now behind stumps in first Test? Thanks

Ken answered:

Hi Craig
Well that’s one of the problems I have with AB keeping in the first Test. Whatever the result, the same team should be given another chance in the second Test .,. and by then the series could be over! What’s the point of Tsolekile only being considered for the second Test?

Jason Every asked:

Hey Ken,
Do you think Tsolekile has the ability to perform consistently with the bat at test level? Without Mark Boucher is our tail not looking a bit too long?

Ken answered:

Hi Jason
Tsolekile has averaged over 40 in the last few domestic seasons, which suggests he can be as effective a batsman as Boucher was. The responsibility still rests with the top six to score the runs! If you’re really worried about the tail and a frontline spinner is not going to get much work, then maybe play Peterson ahead of Tahir. I strongly believe in specialists at Test level!

Johann asked:

Hello Ken

Don”t you think it is sad that this is only a 3 test series?

The series against Aus last year was only 2 tests… Whose decides on the length of a series?

Ken answered:

Hi Johann
It’s an absolute disgrace that there are only 3 Tests – what happens if one is ruined by the weather? The 2 Tests against Australia was an abomination!
The tour schedules are decided by the two countries’ boards … it’s time the public really put pressure on the administrators by showing how much they want Test cricket.

lukhanyo asked:

Hey ken do u think we should get worried by the form of our opening batsmen in the practice games coz they haven”t been getting much tumke on the crease

Ken answered:

Our opening pair will certainly be one of the prime targets for England, but don’t forget Smith’s previous record there!
Plus Petersen has scored heaps of runs in county cricket.

Rudi Meyer asked:

Alec Stewart said in the last few days that the SA team”s success always depends on asserting dominance right from the start and putting the other team on the back foot. Apparently without that SA teams struggle. Do you agree with that assessment?

Ken answered:

I think that applies to any team actually. But we have both won and lost series after winning the first Test.

David asked:

Do you think its reasonable to expect philander to stay on his incredible run last seen against NZL earlier in the year or are we placing to much pressure on him.

Ken answered:

Philander should enjoy English conditions!

Tshepo Timothy asked:

Hi Ken, regarding our lack of preparation leading up to the 1st test match, do you think it will have a huge impact on our performance? Who do you think will be our impact player/players on this match? Thanx

Ken answered:

Hi Tshepo, well the team management and players are adamant that they are 100% prepared and most of their preparation is mental. This goes against conventional thinking, but I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Kirsten & Upton are going to rewrite the cricket manual!
I’m backing Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn to have major impacts because they’ve been disappointing on previous tours of England and they’ll be desperate to make their mark. Wisden Cricketer of the Year honours await!

Ryan Fynn asked:

Where do you think AB DeVilliers should bat now that he looks to be taking over the gloves from Boucher?

Ken answered:

Well I don’t think AB de Villiers should be keeping wicket. He should be batting number five, concentrating on his key role which is scoring big hundreds that win us Test matches!

Bruce Mclennan asked:

Morning / Afternoon Ken

What are your personal thoughts on the lack of prep for the South African Team. Its a huge worry for me , i can see us all to easily losing the first test and having an uphill struggle from there in the rest of the series. It also worries me that I seem to be one of a minority that dont think we have had enough prep time. Living in London I have watched England play all there recent test series and they are on top of there game and the will be ready , will we ? I just dont see how a trip to Switzzerland can be even remotely the same as actual playing time.

Ken answered:

Hi Bruce
You’re definitely not the only one who’s concerned! But the team & management say most of their preparation is mental, and Switzerland helped them “switch on” for the challenges ahead (apart from Marchant de Lange of course, whose tour was ruined by that trip!)
Actual playing time is always good, but the games against the counties tend to lack intensity …
There’s a chance that England, having played so much already this summer, might be starting to get a bit mentally stale …
But conventional thinking and history are on your side …

malcolm sandt asked:

i will presume that AB will be keeping wicket for the first test.My question were will he bat and will it effect his batting as he is one of our star batsman and we need good scores from him and i take it jp duminy will come in.will AB keep in the long run or will thami tsolikile keep in second or third test and then would jp duminy fall out.how about playing an extra bowler in the first test.thank you for your time

Ken answered:

It looks like AB will be keeping wicket in the first Test and my fear is that it will affect his batting! He may have been able to do both jobs superbly in ODIs, but this is high-pressure Test cricket between the two best sides in the world. What happens if he has to keep wicket for 100 overs and then come in with us 30-3? Which can easily happen in England … AB is one of our key performers with the bat and we need big hundreds from him.
It seems Duminy will come in, giving us seven specialist batsmen, which is unbalanced in my view (see reasons above).
And what is the point of AB just keeping for the first Test? Why is Tsolekile there and why does he have a contract if he’s not going to be the long-term test wicketkeeper?
I would prefer six specialist batsmen, Tsolekile, four bowlers Kallis … if that can’t do the job, nothing will!

