Australia tour of South Africa, 2008/09

[stefan]

Australia in South Africa 2008-09
Petersen to lead SA President's XI
Cricinfo staff
February 17, 2009

Alviro Petersen gets a chance to impress ? Getty Images

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has named Alviro Petersen as captain of a Board President's XI team that consists solely of players from the Titans, Lions and Dolphins. The unavailability of several key players due to the ongoing Standard Bank Pro20 series, the final of which clashes with the tour game, has forced the selectors to pick a weakened side to face the Australians.

CSA chief executive Gerald Majola said that due to so many players being involved in the Pro20 semi-finals, and the fact that the final was to be played on the opening day of the three-day tour game, it was not possible to name a proper A team.

"We have restricted our choice largely to players from the Highveld Lions and the Nashua Titans," said selection convener Mike Procter. "There is some very exciting young talent in this team and I am confident they will give a very good account of themselves."

The Cobras, Eagles, Warriors and Dolphins are currently locked in the semi-finals of the Pro20 tournament. CSA had released the likes of Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Neil McKenzie, Johan Botha, Herschelle Gibbs and Albie Morkel to represent their respective franchises during the ongoing series.

Apart from Peterson, the squad includes Gulam Bodi and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, both with international experience. Imraan Khan is the only player to be named from the Dolphins.

The three-day warm-up match will be played in Potchefstroom. The first Test between Australia and South Africa begins in Johannesburg three days later, on February 26.

SA President's XI: Alviro Petersen (capt), Craig Alexander, Gulam Bodi, Imraan Khan, Heino Kuhn, Ethy Mbhalati, Blake Snijman, Imran Tahir, Roelof van der Merwe, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, David Wiese.

? Cricinfo

Still a pretty strong side that's been selected. Looking forward to see how Tahir does against international players.

 

[sifter132]

Article appearing on Cricinfo about how the SA boys are going to spy on Philip Hughes:

Cricinfo - South Africa spy on Hughes


Man I'd be tempted not to play him on the weekend - make sure SA doesn't get to see him at all before the first Test. It mentions too how Arthur watched Bryce McGain for 15 minutes, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to rest McGain for the A game too. Although they might make him sit out after missing his flight who knows?

From a form point of view, there are a few guys that haven't played a heap of cricket lately like:
Peter Siddle
Douggie Bollinger
Nathan Hauritz
Simon Katich

Whereas the guys from the ODI squad: Ponting, Hussey, Hilfy, Mitch Johnson, Brad Haddin - they've all had a good amount of cricket recently.

Clarke might be rested to save his back - I hope so, surely the selectors won't pick half-fit players again??? (yes, unfortunate I have to use a question mark there )

 

[aussie1st]

Bit surprised he doesn't have tapes of the FRC as from that he will know not to give Hughes any width as it will be punished.
I would say Ponting, Clarke and Hussey might be rested if we have to pick an 11 and no one outside of that can play.

 

[mdoggie]

Interesting team selected, if Tahir shows that he can threaten against international opponents, he surely should get a chance against Australia or whoever we play next. Surprised that they picked Roelof, he is more of a T20 and odi player, where his bowling would count more.

This team is only picked from 2 franchises so it should be easy for Australia to beat, but you never know. Ethy can hopefully bowl like he did last year and pick up a few wickets.

 

[genghis_khan]

my team:

Phillip Hughes
Simon Katich
Ricky Ponting
Mike Hussey
Michael Clarke
Marcus North
Brad Haddin
Mitchell Johnson
Bryce McGain
Peter Siddle
Ben Hilfenhaus

i think thats an exciting team and if they perform will get the job done in south africa. hilfenhaus is more effective in the longer format and he and siddle will be damaging on those wickets with the red ball.

 

[Jakester1288]

my team:

Phillip Hughes
Simon Katich
Ricky Ponting
Mike Hussey
Michael Clarke
Marcus North
Brad Haddin
Mitchell Johnson
Bryce McGain
Peter Siddle
Ben Hilfenhaus

i think thats an exciting team and if they perform will get the job done in south africa. hilfenhaus is more effective in the longer format and he and siddle will be damaging on those wickets with the red ball.

