Donald fitness worry as SA name squad (4 April 1999)

4 April 1999

Donald fitness worry as SA name squad

Trevor Chesterfield

JOHANNESBURG (South Africa) - There seems to be more interest in the welfare of Makhaya Ntini at the moment than that of Allan Donald after the young Xhosa fast bowler made the final South Africa World Cup squad today.

While Ray White, the United Cricket Board president, said board supported Ntini in the court case as the evidence against the fast bowler was littered with errors, Peter Pollock, convener of the national selectors, was not too worried about Donald's strained stomach muscles.

Which is perhaps a polite way of suggesting the selectors are crossing their fingers and holding their collective breaths that the fast bowler will indeed be okay for the five weeks of the event. For South Africa the preliminaries start at Hove on May 7 and whether Donald or Ntini (or both) play in the game against Sussex is a matter of conjecture.

Although most of the squad of 15 largely selected themselves, we could be looking at perhaps the best assembled by South Africa (with one exception) for a limited-overs series in the last eight years. Five players have played 100 or more limited--overs internationals, which says something for longevity at the short game and three are survivors of that 1992 side in Australia and New Zealand. The one exception is Fanie de Villiers whose world-class record speaks for itself. It has long been acknowledged that he retired two seasons too soon.

Hansie Cronje (159), Rhodes (151) and Donald (112) are heading for their third World Cup while Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis and Daryll Cullinan are in line for their second tournament. Along with their impressive record of the last two years, South Africa have a well-balanced side.

The one serious blip of their success chart has been losing to Australia, but that has been partly overcome by the victory at the Commonwealth Games where Pollock led the team and names such as Cronje, Rhodes and Donald were missing. Ntini's was not, but so badly did his form fall away in England last year that he clung to his place in the side through outside pressure rather than being included on merit. With Roger Telemachus injured the way was open for Ntini to travel "for experience".

Hopeful that experience will help him as he is the least capped of the South African limited-overs players with one to his name.

Pollock (snr) announcing the last South African side he is to help select said that Donald, already on his way to England, would rest for the next couple of weeks and start his training for the World Cup in Birmingham. With 190 wickets from his 112 LOIs, the rangy fast bowler was sorely disappointed at his New Zealand tour being curtailed.

"He was most disappointed when he was unable to continue at Napier," Pollock (snr) told the media conference in the United Cricket Board's offices at the Wanderers. "We are confident he will be fit for the opening matches in the World Cup. He knows his capabilities and what is expected of him."

While the selectors are happy with the form of the top six batsmen, Dale Benkenstein has been added as the extra and Derek Crookes, a "versatile all-rounder" is, at this stage, the support spinner to Nicky Boje, who has 18 limited-overs caps to Crookes 24. It is quite a turn around for both. They were unable to make the South African side which toured England last year and ended up marooned in Sri Lanka instead.

Boje heard of his selection shortly before walking down the aisle in a Cape Town church with his bride of a few minutes while Crookes "went shopping" with his wife Gail to try and keep his mind off the pending announcement of the squad.

Kirsten and Kallis, with averages of plus 40, head the batting thrust while Donald and Pollock (jnr) apart, the bowling is a mixed bag. But, as has been pointed out by Pollock (snr) most of the players have proven Test records which is why it was "possibly the easiest side of all to pick". The balance is better than 1992 and certainly stronger in depth than 1996.

Just who is on stand by after drawing the short straws is going to be a smart guessing game as the selectors declined to release the names of the five, but Alan Dawson (regarded as the most unlucky to miss out), Nic Pothas (reserve wicketkeeper) and Shafiek Abrahams are known to be closely identified with the squad along with left-arm seamer Greg Smith. As for the fifth, well ... it is anyone's guess but there are other all-rounders out there whom the selectors have fingered as being part of the "system".

The assistant coach and the man to take over from Bob Woolmer is to be made known on April 17 or 18. He will assist Woolmer in the preparation of the team. The squad, minus Donald, assembles in Cape Town on April 24 for the pre-tournament camp.

The squad is: Hansie Cronje (capt), Shaun Pollock (vice-captain), Dale Benkenstein, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Derek Crookes, Daryll Cullinan, Allan Donald, Steve Elworthy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News