Walter ka Pangela asked:

Ken, what would be your starting line up for the Proteas? With regard to the issue of threat, I think the first test would be a draw for me, considering the quality of both batsman and bowlers in both sides.

Ken answered:

Hi Walter
My team, depending on conditions, would be Smith, Petersen, Amla, Kallis, De Villiers, Rudolph, Tsolekile, Steyn, Philander, M. Morkel, Tahir. If it’s a greentop, then I would consider leaving out Tahir and playing one of Albie Morkel, Robin Peterson or JP Duminy …
A draw is not a bad call for the first Test … there’s rain around and South Africa will probably make a slow start to the series ….

Tumelo asked:

Hi Ken,

1)Do you think that AB will take the keeping duties permanently if he does well with both bat&gloves in this test?
2)If this combo plays well together and both Duminy and Roudolph score runs,who would make way for Thami?
3)Do you think calling up Morkel for a bowler was a good idea seeing he has never performed well with the ball for the proteas
4)If we were to keep this combo,who would be the next best batsman in line?

Ken answered:

Hi Tumelo
I really hope AB is not being lined up to be the permanent wicketkeeper. He’s far too good a batsman for that … He will replace Kallis as our key batsman and we want him to be focused on scoring big hundreds that win Test matches! Plus he has a dodgy back … I can’t picture him keeping for 100 overs in the sub-continent and it not affecting his batting! Choosing him as wicketkeeper for the first test is short-term thinking of the worst kind and what does it say to Tsolekile?!
Your 2nd question goes to the heart of the matter. If Tsolekile doesn’t play in the first Test, I don’t think he’ll play in the series! So why does he have a contract and why is he over there?!
The selection of Albie Morkel shows that there is quite a gap in terms of our pace bowling depth below the national team. In his defence, he has experience of English conditions, can swing the ball and obviously can bat well down the order.
When you say keep this combo, I presume you mean with Duminy in at seven? Next batsman in line is hard to say, but I would put my money on Faf du Plessis.

werner du preez asked:

Can you please rate and compare the top 5 batsmen and top 3 bowlers on either side? And then make a call on who is superior in which area? SA might struggle in teh 1st test, but after that it will be game on.

Ken answered:

Hmmm … Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell v Smith, Petersen, Amla, Kallis & De Villiers … Smith beats Strauss, Cook beats Petersen, Amla beats Trott, Kallis beats Pietersen, De Villiers beats Bell … so 4-1 to SA!
Steyn, Morkel, Philander shade Anderson, Broad, Bresnan/Finn in my opinion, 2-1 but Swann would beat Tahir.
Not very scientific, but there you go!

Michelle asked:

Hi Ken, People – mostly Australian – have introduced concepts like bowling units, attack leaders, batting groups, athletes (seriously, i think back to alan kourie and graham gooch… bla dee bla). I do look forward to English commentators not focusing on these phrases! This series could be decided by the better team, but I”m more concerned about rain being the decider. Which team/captain is better equipped to handle consistent rain delays? What do players do during rain delays? TV games? Tweet? Push ups? Indoor nets?

Ken answered:

Hi Michelle, best question of the day and you made me laugh! I don’t think Graham Gooch will take at all kindly to being compared to Alan Kourie (who was one of my heroes by the way!) …
You’re dead right about rain, which is why having a 3-test series is so crazy! Both captains are very experienced, Smith is the most experienced in current cricket, but I guess Strauss must have had more experience of rain!
The players certainly don’t tweet during games because ICC rules forbid cellphones, laptops in the changeroom! In the old days they used to play cards but I’m sure X-Box, playstation etc are the new rage in the modern era! Some of the batsmen will go have an indoor net if they are available.

Brendon asked:

Hi Ken.
The loss of Mark is huge but I feel the Proteas will rally together and win this series for him.
My question is surely SA cricket must look for a keeper for all forms of the game, if that is the case why have they not called in Quinton de Kok from the Lions , this must be the perfect opportunity to blood a young exciting keeper , batsman.
Thami is past his sell buy date and Villas is not in the same class as de Kok, but nobody mentioned Quintons name as a replacement for Mark. Why not

Ken answered:

Hi Brendon
De Kock hasn’t even been keeping wicket for the Lions! He’s still very young, hardly has a 4-day record to speak of and is almost certainly not ready for Test cricket.
I don’t agree that we need a wicketkeeper for all formats … for tests, you need a specialist, but for limited-overs it’s a real advantage to have AB or an explosive batsman who can keep (like De Kock or Dane Vilas).
Thami is certainly not past his sell-by date, by the way, he’s as hungry as ever, has a similar temperament to Boucher and is the best gloveman in the country, along with Daryn Smit.

