Peter Robinson: South Africa look forward to Kenya (19 Sep 1996)

19 September 1996

South Africa look forward to Kenya

By Peter Robinson

Reproduced with permission from The Star Newspaper

As the South African cricket team readies itself for another exhausting summer, coach Bob Woolmer said yesterday that he believed the side to be about two seasons off its best. "I think we`ll be at our zenith in two years` time," he said at the launch of the fifth of his series of coaching videos, "The Art of Captaincy", which features Hansie Cronje.

"I don`t want to make forecasts," he said, "but the side is improving all the time. The batsmen are maturing. Our aim is to be the best in the world. We might get there next year, we might get there this year, but I think we`ll be about there two years from now." He cited the example of Jonty Rhodes who burst into the new season with an unbeaten 170 in a friendly against Boland last week.

"That`s the sort of thing we`re starting to see," he said. "I`m sure Jonty can see Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs over his shoulder and he`s gone out as a senior batsman to show what he can do." Woolmer said the South Africans had split the summer up into four specific areas of focus.

"First there`s the quadrangular in Kenya," he said. "We might be a little ring rusty going into this one, but the tournament should be a good platform for the next step, which is the tour to India." Woolmer pointed out that South Africa had not met champions Sri Lanka, who will participate in Kenya along with Pakistan, during the World Cup. "We`d really like to beat them," he said. "But you have to remember that they and Pakistan have both been playing while we`ve been out of action." South Africa leave for Kenya at the end of next week, after which they will return home before travelling to India in Mid-October. At the best of times touring India is an onerous task and that to win a three- Test series there would be a "terrific achievement" "I think we have to forget about their England tour. It was cold and miserable when they started off there and it took them a while to get going," he said. "But they`re a changing team with some very good players and a new captain. They`ll be very tough to beat in their own conditions." South Africa and India then return to South Africa for another three-Test series. "Obviously playing here will suit us better, but we can`t be complacent," he said.

The climax of the season comes with the visit of Australia to South Africa at the end of the summer. Woolmer regards the Australians as the unofficial world Test champions and this series, together with South Africa`s tour of Australia at the end of next year could establish the South Africans at the top of the tree.

Before all this happens, though, South Africa will defend their Hong King Sixes title. A seven-man squad leaves for Hong Kong with one late change. Jonty Rhodes has withdrawn with a strained left hamstring and is replaced by Derek Crookes.

"It`s just a slight strain," said Woolmer. "We`re hoping he`ll be alright in about five days. But we want to have him fit for Kenya so he`s pulled out as a precautionary measure." SA team for Hong Kong Hansie Cronje (capt), Dean Laing, Brad Player, Richard Snell, Allan Donald, Derek Crookes, Adrian Kuiper.