Proteas must prove that ICC awards are a joke

By Pat Symcox

The next two weeks promise to be all action as teams attempt to win the Champions Trophy here in South Africa.

The competition has been around since 1998, when we won the inaugural one.

Sadly, the event has not managed to capture the status envisaged 11 years ago and hence the sprucing up of the prize-money and adding of a few niceties for the players.

Of the eight teams participating, only the West Indies can be classed as no-hopers. Their regular stars are in a dispute with the WICB, leaving the second-stringers in the lurch. However, we all know it's a funny game and anything is possible.

The rest of the teams have all had success in South Africa in one form or another, and with coaches that understand the conditions far better than when this country first entered the fray, being prepared correctly should not be an issue.

The question I guess all South African supporters are asking is whether we won't flatter to deceive again.

It has happened too often and the people I speak to are guarded against getting their hopes up too high. Is it our time? Have we moved past the era when we played well up-front and faded at the end?

From all accounts Australia are on song. They have just routed England and have a squad that recently played in our conditions. But then again, India and Pakistan are so unpredictable.

The joke doing the rounds at the moment is about the England cricket system saving cash on hotel bills by letting a heap of their players stay with their parents here in South Africa, which also tells a story. The team will also be well prepared by Zimbabwean coach Andy Flower.

Under Graeme Smith the South African team has grown tremendously. The mix of the squad is good and the attack has loads of variation.

My only hope is that they don't spend too much ana-lysing the opposition and their own game.

"Paralysis by analysis" is something that needs to be checked. It's all good and well going through game-plans, but allowing freedom for flair and initiative is the feature of sub-continent teams. It has merit.

Perhaps it has contributed to us not delivering when we should have.

At times we can be too predictable in our thought process and strategy. It means we have to think on our feet and not wait for a break to take some direction. As long as each player understands his role and his capability, that seems to me to be the most important aspect.

The conditions will surely favour our attack with its fast bowling options. However, should the pitches take turn and be slightly slow due to winter conditions, the sub-continent teams will flourish.

My hope is that we win the tournament easily and show those responsible for selecting the players nominated for ICC awards that they are out of touch. In fact, they are a joke.

How on earth is it possible for South Africa to rise to the No 1 spot in world cricket and not have a single player in the running for some kind of award.

That in itself should be motivation enough for the South Africans. Knowing the likes of Kallis, Boucher, Smith, De Villiers and Steyn, they will be hell bent on proving a point.