Ashraf asked:

Don”t you think it would have made more sense that South Africa had to start mentoring a successor to Mark Boucher at least 3 or 4 years ago. With all due respect to Tsolokele, we needed someone younger that would serve for at least 6 years plus. What are your thoughts?

Ken answered:

I don’t think we needed a successor that far back … Boucher was still a vital part of the team three years ago! I will say, however, that the time to start the process is right now. De Villiers keeping wicket in the 1st test just delays things. Tsolekile has a good three or four years in him, which is perfect to bridge the gap while one of the younger wicketkeepers comes through.

Doron asked:

Ken hi, hope you well. Just a quick question regarding the wickie situation. Boucher is a massive loss to the side with his experience and tenacity. While Tsolekile is a good keeper, he is already moving on in age. Should we not rather be bringing in younger blood and grooming them into the position? AB is wasted at keeper considering his great fielding talents? your thoughts thanks.

Ken answered:

Hi Doron, all good thanks, especially with an epic test series around the corner!
I think Tsolekile is the best bet at the moment, he’s experienced, has played Test cricket before and is the best gloveman in the country along with Daryn Smit. Tsolekile can fill the gap while the likes of Smit, Heino Kuhn, Dane Vilas or Quinton de Kock hone their games up to international standard. I agree, AB is a waste at wicketkeeper!

Jacques asked:

Dear Ken,

How is it even possible that we slipped to no. 3 in the test rankings, even after we won our last two series. According to my knowledge we were number 2 and just by a point?

Ken answered:

Hi Jacques
There is an annual “refresh” of the rankings and results before 2009 have now been excluded. We’ve paid for not playing that many tests between 2009 and now, and our wins in England & Australia in 2008 now no longer count! The good news is that if we win this series against England then we will still be number one!

Patrick asked:

With Mark gone, do you think we should look for a new up and coming keeper, like we did when mark joined us. We put our faith in a new talent back than and look what Mark did for SA cricket.

Ken answered:

I would prefer Tsolekile to have the job for a few years, while the successors hone their games to international standard.

carlo links asked:

Good day
Now that the warm up matches have passed, our bowlers have not hit their straps yet, do you think one should be a bit concerned ahead of the test matches? I for one dont look to much into these matches and see them purely as batting and bowling practise, i think england has a good side , but i think our bowling unit has got a edge over them do you agree?

Ken answered:

Hi Carlo
Yes I agree with you. The county matches lack intensity and Test match atmosphere should see Steyn, Morkel & Philander raise their games a good notch. And yes, I believe our attack has the edge on their’s – bit more pace & variety, plus a wrist-spinner.

Ismail asked:

Hi Ken. Kirsten”s method of ”preparing” his side seems to be the most telling issue currently w.r.t. SA. I sure do hope/pray it works out for the better. Also although we have a very competitive side, i still think that the test & ODI series is England”s to lose seeing that they have an established side & are playing at home. I dont think Boucher”s absence will be that drastic as both AB & Thami are satisfactory replacements even though they dont have that qauntity & quality of experience that Bouch posseses. Your comments. Thanx for you time. All the Best to our team …

Ken answered:

Hi Ismail, spot on, let’s hope Kirsten is right in terms of preparation! I do think our team is better than England’s, but they will be formidable at home. And hopefully the loss of Boucher will inspire the team to greater heights as a form of tribute …

Gary Peel asked:

Do you think if Gary & Graeme, got offered a 1-1 drawn series, they would take that? Or do you think they have the self belief that they can turn over the English twice in a row, at home?

Ken answered:

I certainly think they’ll be aiming for the series win. We have a great side, with a fantastic record away from home, and if we’re serious about being number one, then we have to win this series! A draw would be disappointing.

Justin asked:

Hi Ken

Where would you consider the biggest battle in England. I would imagine that the bowling will be due to the English summer that is so wet this year. When I was reading all the reports about the matches the saffers played against the counties, there was no bowler who was exceptional. Should we be concerned as supporters that South Africa might be outbowled by the poms. Thank for you time to answer my question … Justin

Ken answered:

Hi Justin
I think we have the better attack, with more pace, variety and a leg-spinner, and hopefully the intensity of Test cricket will bring out the best in them. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt!

Chris asked:

Much has been said of the two sides” batting v bowling. What is your opinion of who has the upper hand in batting? And then also on the bowling front?

