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| You are in: In Depth: West Indies v South Africa |
![]() | South Africa profiles ![]() BBC Sport Online's player-by-player guide to the South African tour party to the West Indies. ONE-DAY SQUAD ONLY
Born: 16.7.73 Right arm fast medium bowler; Right-hand batsman Having taken his 200th wicket and scored a brilliant maiden Test century in the recent series against Sri Lanka, Pollock is showing he relishes the responsibility of captaincy. A level headed and determined character, he has lightly shouldered the burdens of following in his illustrious father and uncle's cricketing footsteps and taking on leadership of his country from Hanse Cronje under difficult circumstances. His main strength lies in his ability to bowl a tight line with aggression and swing the ball both ways, and his batting, that suffered for a while, is showing signs of returning to the form that made him one of the finest all-rounders in the game..
Born: 3.12.76 Right-hand batsman; wicket-keeper Since he burst into the Test scene at the age of 20, Boucher has claimed the stumpers position as his own and assumed the role of vice-captain. His talent and ability to tough out difficult situations was highlighted in his second ever Test when he helped set a world record ninth wicket stand of 195 against Pakistan when South Africa were struggling at 166 for eight. His batting prowess is matched by his ability with the gloves, being the fastest wicket keeper to record 100 Test dismissals and breaking the record for the number of consecutive innings without conceding a bye.
Born: 20.1.77 Slow left arm chinamen bowler; Right hand batsman Ever since he bamboozled England's batsmen on his debut as an 18-year-old, "Gogga" has set himself apart from other spin bowlers by his unique upside-down action that was once described as being like "a frog in a blender". A prestigious spinner of the ball, he has taken 94 wickets in 33 Tests with his left arm googlies. His Achilles hell is an occasional lack of control that presents batsmen with easy scoring opportunities, but at 24, he has some way to go before he reaches his peak.
Born: 20.3.73Orthodox slow left arm bowler; Left hand batsman Boje has been made to wait for his opportunity to cement a place in the Test side since making his one-day debut in 1995 but he made the most of his big "break" when Paul Adams broke a finger before the tour to India last year. He made his debut in the second Test, took seven for 93 and scored 85 as night watchman to announce his arrival. His batting has come on in leaps and bounds and Boje made scored of 105 not out and 129 in the one-day series against New Zealand last year.
Born: 4.3.67 Right hand batsman South Africa's senior batsman seems to be contantly vying with the other "elder statesman" Gary Kirsten for records. Has had to live with being tagged the "new Graeme Pollock" early in his career after scoring 337 not out in 1993 - still the highest score in South African cricket. His 12 centuries are a national record, but Gary Kirsten is hot on his heels with 11. Cullinan is now fully focused on Test cricket after opting out of the one-day squad.
Born: 14.6.77 Right hand batsman; Right arm off break bowler A surprise selection after being out of the game for six months last year following surgery on a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Only recently made his first-class comeback for Queensland, but beat off strong competition from Andy Bichel and Nathan Bracken for a place in the tour squad. Strongly built and deceptively quick, Kasprowicz can move the ball both ways and proved he can be effective in Indian conditions by taking five for 26 to help Australia to an eight-wicket win in the third Test at Bangalore in 1998.
Born: 20.10.66 Right arm fast bowler; Right hand batsman 'White Lightning' has now reached the veteran stage, but still remains one of the quickest bowlers around. Became the first South African to reach 300 Test wickets during the home series against New Zealand and has set his sights on playing on until the 2003 World Cup, which will take place on home soil. Donald is the sole survivor from the one-off Test in Barbados in 1992 when he took six wickets in the match in a losing cause.
Born: 23.2.74 Right hand opening batsman Now rehabilitated after serving a six-month ban for accepting an offer from disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje to under-perform in a game against India. Has yet to find his best form since returning to the team, but remains a high-class player. Made his debut in South African provincial cricket as a 16-year-old and came of age as a Test player with two centuries in New Zealand in 1998-99, the best his 211 not out at Christchurch.
