BCCI working on SA tour substitute India in South Africa

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BCCI working on SA tour substitute

The BCCI is believed to be working on a back-up plan for the trouble-hit tour of South Africa in November and December. It could involve hosting an ODI tri-series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the details are likely to be discussed in Chennai on Saturday, when officials from the three boards attend an Asian Cricket Council meeting.

The ACC meeting is scheduled two days before Cricket South Africa chief Haroon Lorgat and BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel meet in Dubai on the sidelines of an ICC board meeting to try and resolve the impasse over India's tour of South Africa.

If a tri-series is organised, it will effectively replace the limited-overs leg of the bilateral series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE, but it would also mean either a cancelled or severely curtailed India tour of South Africa.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are set to play two Twenty20 internationals, five ODIs and three Tests from December 11 to January 20. The limited-overs leg concludes on December 27.

India's calendar includes a short series against West Indies in November and a tour of New Zealand from January 19. The only option for CSA is to host India for two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 international from December and ending with the New Year's Test. A tri-series in India would cut into this space.

PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed and SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga are expected to represent their boards at the ACC meeting. The ACC is headed by BCCI president N Srinivasan. The CEO of ACC, Syed Ashraful Haq, has also arrived in India.

The schedule for India's tour of South Africa was announced by CSA on July 8 but it immediately fell into problems and the schedule has not been endorsed by the BCCI. Though there has been no official statement, it appears the sticking point seems to be CSA's appointment of Lorgat as its chief executive despite a series of run-ins between Lorgat and the BCCI during his tenure as ICC chief.

  Its really sad to see that India's tour of South Africa is uncertain. As a cricket lover i was waiting for this tour from almost a year now. Now its on verge of being cancelled. I was waiting like other cricket lovers, of high quality battle between great pace bowling of Steyn and Morkel and Crafty Indian batting....whose rising youngsters are yet to prove that they can handle fiery stuff reasonably well.....It was crucial for likes of Rohit, Virat and Murali and Dhawan....If they really are genuine test cricketers...... And we cant take west-indies lightly...how can we? roach and edwards can bowl in region of 90 miles an hour.....I'm sure Indian batsman have tough task ahead....I'm waiting for surprise...Indians are no longer unbeatable at home.

I don't understand the reason why BCCI is trying to cut or cancel the SA tour. There might be a few issues like the scheduling or Lorgat issue but they are not big enough to cancel the entire tour. Actually this series is the much talked about test series since 2 years when India lost 8-0 away to Eng and Aus. They made sure Indian players get acclimatized to SA conditions by even having an 'A' team tour just last month. After all this, cancelling this tour will not make any sense. Fans do need a clarification, otherwise they think it is because of the fear of getting clean sweep in tests. 

Pakistan v South Africa 2013-14

Smith, Steyn return for Pakistan series

Graeme Smith, who has been out of competitive cricket since May, is set to lead South Africa against Pakistan in the Test series in the UAE, which begins on October 14. Smith suffered a recurrence of an ankle injury while playing county cricket for Surrey, which required surgery. He is not 100% fit yet but, at the squad announcement, Smith said: "I'm feeling on track and I feel I will be there on the tour."

Dale Steyn, who missed much of the Champions Trophy and the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka due to several niggles - including side strain, groin, glute, neck and ankle problem - will be fit to play. Wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile was picked, while Jacques Rudolph missed out. Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson were both named, meaning South Africa will have two frontline spin options for the tour.

JP Duminy, who had missed South Africa's previous Test series - also against Pakistan, at home in February this year - due to the Achilles tendon injury that ruled him out for several months in the first half of the year, returns to the long format.

Smith and Steyn also feature in the ODI squad for the tour, but Jacques Kallis - who opted out of the Champions Trophy and the limited-overs games in Sri Lanka - does not feature, despite confirming his desire to play the 2015 World Cup.

Cricket South Africa said their T20 squad would be named after the Champions League T20, which ends on October 6.

South Africa play two Tests, followed by five ODIs and two T20s, on the tour. 

SA squads for the Pakistan series

• Test squad
• Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile
• ODI squad
• AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, , Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, David Miller, Wayne Parnell,

My squad would have been: Smith (c), Amla, Kallis, DeVilliers (wk), Duminy, DuPlessis, Steyn, Morkel, Philander, Tahir, A Petersen, Elgar, Hendricks, R Peterson, DeKock.

In my opinion, kleinveldt will not remain in the sa setup for much longer, he has not done a lot and there are a lot of younger talent like parnell and Hendricks who in time will take his place. Tsolekile whilst he is useful is old, de kock should tour with these guys to gain experience as he is def one for the future. Future SA Test Team; Elgar, Amla, De Villiers, Duminy, Du Plessis, De Kock (wk), McLaren/Parnell, Philander, Steyn, Morkel, Harmer

Tsolekile and Kleinveldt still in the test squad ?! An ageing pair of players who will never be international class. Take Harmer, Abbott and de Kock on tour to get experience as at least they have a chance of becoming good international class cricketers.

Going to be one helluva series, too bad it is only 2 tests.

As far as SA selection goes, how did Kleinveldt get in ahead of Abbott who took a 9-fer on test debut? Also, do we really need two bowlers who turn the ball away from the right-hander? How about some variety and throw in off-spinner Simon Harmer who has played brilliantly for SA "A"?

Tsolekile as back-up keeper...if age is not an issue for a keeper, then that spot should be Morne van Wyk's who is the better gloveman and better batsman. On the positive side for SA cricket, what this move will do is allow QdeK some time behind the stumps for the Lions during the opening rounds of the Sunfoil Series and a chance to prove his worth in the first-class arena, and in time for the home series' against India and Australia.

Lastly, it is time CSA named a vice-captain and groomed him to take over for the future. My pick is Dean Elgar, who captained SA Schools.

Predictable test squad but the one-day squad could have used more imagination. Tired of seeing the same old Smith Amla Kallis line-up. This side is due for some younger fresher faces. The next time Smith and Amla are out we might have a repeat of the last 6 months. There should be at least one new cap a tour then we're not forced to bring in the likes of Petersen and Ingram to open the batting when injuries occur. Also elgar is not likely to play in the tests and should have been given more time in the ODI's if we're serious about him. Bringing Steyn and Philander to the ODI squad are signs that the selectors are keen to address the current slide in rankings which is good but a poor reflection of the next wave of bowlers we have.

Pity its just a two test series. I'm sure many of us would have loved to see at least 3 or 4 test between these countries. Especially to gauge how good this SA side are remembering that when Eng were no.1 their decline from the top started with a failed test against spin against Pak in the UAE. With India not intent at playing SA away from their backyard it would be nice if CSA and the Pakistani cricket board were to add one or two tests to the series.

 

England v South Africa, 1st Investec Test, The Oval, 5th day

The most comprehensive Test victory

The most stunning aspect of South Africa's win at The Oval is that they won a Test match against arguably the best bowling attack in the world losing just two wickets. Last season, this attack had decimated India's much-hyped batting line-up, averaging 25.55 runs per wicket over four matches. Against South Africa in this game, they took two wickets for 637 runs, an average of 318.50 runs per wicket. England's batsmen, on the other hand, averaged 31.25 in the match. The difference of 287.25 is the highest in a Test which has produced a result, which makes this the most comprehensive win ever.

In fact, for South Africa, this is sweet revenge for the humiliation they had suffered at Lord's in 1924 in a Test match with similar numbers: England racked up 531 for 2, and dismissed South Africa cheaply on either side of their batting effort. In that game, South Africa had averaged 25.65 runs per wicket compared to England's 265.50; the difference between the two averages was 239.85, which was the previous record for the highest difference between averages in a decisive Test.

Biggest difference in runs per wkt between winning and losing teams

Winning team	Runs per wkt	Losing team	Runs per wkt	Difference	Venue, year
South Africa	318.50	England	31.25	287.25	The Oval, 2012
England	265.50	South Africa	25.65	239.85	Lord's 1924
West Indies	263.33	Pakistan	34.22	229.11	Kingston, 1958
Sri Lanka	237.67	Zimbabwe	22.95	214.72	Bulawayo, 2004
South Africa	235.00	Bangladesh	20.50	214.50	Chittagong, 2003
England	229.50	India	19.05	210.45	Edgbaston, 1974

This is only the fifth time in a Test that a team has won a Test losing two wickets. For South Africa, this was the second such instance - they'd beaten Bangladesh in a similar manner in 2003 - but the last time any team had inflicted this humiliation on an opposition not named Bangladesh was in 1974, when England thrashed India by an innings and 78 runs at Edgbaston, scoring 459 for 2 in their only innings. In fact, England and South Africa are the only teams to win Tests losing two wickets: England achieved these results against South Africa (1924) and New Zealand (1958). South Africa, though, are the only side to achieve this overseas - all three of England's wins have come at home.

Winning a Test match for the loss of two wickets

Team	Opposition	Result margin	Venue, year
South Africa	England	Innings and 12 runs	The Oval, 2012
South Africa	Bangladesh	Innings and 60 runs	Chittagong, 2003
England	India	Innings and 78 runs	Edgbaston, 1974
England	New Zealand	Innings and 71 runs	Headingley, 1958
England	South Africa	Innings and 18 runs	Lord's 1924

Click here for the statsguru page.

More stats

• Dale Steyn's second-innings haul of 5 for 56 is his first five-for in a Test in England. It improves his career record against England to 38 wickets in nine Tests at an average of 32.05. Of his 18 five-wicket hauls, 14 have led to victories, while three have come in draws and one in a defeat. (Click here for Steyn's Test career summary.)
• South Africa's win is their 12th in England, but their first at The Oval in 14 attempts. It's also their sixth by an innings against England, and the second such result in that country.
• Hashim Amla won his fourth Man-of-the-Match award, and his first against England. His previous three had been against Pakistan and India (twice).
• This was the first taste of a Test defeat for Tim Bresnan, after 13 wins and a draw in his 14 previous Tests.