Ken answered:

The batting is fairly even, although Smith, Amla, Kallis & De Villiers are modern-day greats, whereas I would only rate Cook & Pietersen in that bracket from the England team.
And I also believe we have the edge in the bowling, see reasons above.

Lloyd asked:

Good Day Ken;
First and foremost; I would like to wish the Proteas the Best Of Luck.It”s more of a comment than anything. But It”s got to be painful for Mark”s incident. I would personally have loved to see him close his Test Cricket chapter with a win. But since its a team effort; I would like to say Good Luck to his future. As for England- I got one word. TAHIR

Ken answered:

Hi Lloyd, let’s hope the sun shines both literally and figuratively for Tahir and the rest of the team!
And let’s hope Mark recovers fully from his awful injury.

Harold asked:

I am quietly confident that the Proteas can take the series. My question revolves around the venue for the 1st test, The Oval. I can remember from the the top of my head that we have lost at least 3 test matches there being the Devon Malcom test, the Harmison one in 2004 and the Pieterson one in 2008. Is this the banana skin that can cripple the series before it starts for the Proteas??

Ken answered:

The Oval Test has previously been the last one in the series, when mental fatigue has taken it’s toll or we’ve already won the series. I expect us to play much better there this time because it’s the start of the series. England have moved Lord’s to the end of the tour because visiting teams always seem to be inspired by the venue and play better there!

Jan du Plessis asked:

I think England will win because they have momentum and more, much more game time underneath their belt.Why do S.A. play so little Test Cricket, why do S.A.have so Looooong
off season from Test Cricket,we as the South African public are being treated to Aus vs Sri-Lanka;England vs West-Indies;Sri-Lanka vs Pakistan and so on but when last did SA play Test Cricket.How can we expect to win with no match fitness.I think us, the public, are being robbed of good cricket from S.A. because of IPL and a busy international schedule.

Ken answered:

The public must show Cricket South Africa that they love Test cricket!

Peet Coetzee asked:

Hi Ken thanks for your time.

I”ve got two questions. Firstly even though the injury to Boucher is very tragic, don”t you think our batting and bowling line-ups has improved with the addition of Duminy? With the only slight concern being AB”s ability to cope with the added responsibilty?

Secondly what do you think of Greame Smit”s comments regarding KP”s exit from ODI”s and Twenty20”s. Although I agree with most of Greame”s remarks I just think due to the history between them it”s not wise to openly question his decisions. Surely KP will react on this in some way soon. Won”t this distract Greame from the job at hand?

Thanx

Ken answered:

I don’t think there’s as much between Smith and Pietersen as there was in the past. And his comments have been taken rather out of context, the original context was more supportive of KP, saying he might not know what he’ll be missing, based on Graeme’s experience of stepping down from the limited-overs captaincy.

Praveer asked:

Hi Ken. DO you think it is wise to have Duminy in against England? The reason I ask is that with Rudolph and Duminy in at 6 & 7 and both being left handed and taking into consideration Swann”s record against left handers

Ken answered:

Another good reason why Tsolekile should play and De Villiers just concentrate on his batting!

Basil de Beer asked:

Hi Ken, How do you rate our tail battingwise against England? The English tail did quite well against their previous opponents.

Ken answered:

yes, the strength of the English tail is a concern, given our past history of struggling against the lower-order. Broad, Bresnan and Swann are all very capable with the bat …

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120717/First_test_preview_QA_with_Ken

Tags: AB de Villiers cricket England Imran Tahir Q&A Test series Thami Tsolekile
Category Cricket, Sport

Post-Zimbabwe, pre-England SA cricket Q&A 0

Posted on July 03, 2012 by Ken

Maroof Gangat asked:

The Big 3, amla, kallis, de villiers. why is it that it has to be 1 of these 3 batsmen that bail SA out of trouble, im sure the other batsmen have to pull up there socks and come to the party eg. rudolph, du plessis etc.

Ken answered:

I think you’re being a little unfair. Obviously Amla, Kallis & De Villiers are 3 of the best batsmen in the world and they will obviously consistently produce great performances. But the rest of the batting order are consistently chipping in as well – Jacques Rudolph made a crucial century recently in NZ, Du Plessis top-scored in the final in Zimbabwe and has made valuable runs in the middle-order in ODIs. Smith, Petersen, Duminy have all made runs in the last year as well.

Riaan asked:

Hi Ken,
My question is regarding Parnell. I am just struggling to see why we keep investing in him. Understandably he has shown immense talent and therefore his prolonged was justified to an extent, but he has never made the international level his own. He I know he has performed well in the last T20, but the first two? I perceive him as very hot/cold. Your opinions on him being the constant inclusion that he is? Justified? For how long still?

Ken answered:

I think the problem when it comes to Parnell is that the talent is obviously there and the best way to nurture talent is to back it, give it opportunity, hope continuity of selection helps him to settle down. But yes, consistency is his problem. His place will definitely be under serious threat if the likes of Marchant de Lange or Rusty Theron start to produce the goods on a consistent basis.

Armand asked:

Hi Ken,Do u think we have got the right back up players in our squads if some of our star players get injured?? If u look at our bowlers and keeper?? I think we need some wicket taking bowlers and not stock bowlers..

Ken answered:

Hi Armand
Are you talking about the test squad?
In terms of the wicketkeeper, I am disappointed that Tsolekile has not been taken on tour as specialist back-up.
The back-up players are probably the best we have, though … we just need to do more work on them!
“Stock” bowlers are also important though because they dry up an end, build pressure and allow the more attacking bowlers to rotate from the other end.

Bennie asked:

Hi Ken, After our second defeat to Zim, do you think Amla is still the man to take charge should AB be unavailable in the limited overs games?

Ken answered:

Hi Bennie
I don’t think our losses to Zimbabwe were due to bad captaincy, we were beaten so thoroughly that I don’t think any tactics made the difference! But yes, I’m not entirely convinced with Amla as captain … but that being said, he was only standing-in for the T20s because Johan Botha was injured. The problem is, if not Amla, then who? Botha is no longer assured of his place in the limited-overs teams …

Tumelo asked:

Hi Ken,

1)Would Faf be ahead of Kallis in the opening slot after Amla and Levi?
2)If Kallis is not going to open is there a place for him in the middle ahead of Faf as I think the spinning option would be better suited to conditions
3)Who between Faf, Ontong and Ingram do you think will get the nod?
4)Would it be wise to play 3 seamers and Kallis in the sub-continent?

Ken answered:

Hi Tumelo
Nice questions!
I think Kallis is a definite, we saw his immense value in helping KKR to the IPL title. But I believe he must open the batting, probably with Levi. I also firmly believe AB, our best T20 batsman, must bat 3 and be fully utilised. Duminy then at four, I agree with you about Faf as a spin option as well, so I’d put him at five. Because AB will keep, we can have another specialist batsman as a floater – coming in anywhere between 3 & 6 – this could be Ingram or Ontong, Albie Morkel 7, Peterson/Botha 8, three pacemen – Steyn, M. Morkel, Tsotsobe (providing he bowls better than he did in Zim!). That leaves possible space in the squad for Amla as the reserve opener and one other fast bowler. Depending on just how spin-friendly the conditions are, we could play both Peterson & Botha, leaving out one paceman.

Wynand asked:

Do you think there is reason for worry regarding the depht of our squad after the recent tour of Zim?

Ken answered:

It did show that our depth is perhaps not as great as we think it is, but for me it was more apparent just how hard it is to make the step up from domestic to international cricket, especially when conditions are unfamiliar. The up-side is we now have far greater clarity in selection for the ICC World T20.

Dallas Nash asked:

Giving all those youngsters a chance was a nice gesture but so close to the England tour I really think the core squad members should have used the opportunity to get some match/team practice in. They really haven’t done much as a team all year and they’ll need to be on their toes. We want that No. 1 slot!

Ken answered:

I don’t think a T20 series on low, slow pitches would be any preparation at all for a test series in England! They’ll have a couple of warm-up games together in England, plus the core players who weren’t in Zim were working hard back in SA!

Jack asked:

England just played a series of ODIs and test matches vs West Indies and are now playing a 5 ODI series vs Australia. Is our only preparation for the test series going to be a T20 triangular vs Zim and Bangladesh? I”m hoping the players are going to get a lot of game time before the 19th.

Ken answered:

There will be two warm-up matches against Somerset & Kent, giving them 5 days of cricket before the 1st test … At least we’ll be focusing on test disciplines, why England will be involved in tough ODIs …

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120629/PostZim_PreEngland_QA_with_Ken

Tags: AB de Villiers Alviro Petersen batsmen cricket England Faf du Plessis Graeme Smith Hashim Amla Jacques Kallis Jacques Rudolph JP Duminy New Zealand ODIs Q&A South Africa Zimbabwe
Category Cricket, Sport

New Zealand v South Africa Tests – SuperCricket Q&A 4

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Ken

Matthew Gardner asked:

Hi KenDale Steyn has not been at his best for quite a few games now. What do you think the problem is? Do you think it”s just a rhythm issue? Personally, I think he is not being used properly. I think he is a bowler who thrives on bowling lots of overs, and although he is a 145-150 kph bowler, he needs to bowl long (5 overs min.) spells to get into rhythm. These 4 over spells in tests and 2 or 3 overs in ODIs aren”t doing much for his rhythm in my opinion.What do you think needs to be done to get him back to his very best?

