Bowling headaches as SA head off to England

Where once the policy of separate squads for one day and Test cricket was frowned upon in this country, the upcoming tour to England has seen the system embraced with great gusto by the national selectors.

In the past the differences between the two forms of the game were ignored by the national selectors. But on a tour as long as the one to England - some three and a half months and comprising a triangular one-day series and five Tests - the selectors' decision is sensible.

As a result 23 players will be representing SA in England at various stages of the winter.

Free State duo Morne van Wyk and Dewald Pretorius are the only uncapped members of the one-day squad.

Thami Tsolekile and Monde Zondeki have yet to represent their country in the Test arena and will link up with the squad for the first class portion of the trip.

The squad is relatively young - the average age is just under 26 - with six players having toured the UK before and only Gary Kirsten having been apart of both SA's tours there since the sports isolation ended in 1991.

"We are a young side with plenty of exciting talent, but we are also starting on a new era... we see this tour as another step forward on that path," said captain Graeme Smith.

As expected the batting looks particularly strong, with Kirsten lending valuable maturity at the top of the order, where despite the vast talents of Jacques Rudolph and captain Graeme Smith, experience is lacking.

Jacques Kallis's return - he missed the Bangladesh tour due to a family illness - beefs up an already strong middle order. The two key questions will revolve around Herschelle Gibbs' place in the order and which one of Neil McKenzie and Boeta Dippenaar is likely to fill the number six spot.

However it is the bowling, particularly the seam bowling which will be of grave concern. Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini and Kallis are likely to carry a heavy burden. The back up duo - Pretorius and Charl Willoughby have just three Tests between them and one of them will almost certainly be called upon when Pollock returns home to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's first child during the fourth Test.

Zondeki although injured in a car accident shortly after the World Cup has made steady progress in his recuperation in East London and is expected to be fully fit by the time the Test portion of the tour starts.

- The United Cricket Board also released the names of 20 contracted players for the coming season.

Andre Nel, Robin Peterson, Jacques Rudolph, Alan Dawson, Martin van Jaarsveld and Zondeki, who were not signed up last year have been contracted for the coming season.

The UCB stated that all contracts will be reviewed after six months and players may change categories following that review.

SQUADS

Tests:

Herschelle Gibbs

Graeme Smith (captain)

Gary Kirsten

Jacques Rudolph

Jacques Kallis

Neil McKenzie

Mark Boucher

Shaun Pollock

Monde Zondeki

Paul Adams

Makhaya Ntini

Boeta Dippenaar

Dewald Pretorius

Charl Willoughby

Robin Peterson

Thami Tsolekile

ODI's only:

Martin van Jaarsveld

Nicky Boje

Alan Dawson

Morne van Wyk

Andre Nel

Charl Langeveldt and Andrew Hall will play in the triangular one day series preceding the tour. They will be replaced by Kirsten, Dippenaar, Peterson, Tsolekile, Willoughby and Zondeki.

CONTRACTED PLAYERS FOR 2003/2004

Category A+:

Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock

Category A:

Graeme Smith

Category B:

Paul Adams, Nicky Boje, Boeta Dippenaar, Neil McKenzie, Jacques Rudolph

Category C:

Alan Dawson, Andrew Hall, Andre Nel, Mfuneko Ngam, Robin Peterson, Ashwell Prince, Martin van Jaarsveld, Monde Zondeki

No Category:

Gary Kirsten - As a result of Kirsten only being available for Tests his renumeration will be negotiated with him individually.