Two major questions still surround Proteas
South Africa will start as favourites for the Test series against England but they have two issues to address before the series begins
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
South Africa will start as favourites for the Test series against England but they have two issues to address before the series begins. They need to settle on an opening partner for Graeme Smith and a pace bowling partner for Dale Steyn, writes Patrick Compton in the Mercury.
There are also doubts about Steyn's regular pace partner, Morne Morkel. Morkel at his best is a huge asset but he lacks consistency, a failing that resulted in him being dropped for the final Test against Australia in 2008. The big man bowls some devastating deliveries but he doesn't hit the "right areas" nearly as often as he should.
In the Cape Times, Zaahier Adams writes that the South African crowd should have a go at Jonathan Trott because of his strong South African connections.
So when the South African fans, undoubtedly, have a go at KP this summer, they might just want to rein it in a bit for Trott who, but for the lure of the pound, possibly still wants to be sitting in the other dressing-room with his boyhood pals.
Following the runner controversy during the Champions Trophy, Smith will have a score to settle with Strauss, writes Paul Newman in the Daily Mail.
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo