Romeo
29 Apr 2007, 21:22
Great to see other countries imploding with fallout due to poor performances. And some in SA want KP to return there as captain:thumbsu: Schadenfreude is pleasant when muppet is the subject.
Fanie de Villiers calls for Graeme Smith's head
PTI
Friday, April 27, 2007 15:01 IST
BAN: Former South African paceman Fanie de Villiers has blamed captain Graeme Smith for the team's exit from the World Cup after a humiliating seven wicket defeat in the semi-final at the hands of Australia.
De Villiers said Smith lacked the ties to lead the team on and off the field.
"It's probably the time when we need to have a look at what is wrong with our cricket," De Villiers, now a cricket commentator, said.
"Is it the captain's fault? He (Smith) has played under Eric Simons (a former coach). Eric Simons got fired. He played under Rey Jennings, he got fired because of the captain. Now is it the coaches' problem again or it might be the captain, who knows.
"They've played terrible cricket. It's obvious he can't handle his team off the field because of all the stories behind the scenes," the former swing bowler said.
Former national coach Ray Jennings questioned the mental attitude and the preparation of the players.
He argued that as top level sportsmen, the national cricketers should have been able to play under any condition. Smith is to blame for them not being able to adapt to the conditions.
"For some players to say that the condition was taxing does not argue well. These players are top class sportsmen and they should be able to play under any condition," he said.
AND
Sack Smith and bring home KP as captain
29th April
The Proteas' dismal exit from the Cricket World Cup poses major questions about the future of the South African team. But how much of a change is needed?
At the start of South Africa’s campaign at the Cricket World Cup, we were ranked number one coming off 10 excellent games played by the Proteas. But then many questions were asked about our shocking and the one-dimensional bowling attack as we spluttered through the first round and Super 8s and got thrashed in the semis.
The blame must rest on the shoulders of the administrators, the Minister of Sport and the selectors. The national teams have forced quota systems. Why? Surely the best players should be picked, led by the best captain. Then, win or lose, we will all be behind our teams.
We ask ourselves, where to from here? Graeme Smith says we need to find a decent spin attack. Then how does Robin Peterson feel and why was he there, for goodness sake? We cannot blame Peterson for his dismal performance; he was simply playing his best but, simply put, his best is not good enough for this World Cup. Do we have other spinners better than Peterson? Yes, there are a few but the problem with them is political correctness.
Turning to our two strike bowlers, my heroes Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, why did they perform so far below par? They came off previous games in top form and Pollock is the world’s number one bowler. As support bowlers, stalwarts Andre Nel, Charl Langeveld, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Hall did their job. The difference between Australia and us was the fact that their strike bowlers and spinners performed. Smith must accept the blame for their collective loss of form.
OK, we must blame the tactics as well for the semi-final defeat - why on earth would you go out like we did without Plan B?
For the team to regain the support of South African cricket supporters, Smith and coach Mickey Arthur, the selectors and the whole committee must be fired immediately. They did not perform and should fall on their swords. The huge salaries they earn could be put to better use in development.
Pollock, Ntini, Peterson, Langeveld, Justin Kemp and Roger Telemachus should be dropped and old man Ali Bacher should take over the reins until a decent committee and a selection panel of former greats can be selected. Tell the Minister of Sport to take a hike - only then can we start preparing for next World Cup.
And on a lighter note, maybe we should ask Kevin Pietersen to come home and captain our side.
Meanwhile Jonty Rhodes thinks that political interference hamstrung SA but muppet refuses to use that as an excuse
Captain didn't have best team - Rhodes
Johannesburg - South African cricket captain Graeme Smith said on Sunday he would not use politics as an excuse for South Africa's performance in the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.
A Johannesburg Sunday newspaper quoted Jonty Rhodes, the former South African international and the team's fielding coach at the World Cup, as saying Smith had been hamstrung by the selection policies of Cricket South Africa administrators.
Since emerging from the apartheid era, Cricket South Africa has sought to redress the racial imbalances of the past by including a number of black players in provincial and national teams.
They took seven black players to the West Indies, which prompted a number of commentators to imply South Africa did not take their best 15-man squad to the World Cup.
South Africa were well beaten by Australia in the second semi-final of the tournament in St Lucia on Wednesday.
"We were pathetic against Australia," Rhodes told Rapport, "but South Africa is the only land that can't say they had their best 15 players here.
"In a tournament like this, where every player in every game has to be at his best, is that a recipe for a problem. Can (CSA) honestly say they gave Graeme the 15 men he needed to win the World Cup?"
Speaking at a media conference in Johannesburg after arriving back in South Africa on Sunday, Smith said he had not read the report, but strongly denied that the selection policy had hampered the team in any way. "I would never have said that. That's not an excuse. One of the tough things is to control (at the World Cup) is the outside influences on the team, when there are things said and some lies are flying around. I won't be making any excuses about politics," said Smith.
