WP pre-season tour side named

Western Province have named a powerful 15-man squad for their pre-season tour to Kimberley and Johannesburg from 20-27 September.

Six current or former internationals - Herschelle Gibbs, Brian McMillan, Neil Johnson, Hylton Ackerman, Alan Dawson and Paul Adams will make the trip. The balance of the squad is made up of some of the province's most promising young players.

Eric Simons, the joint coach of the team (with Vincent Barnes), said: "Even without core players such as Ashwell Prince, Graham Smith and Charl Willoughby, who are touring the West Indies with South Africa A, this is a squad capable of giving an excellent account of themselves." "Over the past few weeks, the size of the group doing pre-season training has increased steadily," said Simons. "The only problem we've been having is with the weather. We're keeping our fingers crossed that there won't be any rain this week. We really need to get in some outdoor practice in the nets."

WP supporters will be watching the performances of several of the players with more than just a passing interest. Gibbs, for one, will be eager to make the headlines again but this time for the right reasons. "Herschelle has been working very hard in training," Simons said. "He really is determined to bounce back. "Quite frankly, he is blessed with such natural talent, that during his first indoor net, it took him about half-an-hour to start batting like someone who has never had a break."

Left-arm spinner Paul Adams is another who has a lot to prove after his disappointments in Sri Lanka, where he lost his place in the national side to Nicky Boje. "He's been away on a Terry Jenner spin-bowling course," said Simons, "but yes, this tour will provide him with the opportunity to put in lots of bowling. Paul really needs to bowl a lot that's what makes him tick."

New signing, the former Zimbabwean international Neil Johnson will also want to make an immediate impact. Young opening batsmen, Andrew Puttick and Rashaad Magiet, just back from a stint at the national Plascon Academy in Gauteng, will get an early opportunity to stake their claims. "I've detected a new professionalism in both of them since their return," Simons said. "Their performances will be closely watched." Simons and Barnes will use the tour to sit down with individual players, to help them map out their goals for the season.

The squad: Herschelle Gibbs, Brian McMillan, Neil Johnson, Hylton Ackerman (captain), Lloyd Ferreira, Andrew Puttick, Rashaad Magiet, Renier Munnik, Alan Dawson, Thamie Tsolekile, Paul Adams, Claude Henderson, Antonio Mullins, Albert Nkomo, Ryan Joffe.

Coaches: Vincent Barnes, Eric Simons