Thanks

Matthew

Ken answered:

Hi Matthew
Well first of all he needs to sort out that awful toe of his! That has got to be inhibiting him and/or affecting his rhythm.
But I tend to agree with you about him bowling lots of overs – which, if he’s not doing for the national team, he must then do domestically.
There is an increasing upswelling of opinion against the modern trend of physios & fitness trainers saying bowlers must rest. The bowlers of the past bowled more overs and will tell you the only way to get bowling-fit is by bowling!

Ivan asked:

Hi Ken.Just two things today.Firstly, I hear the NZ commentators keep talking about how Guptil struggles when he is fielding at slip, why do you think McCullum doesent field there he should find it easier being a keeper?

And secondly, why is it that there is such a major difference between Graeme Smith”s ODI form and Test form, I hear everyone say that he is just a Test player, but he has prefomed in ODI”s in the past?

Ken answered:

Hi Ivan
Yeah, the Kiwi commentators were rabbiting on about Guptill at slip … and then he took a blinder to get rid of Amla! I’m not sure why McCullum doesn’t field slip, perhaps he wants a break from being behind the stumps? But they’re both great outfielders.
Graeme has performed in the very recent ODI past! His last three innings have been 68, 125 & 9. I guess in Test cricket he has more time to get in and can afford some lack in fluency. Maybe he’s been forcing it a bit in ODIs?

Werner Schipper asked:

I still wish we could get JP Duminy into the starting line-up – and I know I”m not the only one.Do you see a space for him in a mature unit such as this, and if so, where? He adds so much balance to any side, as a great middle order run accumulator, probably one of the top 20 fielders in the world and a more than decent spinner.
It would be crazy not to give him a chance again.The dream for me would be to see Kallis opening, with an in-form Smith, then Amla, AB, Rudolph, Duminy.

Ken answered:

Test cricket is about specialists, not bits-and-pieces cricketers. It makes no sense to shuffle the batting order, making your prime batsman open, in order to accommodate someone because he can bowl a bit of off-spin! Duminy will just have to wait next in line for the number six spot behind Rudolph, and I’m sure he will still have a very successful Test career. As disappointing as Alviro Petersen was in Dunedin, he did make a century in his previous test!

GREG WYLDE asked:

With it looking like a green track, could SA go into the 2nd test with four seamers, and no spinner?

Ken answered:

I really doubt that it will be a green track! It was green two days beforee the test, but that’s normal: the groundsman will cut a lot of that grass off before the test, and the rest will brown off. So no change to the bowling attack … and don’t forget that Kallis is a fourth seamer anyway!

Dale asked:
Hi Ken,Firstly i have to say that i am proud of the boys and the way they played in the first test and they didnt stumble as one of the Supersport headlings suggested.

My question to you is everyone is going on about how Philander is going to struggle now that he is on flatter wickets, he runs out and gets 4 wickets in the first innings, why is it that the
SA media always need to over speculate things and always try and bring down or nit pick at a player when he is doing well instead of trying to predict the day he will fail?
Ken answered:
Hi Dale
They did play well in the first test, although their first-innings batting was definitely a stumble!
I think the media has only been supportive of Philander … although it would be remiss not to throw in a word of caution about players. The SA public has the tendency to over-hype somebody based on one or two performances & Philander’s first few tests were on very helpful pitches. Thankfully he has the skill to do well in flatter conditions as well!

Tak asked:
Hello Ken

AB has failed to score in the first test. The 2nd test is going to start tomorrow, right! Well don”t you think, he must bat at number 4 for test, Odi and t20? He should always take that position.

Thank you.
Ken answered:
Hi Tak
I don’t think the batting order had anything to do with AB’s quiet test. He was out to a good ball first up & scored 29 in the second innings. If he bats at four in tests, where do Kallis & Amla go?

Jonathan Naidoo asked:
I think it fair to say that Graham Smith is ”hated” as much as he is loved by SA cricket fans ( at least the ones that I know ) Do you think he cuts it as an opening bat considering that he chases anything and everything that has the slightest semblance of width ? If he pulls it off … great, but more often than not he”s back in the hut putting pressure on Amla and Kallis. Is he what we need at the top of the order ?
Ken answered:
A test average of 49.86 tells you that more often than not Graeme Smith “pulls it off” & that’s also taking into account that he’s been opening the batting in the toughest conditions in the world for openers (SA). Everyone plays a bad shot now and again and I think we can forgive Graeme for his first-innings shot. I think it’s pathetic to focus on that and not the wonderful, match-turning century he scored in the second innings! He was man of the match, you know?

mthobeli asked:
HI Ken

since you take over as s.a coach we improve and we get good result and i want say to you good job and i want see more of TSOTSOBE THANK YOU.
Ken answered:
Thank you … I’m just wondering when I’ll get my first pay-cheque for the great coaching job I’m doing!