Will be tough for the selectors, they have to decide out of North, McDonald, Bollinger and Hilfenhaus for 2 spots. For mine, Bollinger hasn't done anything to be dropped, and McDonald would offer more as a bowler to our side than North - and with us struggling to take 20 wickets I think bowling is what we need more.

So with Haddin moved up at 6 for McDonald at 7, we should be fielding a team something like this for the first test.

1. Simon Katich
2. Phil Hughes
3. Ricky Ponting (c)
4. Michael Hussey
5. Michael Clarke
6. Brad Haddin (wk)
7. Andrew McDonald
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Peter Siddle
10. Bryce McGain
11. Doug Bollinger

 

[srikarr12]

^^^^Wow that team is sooooo gonna own South Africa dont you think? especially in South Africa.....

 

[Jakester1288]

^^^^Wow that team is sooooo gonna own South Africa dont you think? especially in South Africa.....

It's our best possible team for mine. We obviously need bowling more than batting, so 4 seamers and a spinner would be the way to go. North would offer runs with the bat, but we are a lot better batting side then bowling. We have been struggling to take 20 wickets, and North ain't going to take more wickets than McDonald. Our batting is competent, it's our bowling that is the worry, so in the side I named I added the extra bowler who is a capable batsmen in there.

 

[genghis_khan]

Will be tough for the selectors, they have to decide out of North, McDonald, Bollinger and Hilfenhaus for 2 spots. For mine, Bollinger hasn't done anything to be dropped, and McDonald would offer more as a bowler to our side than North - and with us struggling to take 20 wickets I think bowling is what we need more.

So with Haddin moved up at 6 for McDonald at 7, we should be fielding a team something like this for the first test.

1. Simon Katich
2. Phil Hughes
3. Ricky Ponting (c)
4. Michael Hussey
5. Michael Clarke
6. Brad Haddin (wk)
7. Andrew McDonald
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Peter Siddle
10. Bryce McGain
11. Doug Bollinger

i hear what you're saying but North is a better option than McDonald, McDonald was just a stop-gap and i cant see him having much of a test career tbh.

 

[angryangy]

North could easily have been called up at Sydney, but he wasn't. The selectors had something in mind then and will no doubt have a few ideas now. I think if the pitches are a bit nasty, North will be far more useful, but on a regulation Test pitch, the all-rounder could be better value, at least while the bowling attack is a bit of an uncertain group. If the bowlers play well then maybe relying on four bowlers could come back into vogue.

 

[aussie_ben91]

I don't get why everyone is so over the moon with Doug Bollinger. Sure he had acouple of LBW decisions turned down but they were all over a tailender in Morne Morkel and he wasn't very impressive in the Sydney Test. He didn't swing the ball and he looks like a genuine 135kph on the spot bowler who doesn't do anything with the ball and gets murdered by quality opposition.

 

[mattfb]

^^^^Wow that team is sooooo gonna own South Africa dont you think? especially in South Africa.....

Probably It's better then you think. The batters can score 450 if on form and the bowlers can bowl SA out for around 300-400.

 

[srikarr12]

^^ I meant that there are a good side at thier peak, but with so much inexperience a side of me thinks that they are going to fail miserably......

 

[mattfb]

^^ I meant that there are a good side at thier peak, but with so much inexperience a side of me thinks that they are going to fail miserably......

Fair call. There are 2 main points here. If we are on form. "If" is a funny word, and we can imagine anything could happen with it, and on form isn't something a cricketer goes through every day. So it could be a hard series and we may only win 4 or 5 sessions, or we may win the series 2-1.

 

[Mars Maximus]

I don't get why everyone is so over the moon with Doug Bollinger.

Yea I agree, and I think it's the fake hair that's causing him to not shine as he would if he was still bald...