SA drops to sixth in Test rankings, rightly so

South Africa has dropped to sixth place in the recently released ICC Test rankings, the Proteas now on 92 points behind Australia (118), India (112), Pakistan (111), England (105) and New Zealand (98). In recent blogs I mentioned that the Proteas are not nearly as good a squad as they used to be. The rankings released on 3 May confirm this. I also said that the most recent performances suggested a return to winning ways.

Proteas captain AB de Villiers has a lot to do to renew the public's faith in the team.

The ICC is very accurate with their rankings, and takes into consideration how recent the matches were, under the period of review. When the new rankings were released this May, all Test results in the 2012/13 season no longer counted. Furthermore, the results from the 2015/16 season were regarded more highly. Both of these changes affected our rankings. While we held the number one or two spot in recent years, we now languish only four points above Sri Lanka in seventh place. There are several reasons for this decline:

Our greats of the game have retired, or are still playing but without much support from the rest of the team, or belief in themselves. Only Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock are new players worthy of wearing the green cap. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla are expected to do most of the scoring with the bat, while the rest of the batting line up is continuously chopped and changed as selectors desperately try to find players with enough talent, consistency and mental strength to perform. 

The fact that some pundits regard Kyle Abbott as our best bowler is quite sad, as his figures are average, and he usually does not trouble batsmen. The ageing Dale Steyn is usually injured, or when he does play, bowls without much confidence . Imran Tahir is bowling well, but the 37-year-old's age will soon catch up to him. Other than KG and De Kock, no new players are knocking on the door at domestic level.

I believe that our new Test ranking is accurate. We are on the bottom half of the table. But I also believe that we can once again become a force to be reckoned with. It does not happen overnight, and must start at the domestic, schools and U19 levels.

It is hard being a Proteas fan

The first thing a colleague said to me after the Proteas lost in the semi final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to New Zealand, was, "There they choke again. They are chokers." It is an opinion held by many South African cricket fans, and the issue is addressed by the Proteas players and staff themselves. The Proteas have never progressed past the semi final stage at a world cup, and are perceived to play below par in must-win world cup matches.

Proteas ODI Captain AB de Villiers will be distraught after losing in the world cup semi final to New Zealand.

Thus it is exasperating being a Proteas fan. Every time a world cup comes round, and even a T20 world cup, we all get excited that maybe this could be our time. Without fail, we are disappointed. Am I saying that the Proteas' chokers label is accurate? I do not know. All I can say is that, although New Zealand have a very skillful and hard working team this time round, we batted and bowled very well but our fielding in the last overs almost certainly cost us the match.

Du Plessis had called for a catch he could not reach, even when Hashim Amla was ready nearby. The ball landed between them. Then, Farhaan Behardien was poised for a catch when JP Duminy came out of nowhere and dived into him. It appeared that Behardien had already dropped the ball before Duminy arrived, but when a player is approaching like that it can distract you as a fielder. 

It was New Zealand who also ended our world cup dreams in 2011. For them, this is an opportunity to be rugby and cricket world champions at the same time. What a dream come true. With regards to the Proteas, foolish fans such as myself will have to wait another four years. We will wait, as time builds up our hope again.

AB – Nobody is better

There is no better batsman in the world right now than AB de Villiers. The guy is pure genius. His 162 not out off 66 balls demoralised the West Indies team on 27 February, allowing the Proteas to crush them by 257 runs in their World Cup group match. His innings included the world's fasted One Day International 150, and second fasted World Cup 100. What a privilege to have him in South Africa's team, and even better to have him as our ODI captain. 

AB de Villiers is without doubt the best batsman in the world.

As good as Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli are as batsmen (they are ranked second and third in the world in ODIs according to the ICC), they cannot contend with the brilliance of AB. His innings are characterised by indomitable determination, unbeatable (although uncanny) technique, and innovative stroke play. Furthermore, AB is probably the best fielder in the world. He is lightning quick and has enacted many run outs and great catches. 

I am glad that Quinton de Kock is currently our wicketkeeper. Not just because AB can captain without trying to keep wickets at the same time, but also so AB can be in the field. 2015 has been an incredible year for AB, with him also scoring the fastest ODI 100 of all time (off 31 balls). His statistics are actually improving, despite his age of  31 years. In conclusion, AB is the best batsman in the world and has done SA proud. If he cannot lead us to our first World Cup trophy, who can?