Ismail asked:
Hi Ken. notwithstanding the CSA debacle, i feel that the current squad plus the potential we currently with our fringe players are a good sign of things to come. My view is that we probably have the best cricket team & are the envy of the world. I just hope that this potential is converted to actual victories in the coming years. Your thoughts please. Thanx for your time.
Ken answered:
Hi Ismail, there’s no doubt we have the playing talent to be the best in the world!

Brendan asked:
The Dale Steyn question can apply to Wayne Parnel as well. He has the talent and the skill needed to play for SA, no doubt but he”s always in the squad and never playing. Can”t he stay in the squad but play domestic games? Surely he needs to bowl himself into form instead of being thrown into an international game every few weeks? Everyone always says he”s never impressive but he”s never allowed to settle into a rhythm
Ken answered:
Yes – Parnell does need to get more game time with the Warriors. He’s not developing as fast as we’d hoped.

Zak asked:
Should we not replace Tahir with De Lange?
Ken answered:
And not have a spinner on a stodgy, flat pitch?! Tahir bowled the most overs in the NZ first innings (24), only conceded 55 runs and took the crucial wicket of McCullum. He did a good job, better than another fast bowler would have done.

Richard asked:
Y don”t the proteas play 2 spinners in their attack? Can”t Smith bowl anymore?
Ken answered:
I’m not sure we really need 2 spinners in New Zealand. Graeme bowls very seldom these days, I guess he’s a bit out of practice!

Richard asked:
Y dale styen does not bowl inswingers,he only takes most wickets by outswinger delivers.
Ken answered:
Dale’s stock ball is the away-swinger, which is more dangerous, especially when he pitches it on leg and hits off! Dale does have an inswinger, especially when the ball starts reversing, he just chooses to use it sparingly, as a surprise weapon if you like.

Laurence asked:
Hi Ken, how long do you think a slighly under par M Morkel can keep De Lange out of the test side? When M Morkel came onto the scene a few years back I thought he was an incredibly exciting prospect, do you think he has underperformed through his career (bat & ball) and if so what is the problem with this obviously talented player?
Ken answered:
Hi Laurence
I thought Morne bowled very well in the first test – his spell after lunch on the second day was outstanding and he deserved more success. He has underperformed in terms of consistency in the past, his “long levers” mean that his action can easily get out of synch and perhaps he lacked a bit of self-confidence. Having De Lange chasing him probably won’t do him any harm though! Morne has taken 21 wickets in his last 7 tests, which is not too bad.

Kobus Olwagen asked:
Why is Albie Morkel rated so high. in my view his stats are so below par that he does not belong in the ODI squad.When last did he have success with either ball or bat.
Just asking
Ken answered:
In his last game! He scored 41 in Auckland.
But yes, for a player of such talent, Albie should have better figures & should be performing more consistently. For some reason, the SA team can’t get the best out of him like the Chennai Super Kings do! Maybe he just needs the sort of backing MS Dhoni gives him …

Russell Longworth asked:
Hi Ken, for me Tahir has been disappointing.The best spin bowler is Johan Botha.He is the best captain around and can bat and field.Your thoughts
Ken answered:
Hi Russell
Johan Botha might be the best spin bowler in limited-overs cricket, but even that is debatable seeing as though the SA team prefer Peterson at the moment. Johan Botha, by his own admission, is not a test bowler!
Ivan asked:
Hi Ken.

Not really a question, just my personal opinion.

I really feel people should get of Graeme Smith”s back. He still preforms consistantly at test level, He is our second highest Test run scorer and he is still a good leader. And I can”t understand people questioning his tecnique all the time, it may not be pretty but he has scored more that 8000 test runs like that.
Ken answered:
Hi Ivan
Co-Sign!!

mohit sharma asked:
hi ken
well i might sound a bit negative in my comment but i dont think imran tahir is international class bowler..he can take wickets in county circuit but not in international matches..thats for sure..i think its better to give a chance to an off spinner considering that we have 3 right arm fast bowlers..so rough created by their footsteps can only be used offspinner….
Ken answered:
Hi Mohit
I think we need to give Tahir more time – he has taken 16 wickets in his first 6 tests, which isn’t too bad.
Just on the rough, a right-hand pace bowler bowling over the wicket will create rough outside the leg-stump of a right-handed batsman at the same end … perfect for a leg-spinner.

