South African Development Programme Starts to Bear Fruit.

The South African squad for the U19 World Cup is not only experienced and professional, but also multi-racial in character. The days of an all white national side appear numbered as black cricketers appear to be emerging from the extensive development programmes. The current U19 squad includes six black members and is captained by the promising Thami Tsolokile.

Their manager, Keke Dali, dismissed suggestions that the squad selection may have been influenced by political selections and instead spoke enthusiastically about the end of racial quotas in South African cricket.

" Due to the success of our development programme we no longer need quotas. The boys are there on merit. The catalyst for this has been the development programme."

Whether such statements originate from a determination to be politically correct is difficult to know. What one can see though, is a squad that appears tightly knit and harmonious.

Despite the bad weather, which has restricted the team to only one practice match, Keke Dali does not feel that the squad is under prepared. The training camp in Johanesburg and an Invitation XI match back home mean that they have had more preparation than most.

The key adversary in their group is the highly talented Pakistan side, who beat them in a test and one day series in Pakistan during February and March 1999. The others in the group are the enigmatic Kenyans and Nepal. With two sides progressing to the Super League they should qualify. Complacency though would be dangerous with a highly competent, albeit unpredictable, Kenyan side.

The side is well balanced, in terms of right and left handers, and in the variety of bowling at the disposal of Thami Tsolokile. He is lucky enough to have a couple of quick bowlers, in Umar Abrahams and Albie Morkel, who have the capacity to generate significant pace, and will also have the luxury of two legspinners (Jacques Rudolph and Andre Abrahams) and one off spinner (Dumisa Makalima). Crucially, most of the players have had first class experience.