Tuesday, July 18, 2006
South African rehabilitation to be completed by Prince captaincy
By Prince, I do not mean the miniscule artsit formerly known as the Artist formerly known as Prince but moreover Ashwell Prince.
Prince is to be South Africa's first black captain and I applaud this decision and am sure it will complete South Africa's rehabilitation in the eyes of cricket fans around the world. I am sure Dave Cameron would have had an A-List but instead the Proteas have plumped straight for Prince who will step into the breach left by the injured Graeme Smith. Not only does he have massive shoes to fit (I believe Smith to be the best international captain or at least a very close second to Stephen Fleming) but being the first black captain is very symbolic.
Growing up in the 1980s, my knowledge of South African cricket was pretty much limited to old video footage of Barry Richards pummelling all asundry during his Hampshire days; older video footage of Graeme Pollock creaming some schmucks (invariably England) around for a fair few; Clive Rice at Nottinghamshire and Kepler Wessels playing for Australia.
But on coming out of their apartheid induced isolation, South Africa have given us some great teams and great individuals. It may be argued that they have lacked that killer instinct at times and that the whole match-fixing scandal involving Hansie Cronje has permanently tarnished South African cricket, but for me any country that can give the world of cricket players such as: Gary Kirsten; Herschelle Gibbs; Jacques Kallis; Hansie Cronjie; Brian McMillan; Allan Donald; Shaun Pollock; Fanie de Villiers; Daryll Cullinan; Jonty Rhodes; Mark Boucher; Graeme Smith and Makhaya Ntini just in the last 15 years can not be all bad.
Prince is to be South Africa's first black captain and I applaud this decision and am sure it will complete South Africa's rehabilitation in the eyes of cricket fans around the world. I am sure Dave Cameron would have had an A-List but instead the Proteas have plumped straight for Prince who will step into the breach left by the injured Graeme Smith. Not only does he have massive shoes to fit (I believe Smith to be the best international captain or at least a very close second to Stephen Fleming) but being the first black captain is very symbolic.
Growing up in the 1980s, my knowledge of South African cricket was pretty much limited to old video footage of Barry Richards pummelling all asundry during his Hampshire days; older video footage of Graeme Pollock creaming some schmucks (invariably England) around for a fair few; Clive Rice at Nottinghamshire and Kepler Wessels playing for Australia.
But on coming out of their apartheid induced isolation, South Africa have given us some great teams and great individuals. It may be argued that they have lacked that killer instinct at times and that the whole match-fixing scandal involving Hansie Cronje has permanently tarnished South African cricket, but for me any country that can give the world of cricket players such as: Gary Kirsten; Herschelle Gibbs; Jacques Kallis; Hansie Cronjie; Brian McMillan; Allan Donald; Shaun Pollock; Fanie de Villiers; Daryll Cullinan; Jonty Rhodes; Mark Boucher; Graeme Smith and Makhaya Ntini just in the last 15 years can not be all bad.