Greg asked:
Hi Ken
I am concerned that the flat pitches in New Zealand are not conducive to results. Any play lost and its a draw. The time is right to pick Marchant De Lange and pepper them with short pitched deliveries, even though the boundaries are very short square. What do you think?
Ken answered:
Hi Greg
Well it make sense for them to have flat pitches to try and nullify our pace attack. A drawn series would be a victory for New Zealand! But because of the flat pitches, we need a spinner and Steyn, Philander & Morkel are quite capable of doing the peppering! Unless it’s a real greentop, I don’t see space for De Lange at the moment.

Dion Pieterse asked:
I”ve seen a couple of pictures recently of an injury to Dale Steyn – his left toe to be more specific. It looked really painful. Interestingly enough though, there has been minimal reference to it in the press. Is there any indication of how bad this injury is and could it be the reason why Dale is not performing at his best? Many thanks. Regards Dion
Ken answered:
Hi Dion
I think it’s definitely affecting his performance, but it hasn’t been bad enough to actually stop him bowling. Hopefully he’ll be pain-free and back to his best in the second test!

Scott Duncan asked:
Hi Ken,

Any news on Steyn”s toe? Can”t see it healing in time, surely can”t play like that. De Lange rattled the Kiwi”s in the ODI”s and showed what he can do in Tests at Durban. Can we expect a straight swop for the 2nd Test between these two?
Ken answered:
Hi Scott
No news on Steyn’s toe yet … but isn’t it wonderful to know that if he can’t play, we’ve still got Marchant de Lange as back-up!

Brandon asked:
Hi. Dale Steyn”s problem for me appears to be one of rhythm. I don”t think the super short spells works for him (in one day and tests).

The man needs time in the middle but we are not providing that opportunity. Is he carrying an injury or are we just over-managing the man?
Ken answered:
Hi Brandon, I think you’re spot on. His knee is troubling him and I agree, he’s being over-managed! If he wasn’t going to be used in the T20 internationals, then he should have played some domestic cricket.

Aalok asked:
How long will it take till we get to see Quinton de Kock in the green and gold? He has been performing outstandingly well in the domestic t20 competitions.
Ken answered:
I guess the question is whether De Kock will play as a wicketkeeper/batsman or specialist batsman? He still has work to do to get his wicketkeeping up to international standard. There’s no doubt he’s a great talent, but I think a season or two of dominating in franchise four-day cricket (SuperSport Series) will do him a world of good.

Mthetheleli Lindwa asked:
Hi Ken
I just want to salute the boys for the they have been playing lately. All the players now seem to know that they have the responsibility in the pitch. Bowlers are doing great job even batesmen are also scoring runs. I am very happy for Smith and Ruldoph, Kallis, Mark Vendon, Phillander, Tsotsobe, Ab and Morkel brothers etc. Gary and Allan are doing a wonderful job.
Ken answered:
Hi Mthetheleli, agreed, nice to have such positive vibes out there!

Siyabonga asked:
With Mark Gillespie replacing Tim Southee in the New Zealand squad, how does that make their bowling department strong or else. Is Mark going to be a problem to the SA batsmen?
Ken answered:
Gillespie is a short, skiddy fast bowler who does swing it – especially reverse with the older ball. Southee has been so innocuous so it’s bound to be an improvement!

Brendan asked:
Hi Ken, I was wondering what your thoughts are on Dale Steyn at present. He”s still taking wickets and still bowling well but he doesn”t seem to be taking wickets as he did before. Is this because of him not bowling enough and being over managed and can”t settle into a rhythm, South Africa”s lack of test cricket or Vernon Philander taking so many wickets that Steyn doesn”t seem to have as many left to take? I know he”s not bowling poorly but he doesn”t look like he”s at his best at the moment
Ken answered:
Hi Brendan
I’m not sure all these periods of rest are doing him much good, but there’s no doubt his painful toe injury is also affecting him. Philander has been hogging the wickets lately, but who cares as long as we get all 10 as quickly as possible! And you’re right, it’s not as if Dale is bowling badly! Shows you what high standards we’ve expected from him!

Masixole Maxwell Ndala asked:
Does the draw with NZ affect our top rankings in test matches? I mean if we can win the remaining matches will still rise up??????
Ken answered:
We can only overtake England after the April 1 cut-off for the annual prizemoney. If we beat New Zealand 2-0 & England lose 2-0 to Sri Lanka, then South Africa will be number 1.

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120313/QA_Review_2nd_test_preview

Tags: Dale Steyn New Zealand Q&A South Africa SuperCricket SuperSport Tests
Category Cricket, Sport

Ken Borland

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