The Proteas and the World Cup

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is so close now (it starts on 14 February) it is impossible not to get excited. Every time the World Cup comes around, we as South Africans ask ourselves the same old questions: How will we do this time? Will the Proteas choke again? The Proteas have an average record in World Cups, reaching three semi-finals in seven tournaments. Our best finishing place was third, and our worst was eighth. For a team that has usually been ranked in the top four in the world, we perhaps have not done well enough in the World Cup.

Every four years we wonder if this will be the occasion when our players will show the world how good they are, and go all the way. But to win the World Cup is not easy. A team has to have performed consistently (for about a month and a half) with the bat, the ball and in the field. Proteas Coach Russell Domingo recently said in an interview that he hopes South Africa will do better at the end of the tournament. This is where we have failed in the past, with so many bad semi and quarter-final performances.

Proteas One Day International Captain AB de Villiers will want his team to go far in the World Cup.

But we are ranked third in the world in One Day Internationals at the moment. We also have AB de Villiers in first place as ODI batsman in the world, Hashim Amla in third and (a surprise to me when I saw) Quinton de Kock in seventh place. Recent centuries by Rilee Rossouw and David Miller, and the class we know that JP Duminy has, we can be happy with our batting. 

Of course our fielding is very good at the moment. Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Rilee Rossouw, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy are very quick on the ball, and make batsman pause before trying to sneak a single.

Our bowling department is the problem. I would like to go into this at more depth another time, but although Dale Steyn is third in the world, and Morne Morkel in ninth (somehow!), our bowling has been bad lately. In my opinion Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander are our only good seam bowlers. Imran Tahir is an on-and-off spinner, but usually reliable. The rest are mediocre. 

Having said that, I can barely wait for the World Cup to start, and for the Proteas to throw that monkey off their shoulders.

Australia to win the World Cup

I think that the team with the most chance to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is Australia. Many fans will point to the the class in the Indian batting lineup. Especially as the team won the last World Cup. In response I will highlight their bowling attack. Many will point to South Africa's recent success against the West Indies. I will highlight our past failures at the World Cup and a lack of consistency in One Day Internationals in recent years. 

Australia will be playing at home, and the talent and experience in their squad will make them strong favourites.

Mitchell Starc is an excellent bowler in the Australian team. Photo from www.telegraph.co.uk

The pitches in Australia and New Zealand favour fast bowlers and attacking batsmen. Australia has exactly that. Mitchell Starc has burst onto the scene as a deadly fast bowler. The 24-year-old has already taken 59 ODI wickets at an average of 20.11 and economy of 4.97. Pat Cummins is another young bowler with very fast pace and skill, and James Faulkner is a great death bowler. 

The batsmen in the team should be of even more concern to opposition teams. Aaron Finch and David Warner are a deadly opening combination. Both are aggressive, and if either stays in for more than 30 overs, the team will probably set a total of 300+. If Michael Clarke (33) recovers from his injury he will be the most experienced player in the team. He has scored 7 762 ODI runs at an average of 44.86. George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell can provide great end-of-innings smashing, while Brad Haddin brings much experience.

As of 23 January Australia is ranked fourth in the world in ODIs, according to the International Cricket Council rankings. England is first, South Africa is second and India is third. Australia have also won the World Cup the most number of times, which is four times.

Three players who make the Black Caps a dark horse

Stephen Fleming recently said in an interview on Hooked on Cricket, that New Zealand, Australia, England and South Africa all have a very good chance to win next year's cricket world cup. New Zealand have never been given much of a chance to win a world cup before. Could it be that they are a dark horse to win next year's? I believe so.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will be held in New Zealand and Australia. The hard, bouncy pitches in these countries will support the fast bowlers, while making it harder for spinners. This will suite the above-mentioned teams, yet pose a challenge to sub-continent teams, which usually rely on their spinners. New Zealand have had a tough couple of years lately but now seem to be getting it right.

Here are some players I love watching in the New Zealand team, and who I believe will pose a threat to their opposition:

Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum. Photo from www.indiatoday.intoday.in

Even if he doesn't keep wickets anymore, he is a match-winning batsman. The 33-year-old once scored 158* in an Indian Premier League T20 match! The aggressive batsman is generally inconsistent, either scoring few or scoring lots of runs. But he has accumulated 5 200 runs in One Day Internationals at an average of 30.05, and at a strike rate of 90.56 (as of 04 December), making him both a dangerous and experienced batsman.

