Selection policy steeped in tradition

Centurion: A national selection policy steeped in time-honoured tradition and gift-wrapped with conservative ribbon has emerged as Rushdie Majiet's panel declined to adopt a bold approach for the Test series against Zimbabwe.

If anything has been learned from the signals they transmitted from the Wanderers on Saturday it was to tell those players in position of places in the side not to fret about the possibility of the axe falling. Just the sort of philosophy to calm fears after the stirrings created by their first pronouncements in August when Hansie Cronje was given a period of captaincy probation.

Which asks the question that with Allan Donald, brought in for Steve Elworthy, being the only change in the side to that which last played in March when South Africa beat New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, what other changes would have been contemplated?

Injuries to Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs at least gave them a chance to shuffle the pack slightly with Boeta Dippenaar given his first cap and the chance to recall Adam Bacher. Then there is also the thought, shared by the left-handed opener, Kirsten, whether his form is good enough to warrant inclusion.

This would have at least allowed the selectors the option of including the Free State No 3 in the side for the first of the two Tests against Zimbabwe which starts in Bloemfontein on Friday. At first it was thought that Kirsten's injury, to the right hand ``pinkie'', would need an operation; now it seems medical advice has changed his opinion to allow it to heal naturally.

While the selectors' arguments why they have retained the ``tried and trusted'' and there needs to be a message delivered to England, who arrived in the country for their second post-isolation tour on Wednesday, there was also a need to experiment with a couple of positions. It had not been suggested either that Mark Boucher had done anything wrong. He put together a skilful half-century for Border against Northerns in the SuperSport Series match in Centurion on Saturday and kept wicket with skilled professionalism.

Dropped when he had two, which was a regulation catch offered to Johan Myburgh, Boucher settled down to rebuild the Border innings and help give them a chance to collect four batting points. It was the sort of solidity the selectors were hoping he would produce under pressure. Yet an injury to Boucher would mean bringing in Nic Pothas from the cold and the chance the selectors had to judge Pothas at Test level has now been lost. Likewise for Dale Benkenstein.

But there was, by Friday morning, the impression, until the Kirsten injury, Majiet and Co had long made up their minds who they wanted for the Zimbabwe series.

The side for the second match, in Harare, as well as the South Africa A team for the games against Sri Lanka A in Centurion at the same time November 11-14 are to be announced after the first Test in Bloemfontein.

The Zimbabwe side for the Bloemfontein match is expected to be announced on Wednesday and is unlikely to show any changes to the side which lost to Australia by 10 wickets in Harare.

Adam Bacher, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje (capt), Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Allan Donald, Paul Adams. Twelfth man: Nicky Boje.