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Match 1 Weather
Sunny with some cloud
Temperature 17°C |
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This series
will mark Shoaib's long-awaited return
to top-flight cricket
© Getty Images |
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Time for some fun
Despite
the withdrawal of so many stars from the
tournament, the Afro-Asia Cup still has
enough big names to suggest that fans can
expect plenty of excitement and
action-packed cricket during the three
matches, which take place on August 17, 20
and 21. Almost the entire South African side
has announced their availability, which
means Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and
Graeme Smith will all be around. The Asians
have been hit harder by absentees – Sachin
Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sanath Jayasuriya,
Chaminda Vaas, and Irfan Pathan have all
pulled out due to one reason or another –
but the depth in their pool is such that
they still have many crowdpullers – Virender
Sehwag, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar,
Shahid Afridi and Muttiah Muralitharan will
all be there. There are plenty of
contests-within-contests waiting to happen
too - Sehwag v Pollock, Murali and Shoaib v
Kallis, to name just three.
Full series coverage |
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Africa squad
Graeme Smith (capt), Shaun Pollock, Boeta
Dippenaar, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis,
Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher (wk), Monde
Zondeki, Jacques Rudolph, Nicky Boje, Justin
Ontong, Steve Tikolo, Collins Obuya, Thomas
Odoyo, Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu, Dale
Steyn, Justin Kemp
Asia squad
Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Virender Sehwag,
Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Yousuf Youhana,
Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzak, Muttiah
Muralitharan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe
Mortaza, Anil Kumble, Shoaib Akhtar
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| In and Out - The Cricinfo
form guide |
| Your guide to who's hot and
who's not ahead of the series |
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 Inzamam-ul-Haq
May give the impression he doesn’t really care much, but few people have
consistently maintained as high a standard as he has when it comes to batting.
In the last five one-dayers Inzamam has played he has averaged over 75. The West
Indies were the last to suffer, when he made 51 in his most recent ODI, guiding
Pakistan to victory by 40 runs.
Jacques Kallis
Like Inzamam, is one of those cricketers who rarely
ever stops scoring. He contributes tidily with the ball and sizeably with the
bat, in virtually every series, and the last one against West Indies was no
exception. The 87 he hit only three matches ago, at Bridgetown, Barbados, helped
South Africa post a healthy 284. And it was a good job they got that many, for
they only sneaked home by 1 run.
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 Justin
Ontong
First
appeared in the South African ranks with the
reputation of being able to bowl any kind of
spin with control and variation. People
spoke of his ability to deliver a
Muralitharan-esque wristy offbreak. But in
recent times he failed to impress. In fact,
he has managed just one wicket in his last
five one-dayers, and averages 74 with the
ball. Not the best form in the world.
Virender Sehwag
Is a
crowd-puller in any big match, and the
Afro-Asian Cup will be no exception. The
fact that he is struggling for form won’t be
a concern, because that only means a big
score is round the corner. The signs that he
was recovering from a slump were there in
the final of the Indian Oil Cup, where he
clattered 48 off 22 balls. But more is
expected of him – he has scored just one
century in his last 25 matches.
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Shahid Afridi
Has been the
cynosure of attention since his
record-breaking century of 37 balls in his
first knock all those years ago. But after
teams sorted him out, his free-stroking
exuberance at the top of the order has been
found out. It is only recently, under the
watchful eye of Bob Woolmer, that he has
rediscovered confidence and a method to the
madness. If he is out in the middle, it’s
best you don’t leave your seat to fetch
another drink, for in 10 minutes he can
change the course of a match.
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