Ross Taylor

Ross Taylor. Photo from www.cricketcountry.com

My favourite Black Cap player to watch. Taylor has been in and out of the squad because of injury, and because of favour, or rather lack of it, with management. Yet he remains indisputably their best batsman. The 30-year-old has been through it all and tempers his world-class skill with patience and innovation. He has scored 4 238 runs in ODIs at an average of 40.07, and at a strike rate of 82.39. This guy has big match temperament (BMT), one to watch out for.

Mitchell McClenaghan

Mitchell McClenaghan. Photo from www.bbc.com

He may not be the most experienced fast bowler in the side, but from what I have seen from him he has what it takes to make a difference in the world cup. The 28-year-old is quick, has a nice action, controls the ball well, and has proven that he can take on the best teams. In his ODI debut he took 4 wickets for 20 runs against South Africa. He has taken 50 ODI wickets at an average of 23.48, with an economy of 5.77. Not the best stats, but he is better than they show, and will be a handful on the fast and bouncy pitches.

What is the ICC Champions trophy?

This June we will get to watch the International Cricket Council 's second biggest event. The Champions Trophy runs roughly every two years and currently involves the 8 highest ranked ODI teams. It is an ODI tournament a bit like the World Cup but with less teams. It could be seen as a more elite tournament. 

There are two groups in this year's competition. Group A features Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Group B has India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies. It began in 1998, which South Africa won, believe it or not. 

The late Hansie Cronje captained SA to their
first ICC event win in the 1998 ICC CT. Image taken from
http://www.supersport.com/cricket/content.aspx?id=19234.

In their only ICC event win, SA beat West Indies in the final by 4 wickets with 18 balls to spare. Jacques Kallis was the man of the match in the final and was awarded player of the tournament. You can read about that final here http://www.icc-cricket.com/events_and_awards/champions_trophy/event_history.php.

I expect the tournament to be very exciting this year. The top four ICC ranked ODI teams are all within 4 points. As of 05 May 2013 the rankings are:

India      119 points
England  117 points
Australia 116 points

South Africa (4th) are on 113 points and Sri Lanka (5th) are on 108 points.

It has been a while since South Africa have entered an ODI tournament not being one of the top 3 ranked teams.

The history of the tournament:

1998      - SA
2000/01 - NZ
2002/03 - IND/SRI 
(Rain prevented a game being finished in 2 days, so the trophy was shared)
2004      - WI
2006      - AUS
2009      - AUS

This Champions Trophy starts on 6 June.

JP Duminy makes a return to international cricket. Image taken from http://en.wikipedia.org.

The biggest news for South African fans is that Jacques Kallis has asked not to play in the Champions League, and in his place JP Duminy has made a comeback to the squad, following a 6 month injury. The Proteas squad for the Champions League looks good. Here it is:

AB de Villiers (capt) 
Hashim Amla 
Farhaan Behardien 
JP Duminy 
Faf du Plessis 
Colin Ingram 
Rory Kleinveldt 
Ryan McLaren 
David Miller 
Morne Morkel 
Robin Peterson 
Aaron Phangiso 
Graeme Smith 
Dale Steyn 
Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

My only qualm about the squad is that I think Roelof van der Merwe has done very well recently and I think he should have been included ahead of Aaron Phangiso.

IPL6 is currently ongoing. It is in the second half of its progression. The final is on 26 May. Image take from http://ipl2013t20.blogspot.com/2013/04/watch-ipl-2013-live-streaming-season-6.html.

I said recently that the Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers Hyderabad are the only teams capable of winning the IPL. It seems once again I have to eat my words. The Sunrisers Hyderabad are not looking as good as they were in the first third of the tournament. However the Rajastan Royals and Mumbai Indians look more like they are up for the challenge.

I don't want to make any sweeping statements and then be proven wrong. Let me just say that at this point the Pune Warriors India and the Delhi Daredevils have been unimpressive and are the only teams I seriously expect to not get near making the final.

If you would like to find out more about the ICC Champions Trophy go to http://www.icc-cricket.com/events_and_awards/champions_trophy/index.php or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_Champions_Trophy.