Consider this for a statistic: in six previous tours to Australia, SouthAfrica have never won a Test series
Peter Robinson30-Nov-2001Consider this for a statistic: in six previous tours to Australia, SouthAfrica have never won a Test series. In 1952/53 (under Jack Cheetham), in19963/64 (under Trevor Goddard) and in 1993/94 (under Kepler Wessels) SouthAfrican teams returned with a share of the spoils. The other three sides,most recently in 1997/98 under Hansie Cronje, all lost.So should it be any different this summer. Bluntly, the head says no. Evenordinary Australian teams are formidable opponents at home and this is aparticularly good one, well-organised and confident. By contrast, SouthAfrica have included two veteran fast bowlers, one of whom has barely bowleda ball in anger this summer, there are at least four batsmen in the side whoeither have questions to answer or are unproven at this level and SouthAfrica do not possess a spin bowler likely to win matches on Australianpitches.So, should Shaun Pollock’s side bother to get on the plane on Saturday. Theanswer is an unequivocal yes, if for no other reason than this is anopportunity for the current South Africans to make history. For some it willbe a last chance, for others perhaps the only chance.During the 1993/94 tour South Africa played dismally to lose a one-day gamein Hobart. Afterwards a grim-faced Wessels noted that Australia “makes orbreaks players”. The message got home and the team returned with thatamazing win in Sydney and a share of the series. The point, however, remainstrue.Wessels has again been connected with Australia this week when the UnitedCricket Board turned down a request for him to accompany the team as aconsultant. This was probably the right decision, if for no other reasonthan to give Graham Ford and Corrie van Zyl a chance to succeed or fail ontheir terms. Neither knows a great deal about Australia and both prefer to stayin the background, but they will never face a sterner test of their methodsand strategies than on this tour.The one asset they do have is the captain,Pollock. If the three can lift the side when the bad moments come – and theywill – then South Africa will have at least a fighting chance.Briefly, then, these are the question marks against the South Africans: canNeil McKenzie, one of Jaques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar and, to a lesserextent, Justin Ontong survive against an attack more disciplined thananything they have faced before and which includes the world’s best spinbowler? Can Allan Donald produce it once more for his country and, if not,can Steve Elworthy step in the breach? Has Makhaya Ntini got it out of hishead that he is an automatic selection and that he, more than most, needs tocompensate for his lack of variety by putting one ball after another forhour after hour? Can Lance Klusener quell the suspicion that he’d prefer toavoid the new ball if possible?Most importantly, can this South African side find the mental resolve tocope with all that Australia will throw at them over the next two months(and when I say all, I mean everyone – taxi drivers, waitresses, customsofficials, barmen – all of whom will be saying in one way or another: “Wait’till Warnie gets ya”).If the South Africans can find answers to these questions, then this verygood team could be remembered as a great one.