Born: 16.10.75 Right hand batsman; Right arm fast medium bowler Blossomed into one of the game's top all-rounders after a slow start to his Test career which saw him total just 57 runs in five games. Fills the vital number three slot in the batting order, and although he possesses a wide range of attacking shots, he has the concentration to occupy the crease when necessary. Broad shoulder enabled him to generate considerable pace when bowling and he oftens ttakes the new ball in one-day games.
Born: 2.10.77 Right hand batsman; Right arm fast medium bowler Understudy to Lance Klusener, Kemp made his Test debut in the recent home series against Sri Lanka and took five wickets in an innings victory at Centurion. A tall man, he is capable of disconcerting bounce, but is still learning the ropes at international level. Almost emulated Gary Sobers and Ravi Shastri last month when he hit five successive sixes for Eastern Province, but could only manage a single off the final ball of the over.
Born: 23.11.67 Left hand opening batsman; right arm off break bowler A dependable grafter in Test cricket, Kirsten also has the ability to make runs quickly in one-day games. Although he does not possess the flair of elder brother peter, Kirsten knows his technique inside out and has been able to work himself out of any lean periods during his career. Batted for over 14 and a half hours to save a Test against England during the 1999-2000 series and will look to blunt the West Indies' new ball attack.
Born: 4.9.71 Left hand batsman; Right arm fast medium bowler Once a fast bowler who could be relied on for a few runs in the lower order, Klusener has transformed himself into a batting all-rounder of real quality. Has three Test hundreds to his credit, including a magnificent 174 against England, and remains arguably the best ball-striker in the world in one-day cricket. One of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year in 2000, he underwent knee surgery in January to cure a cartilage problem.
Born: 24.11.75 Right hand batsman; Right arm medium pace bowler Made his Test debut in Sri Lanka last year and already has two hundreds to his credit. Jonty Rhodes' decision to retire from Test cricket enabled Mckenzie to settle into the number five slot and he is seen as a likely member of the Test side for several years to come. Very strong on the leg side, he is also one of the most superstitious players in the game. Formerly captained the South African schools side.
Born: 15.7.77 Right hand batsman; Right arm fast medium pace bowler Given his chance by the selectors after Mfuneko Ngam was ruled out because of leg and shoulder injuries. Nel was involved in controversy when he put Allan Donald in hospital after being told to bowl bouncers at him during a provincial game in South Africa . An agressive opening bowler, he will need to lean heavily on Donald for advice on his first senior tour.
Born: 6.7.77 Right hand batsman; Right arm fast medium bowler A product of the United Cricket Board's development programme, Ntini was fast-tracked into the international squad. Became the first black African to play Test cricket in March 1998, but his career was interrupted when he was found guilty of a rape charge, a conviction which was later overturned on appeal. Capable of genuine pace in the right conditions, he has worked hard to improve his control and took six for 66 in the first Test against New Zealand at Bloemfontein last November.
Born: 27.3.73 Right hand batsman; right arm fast medium bowler Yet to convince the selectors that he has what it takes in Test cricket, but has proved effective in the one-day game. Powerfully built, he has nevertheless been dogged by a variety of injuries during his career. Was also banned for one game for barging into Indian batsman Sourav Ganguly during a match at last year's ICC Knockout event in Kenya. Took 24 first-class wickets at a cost of only 14.66 each during the South African domestic season.
Born: 4.1.80 Right hand batsman; right arm off break bowler Making his second visit to the Caribbean, having toured with South Africa's A side in August/September 2000 with limited success. Bats with flair and is capable of bowling both leg and off-spin. Seen as one for the future by the UCB.
Born: 27.7.69 Right hand batsman; Right arm medium pace bowler Turned his back on Test cricket after scoring 2,532 runs in 52 appearances, he remains one of the most instantly recognisable figures in international cricket. One of the all-time greats in the field, he has not lost his speed or anticipation despite being on the 'wrong' side of 30. Will reach 200 one-day appearances if he plays in all seven games and, like Donald, has his sights set on a place in the squad for the 2003 World Cup. | See also: Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Other top West Indies v South Africa stories: Links to top West Indies v South Africa stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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