Fanie de Villiers calls for Graeme Smith's head
PTI
Friday, April 27, 2007 15:01 IST
BAN: Former South African paceman Fanie de Villiers has blamed captain Graeme Smith for the team's exit from the World Cup after a humiliating seven wicket defeat in the semi-final at the hands of Australia.
De Villiers said Smith lacked the ties to lead the team on and off the field.
"It's probably the time when we need to have a look at what is wrong with our cricket," De Villiers, now a cricket commentator, said.
"Is it the captain's fault? He (Smith) has played under Eric Simons (a former coach). Eric Simons got fired. He played under Rey Jennings, he got fired because of the captain. Now is it the coaches' problem again or it might be the captain, who knows.
"They've played terrible cricket. It's obvious he can't handle his team off the field because of all the stories behind the scenes," the former swing bowler said.
Former national coach Ray Jennings questioned the mental attitude and the preparation of the players.
He argued that as top level sportsmen, the national cricketers should have been able to play under any condition. Smith is to blame for them not being able to adapt to the conditions.
"For some players to say that the condition was taxing does not argue well. These players are top class sportsmen and they should be able to play under any condition," he said.
AND
Sack Smith and bring home KP as captain
29th April
The Proteas' dismal exit from the Cricket World Cup poses major questions about the future of the South African team. But how much of a change is needed?
At the start of South Africa’s campaign at the Cricket World Cup, we were ranked number one coming off 10 excellent games played by the Proteas. But then many questions were asked about our shocking and the one-dimensional bowling attack as we spluttered through the first round and Super 8s and got thrashed in the semis.
The blame must rest on the shoulders of the administrators, the Minister of Sport and the selectors. The national teams have forced quota systems. Why? Surely the best players should be picked, led by the best captain. Then, win or lose, we will all be behind our teams.
We ask ourselves, where to from here? Graeme Smith says we need to find a decent spin attack. Then how does Robin Peterson feel and why was he there, for goodness sake? We cannot blame Peterson for his dismal performance; he was simply playing his best but, simply put, his best is not good enough for this World Cup. Do we have other spinners better than Peterson? Yes, there are a few but the problem with them is political correctness.
Turning to our two strike bowlers, my heroes Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, why did they perform so far below par? They came off previous games in top form and Pollock is the world’s number one bowler. As support bowlers, stalwarts Andre Nel, Charl Langeveld, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Hall did their job. The difference between Australia and us was the fact that their strike bowlers and spinners performed. Smith must accept the blame for their collective loss of form.
OK, we must blame the tactics as well for the semi-final defeat - why on earth would you go out like we did without Plan B?
For the team to regain the support of South African cricket supporters, Smith and coach Mickey Arthur, the selectors and the whole committee must be fired immediately. They did not perform and should fall on their swords. The huge salaries they earn could be put to better use in development.
Pollock, Ntini, Peterson, Langeveld, Justin Kemp and Roger Telemachus should be dropped and old man Ali Bacher should take over the reins until a decent committee and a selection panel of former greats can be selected. Tell the Minister of Sport to take a hike - only then can we start preparing for next World Cup.
And on a lighter note, maybe we should ask Kevin Pietersen to come home and captain our side.
Meanwhile Jonty Rhodes thinks that political interference hamstrung SA but muppet refuses to use that as an excuse
Captain didn't have best team - Rhodes
Johannesburg - South African cricket captain Graeme Smith said on Sunday he would not use politics as an excuse for South Africa's performance in the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.
A Johannesburg Sunday newspaper quoted Jonty Rhodes, the former South African international and the team's fielding coach at the World Cup, as saying Smith had been hamstrung by the selection policies of Cricket South Africa administrators.
Since emerging from the apartheid era, Cricket South Africa has sought to redress the racial imbalances of the past by including a number of black players in provincial and national teams.
They took seven black players to the West Indies, which prompted a number of commentators to imply South Africa did not take their best 15-man squad to the World Cup.
South Africa were well beaten by Australia in the second semi-final of the tournament in St Lucia on Wednesday.
"We were pathetic against Australia," Rhodes told Rapport, "but South Africa is the only land that can't say they had their best 15 players here.
"In a tournament like this, where every player in every game has to be at his best, is that a recipe for a problem. Can (CSA) honestly say they gave Graeme the 15 men he needed to win the World Cup?"
Speaking at a media conference in Johannesburg after arriving back in South Africa on Sunday, Smith said he had not read the report, but strongly denied that the selection policy had hampered the team in any way. "I would never have said that. That's not an excuse. One of the tough things is to control (at the World Cup) is the outside influences on the team, when there are things said and some lies are flying around. I won't be making any excuses about politics," said Smith.