Gary Kirsten Given The Vice-Captain Job (8 Oct 1996)

8 October 1996

Kirsten given the vice-captain`s job

By Peter Robinson

Gary Kirsten`s growing stature as an international cricketer was reflected yesterday in his elevation to the vice-captaincy for the South African tour to India.

Kirsten, man of the match in the Four Nations final on Sunday (and fined 10 percent of his match for wearing a bandanna in the colours of the South African flag), takes over the duties of vice-captain from Craig Matthews whose hamstring injury has ruled him out of contention until at least the end of the year.

As expected, the South African selectors have split the Indian tour party into one-day and Test match sides and yesterday`s 14- man squad will do duty for the first part of the tour during which South Africa will take part in a triangular tournament together with Australia and the host country.

Equally predictable was the decision to keep faith with the 14 players who finished the Kenyan tour. This means that Lance Klusener, flown to Nairobi as a replacement for Matthews, will embark on his first official tour while players such as Paul Adams, Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock will probably come into contention for the Test matches which start on November 20.

"We have picked a team to see us through to the final of the triangular," said selection convener Peter Pollock last night. "The selectors will then get together again to pick a side for the second half."

Pollock said that the party could be increased to as many as 16 for the Tests. "Some might come home, some might fly out," he said. "If we need 16 players for the Tests, that`s what we will do."

There is no reserve wicketkeeper in the party, although Pollock said the selectors had considered sending along a backup player for Dave Richardson.

"But we know that Dave would want to play in every game," he said. "We know who we would call up in the event of injury. India is only eight hours away and we would fly him out if necessary."

Apart from Adams, Kallis, Pollock and Matthews, Pollock also said that Brett Schultz had not been considered for this section of the tour. This suggests that the big left-armer is still very much in the selectors` plans for the rest of the season.

Adams has recovered from the shin splints which bothered him during the SA A tour of England, but has a groin strain which hampers him in the field while Kallis, who has a stress fracture of the back, can bat but is not expected to be able to bowl for another four weeks.

Daryll Cullinan, meanwhile, has a fractured pinkie finger and a bruised thigh, but neither injury should prevent him playing a full part in the tour.

South African coach Bob Woolmer said that Matthews would be missed both as vice-captain and new ball bowler.

"We had to restructure our attack in Kenya when he (Matthews) went home," said Woolmer. "And perhaps we haven`t got it 100 percent right yet."

Kirsten, South Africa`s most consistent batsman over the past two summers, particularly at one-day level, has the support of the United Cricket Board following his difficulties with the match referee on Sunday.

"We`ve looked at the International Cricket Council regulations concerning headbands," said UCB managing director Ali Bacher last night, "but what Gary wears underneath his helmet and cap is best described as a `doek`. We haven`t been able to find anything which applies to a `doek` and I`ll be phoning David Richards , the ICC chief executive, tomorrow to try to clear this up."

The UCB, however, view the hairstyle sported by Fanie de Villiers on Sunday with somewhat less approval. Bacher said that no action would be taken against De Villiers, who had "702" cut into the hair on the back of his head, but "nobody at the UCB was happy with what we saw on Sunday".

"Fanie came up to UCB president Krish Mackerdhuj and myself at the airport today and apologised, but that sort of thing is not acceptable," he said. The team for the first half of the Indian tour leaves Johannesburg on Sunday.

Squad

Hansie Cronje (capt), Gary Kirsten (vice-capt), Andrew Hudson, Daryll Cullinan, Herschelle Gibbs, Jonty Rhodes, Brian McMillan, Derek Crookes, Dave Richardson, Nicky Boje, Pat Symcox, Lance Klusener, Allan Donald, Fanie de Villiers.

Manager: Robbie Muzzell, Assistant manager: Goolam Rajah.

Reproduced from the Star newspaper