What the F is JJ

Well of course you disagree.

May i enter this debate:

"The only possibility is Rassie in ODI’s but with Klassen and Bavuma coming through I’d not really bother"

Saffex, Rassie has been our shining beacon this season... he should be more than just a possibility.

JJ Smuts -

He's a guy that will average around the 30 - 33 mark. BUT what he brings is grit and hard nosed attitude He's the kind of guy that will teeter along scoring 10 and 20 and 30... but will get us over the mark in a final. So i'd keep him in the team. Remeber a ceertain J Cronje who averaged about 35 with the bat and about 35 with the ball.... thats the kind of player (not captain) that JJ is.

Bavuma -

Shit I like him a lot. I think his issue in tests is psychological. He can't seem to concentrate for extended periods and gets flustered if he isnt seeing bat on ball. I hope he comes right because he could become the poster boy for cricket like Kolisi is for rugby.

Smuts strike rate -

Whoever questions it, is pathetic! has it costed us in any way? He can score incredibly quickly... but he is wiser than you guys who question him. Why does he need to score at a run a ball if the required rate is only 5.5? Its all about pacing your innings, much like Amla did throughout his career.

Upcoming talent -

We are seeing the end of an era. When Faf retires, it is the startof a brand new Protea era.

Bring on our next batch of wonderful talent...

MArkram will come right. He is a wonderful player who is slowly regaining some form.

Rabada - needs no mention

Ngidi - needs no mention

Qdk - Needs no mention

Bavuma - too talented to ignore

Klaasen, Rassie, Malan (J), Vereeyne, Hamza are all batsmen who will succeed.

Sipamla - Give him some time. He looks like he has good control and a lovely classical action

New players that will come into the mix:

Ryan Rickleton - Batsman

Grant Roelofsen - batsman

Jonno Bird - Batting allrounder - My pick of the bunch

Jannie Ackermann - Batting allrounder

Wiaan Mulder - Too good not to come right - Bat 7, bowl 2nd or 3rd change at a good pace

Bryce Parsons - Batting all rounder. Not the brightest spark... though he is our U19 captain, but the boy can bat. Reminds me of QdK a bit (also same Alumni.. along with G Smith). All KES old boys and all left handed dominating batsmen.

Gerald Coetzee - Very quick and a good hard hitting batsman

van Tonder - Good hard batsman

Josh Richards - Possibly our answer to our top order woes, but needs to find consistency

Our cricket is also now in much better hands.

As with the start of any new era, it will take a season or two to get us back in order.

Nothing beats experience.

And especially for Saffex...

Remember the name Slade van Staden. Google him.

Hi Saffex

One or two very valid points.

I'll add the ones i agree with to my list above

Andile is one that I may disagree on. He's a useful and resourceful bowler in ODI's and a capable hitter who may win us a game or 2 in his career with the bat. But thats where it ends in my opinion.

Breetske will be a Protea one day, but i quesrtion his temprement.

PS: all of my comments come from watching either live or on the tele... but not from just reading.

FD

There is another guy ho played for the SA Invitation Side against England and  was outstanding by the name of Snyman,   I would add him to your list.  

Denny mentioned a guy by the name of Groenewald - I searched all the potential websites and found nothing,   Knows anything about him?     

I beg to differ from you about strike rates,   Those are very important in the shorter versions of the game.   That is why the ODI and T20I squads of most countries differs from their test side.   I regard Kallis as one of the greatest players ever in respect of test batting - but as an ODI batsman he was a flop because of his way below par batting strike rate.   Scoring at a rate of 4 runs or below in shorter versions of the game lose too many matches,   The last ODI Kallis played in he scored 50 runs from 90 balls faced and the Proteas lost badly against Pakistan.  He and Graeme Smith were the main reasons why the game was lost.            

300x.8571=257.13 and 257.13>255 ......do you understand or do I have to explain it to you?

@Saffex:

" He is a handy enough bowler but a talented bat, given his technique."

I'll agree when we see him scoring runs at a decent average.

At the moment, in 57 first class innings, he's got an average of 21 with zero hundreds.is

1st class bowling record ai nt too bright either.

FD

I still think that Snyman (batsman) and Tait (bowler) should be added to your list of players you indicated  above/   They were very good in the SA Invitational side that played the English  and is excellent of franchise level as well.  

No FD

Snyman plays full time for the Knights and Stefan Tait for the Warriors .  That is why they were in the SA Invitation side to play the English team.      Here is the profile of Snyman:-

Does not look like the odd game here and there,  I will check on Tait's particulars as well.   

Then I must be really surprised.   Both plays regularly for their home sides (Knights and Warriors)  and in their last five game both played in very game.   How did they manage to get into the SA Invitation side to play England when they did not do that,   Both did very well against an International team.   In the case of the 3 day game - it ended in a draw - in the case of the50 overs match the English won one and the SA team one.

Sorry - but I do not agree with you here, 

Mike

Jacques Snyman - 

Has recently played a lot of limited overs crickert for the Knights. He has done decently. However MOST of his 1st class cricket has been for Northern Cape. We can not proclaim to have found a wonderful talent who is almost 26 years old, but featured MOSTLY for Northern Cape.

Stefan Tait - 

Looks like he has some talent. I agree with you. BUT, much like Snyman, has recently played a lot of limited overs cricket for the Warriors. However MOST of his 1srt class cricket has been for Eastern Cape. His 1st class bowling average is 43! 

I am not disputing that they have talent and yes Tait did do well against the touring Poms.

BUT, that hardly qualifies them YET (and i repeat YET) for the list above.

Your summary is totally contradicted by the performances of Tait and Snyman against the English team.   They faced world class bowlers and batsmen and proof their value.   They did better than most of the SA batsmen and bowlers did against the English and that to my mind says a lot.

I would definitely have Elgar replaced as opening batsman by Snyman in the team and definitely have  Tait ahead of Hendricks and  Patterson.   

In any event - nothing is better for any team than having to be competitive so as to ensure team selection and there are plenty players competing for the limited number of positions available at present.

The past year represented the worst in squad and team selection and the fact that Janneman Malan and Verreinne came through is already an advancement,   Elgar, Du Plessis and Smuts are still bad news and I would never regard Van der Dussen as a longer term prospect due to his age and what happens to older players with age becoming a factor in execution.   That said - he should have been in the Proteas squad for years now - but never was because of the quota selection system.

The latter being said - I see dark days for the Proteas ahead.  There are no real top class players of colour  coming through and the team would be weakened if they sect nondescript players ahead of competent ones.