Yes statistically speaking SA might have been the most successful side but we were talking about the number of games played. Keep in mind that if SA had played more games and become no 1, the going would have been that much tougher for them. e.g. if SA go to SL as a no 3 side and manage a 1-1, they would probably stay on the same number of points but if they manage such a result as a no 1 side, they might well end up losing some points. Point being, as you climb the rankings, the win ratio required is higher to maintain your ranking which is not necessarily made any easier by playing more games. This only confirms the general saying in life that it's hard to reach the top but harder even to stay there.

the_best with all due respect over the last 4 years SA have lost 1 series only 1 and that was against Australia. SA have beaten or drawn with everyone most of those away from home including pakistan india and australia. Stats don't liemeaning statistically SA are the most successful team over the last for years purely on the basis that they've only lost 1 series. Name another team over the same period with a better record.

South Africa news

Amla, de Villiers dominate CSA awards

Hashim Amla has become the third South African to be named as Cricket South Africa (CSA) Cricketer of the Year on two separate occasions, after previously winning the award in 2010. Amla joins Makhaya Ntini (2005 and 2006) and Jacques Kallis (2004 and 2011) as the only dual winners of the award.

That was not all for Amla, as he picked up four awards on the night, including Sunfoil Test Cricketer of the Year, SA Fan's Player of the Year and the KFC 'So Good' Award for his unbeaten 311 against England last year.

The awards night, organised by CSA in Sandton on Monday, sought to hail international and domestic players who put in remarkable performances over the 2012-13 season. The period under consideration ended in June, so South Africa's poor Champions Trophy campaign and series in Sri Lanka were excluded.

Haroon Lorgat, the CSA chief executive, gave full praise to the team and Amla for their performances over the year. "This has been another amazing year for our top players," Lorgat said. "It is not easy to keep finding special words to speak about Hashim. He has set South Africa record Test scores against both England and Australia, and he is the first player to score a Test treble century for our country. As if that is not remarkable enough, he is also the No. 1 rated player on the ICC rankings for Test and ODI batsmen.

"The greatest quality he brings to the game is his attitude and humility, which aptly displays the true spirit of cricket. This transcends all his international statistics and we are indeed very lucky to have such a wonderful role model for our children to emulate."

AB de Villiers, the South Africa ODI captain, was also among the accolades as he was named Momentum ODI Cricketer of the Year and the SA Players' Player of the Year. Dale Steyn was the KFC T20 International Cricketer of the Year, while Kyle Abbott, who picked up 7 for 29 on Test debut against Pakistan in February, was the SA Newcomer of the Year. Marizanne Kapp, who played for South Africa during the 2013 Women's World Cup in India, rounded off the evening with the award for Momentum women's Cricketer of the Year. 

CSA Awards 2013

• International Awards:
• SA Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla
• Sunfoil Test Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla
• Momentum ODI Cricketer of the Year: AB de Villiers
• KFC T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Dale Steyn
• SA Players' Player of the Year: AB de Villiers
• SA Fans' Player of the Year: Hashim Amla
• KFC 'So Good' Award: Hashim Amla
• RAM Delivery of the Year: Jacques Kallis
• SA Newcomer of the Year: Kyle Abbott
• Momentum women's Cricketer of the Year: Marizanne Kapp
• Domestic Awards
• Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season: Johann Louw (Cobras)
• Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Richard Levi (Cobras)
• RAM SLAMMER of the Season: Quinton de Kock (Lions)
• Coach of the Year: Geoffrey Toyana (Lions)
• Domestic Players' Player of the Year: Kyle Abbott (Dolphins)
• CSA Fair Play Award: Lions
• SACA Most Valuable Player Award: Roelof van der Merwe (Titans)
• Domestic Newcomer of the Year: Ayabulela Gqamane (Warriors)
• Professional Awards: Operations
• CSA Groundsman of the Year: Chris Scott (Wanderers)
• CSA Scorers' Association of the Year: Gauteng Cricket Board
• CSA Umpires' Umpire of the Year: Shaun George
• CSA Umpire of the Year: Johan Cloete

On the domestic front, Cape Cobras' Johann Louw was selected as Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season. Geoffrey Toyana, the Lions coach, who this season became the first black African coach in the domestic structure, was handed the distinction of Coach of the Year. Richard Levi, who also plays for Cobras, was awarded Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Year, while Lions' Quinton de Kock picked up Ram Slammer of the Season.

Kyle Abbott was hailed as the Domestic Player's Player of the Year, while Lions were handed the CSA Fair Play Award. Roelof van der Merwe, playing for Titans, was awarded as SACA Most Valuable Player, while Warriors' Ayabulela Gqamane was given the distinction of being Domestic Newcomer of the Year.