About a year ago a South African cricket magazine predicted how Shaun Pollock’s side was more than ready for the 2003 World Cup jamboree. The man who inspired such in-depth crystal ball gazing was Mornantau Hayward who blitzed India’s batting at Kingsmead in the Standard Bank final. Well, as 12 months is an awfully long time in the career of a fast bowler and the life of a selector as well as a team, the crystal ball did not offer the end result of that limited-overs defeat for India’s hoped for renaissance on the African continent. For one thing the magazine has long disappeared from the shelves, Hayward was ejected by the new panel of selectors and in a fit of pique signed a contract which has caused a sour burp within the United Cricket Board. How, though, Hayward was missed by South Africa at the Wanderers on Sunday as the Safs seriously stubbed a toe, tripped and fell and are now in danger of an early, humiliating exit from the tournament. This came within twenty-four hours of Australia’s highly disciplined bowling display which demolished India at SuperSport Park, barely 10 minutes from here. If anything, Australia’s two matches in the opening week of the tournament demonstrated the difference between tight, explosive and disciplined bowling and those of the other sides. India, if we look at the example in their first two games showed that Saurav Ganguly is bowling by numbers. So is Pollock. More worrying for most sides, another other teams that instead of coming into the tournament tired and seeking a remedial answers to Shane Warne’s absence after being busted for drug-taking, the Aussies have not displayed one blip of concern on their graph. The example of Brett Lee as a new-ball bowler and saving the lethal swing and seam Jason Gillespie until first change was underlined by the economy rates in which they bowled. In face, apart from New Zealand, no other side seems capable of coming back and matching the Australians. As the manager, Jeff Crowe explained, New Zealand are a lot of more confident of playing their Tasman Sea cousins. The big brother image which has haunted the relationship since the early 1970s has been replaced by something a little more competitive. Which brings us to India’s problems. The batting is seriously lacking in direction and confidence, the harder pitches of the South Africa to the damp dirt tracks is something they will need to overcome. But more than that is the discipline lacking in the bowling. Few sides can go into a World Cup game with confidence when they are asked to defend puny targets of 125, 150, even 180. India need to seriously revise their battle plans if they hope to qualify for the Super Six. If we take the England tour exercise as an example, there is a serious need for India to look at finding a place for Ashish Nehra in the side. For one thing the current bowling attack is seriously bereft of the extra fast bowler, which means sacrificing either Anil Kumble or Harbhajan Singh when they side returns to South Africa. Even in Zimbabwe, the thought of finding a place for three seam and swing bowlers is more important than playing the second spinner. Australia’s example at Centurion when between them McGrath, Lee and Gillespie gave away 72 runs in the 27 overs they bowled as India scrambled to 125, their lowest World Cup score which lasted 41.4 overs. Ganguly’s excuse was losing four wickets in a matter of the first 15 overs have created problems. As with South Africa, India need to rethink their bowling strategy. Aussie captain, Ricky Ponting, offered an interesting if oblique backhanded compliment to New Zealand when he said that the Kiwis would offer a bigger challenge in the World Cup than they had at the International Cricket Council Champions Trophy series in Colombo last September. He did not go into reasons, or add anything further. Just how competitive the Kiwis are became apparent at The Wanderers bull ring when they took on the South African bowlers. Sure there was luck involved with Steve Fleming being dropped when 53 by Mark Boucher. A side needs that sort of luck if they hope to remain competitive. And just how poorly South Africa bowled can be seen in the bowling of Allan Donald, Jacques Kallis and Nicky Boje. They gave away 86 runs in their first eight overs with Kallis travelling for four boundaries which stunned a raucous bull ring crowd and brought a concerned frown to Pollock’s brow. It was not supposed to happen. Only facts need to be faced. It is not 1999: Donald has lost the fire and pace and the name is no longer likely to awe a seasoned batsman; too much is expected of Kallis and the man missing out, Andrew Hall, has every right to wonder how long it must be before he earns a call up as a bowler. In a sense it is the same with a bowler such as Javagal Srinath. India also need to revisit their bowling tactics and allow the Nehra/Khan partnership to prosper with Srinath as the main support. If not, India’s problems will continue. Lastly, for South Africa, while they struggle to keep alive their hopes of World Cup 2003, the red-haired Hayward is training hard in the nets. The man who destroyed India at Kingsmead in October 2001 has a contract with Worcestershire without the escape clause allowing him to play for South Africa. The decision of the new selection committee not to convey to Hayward their long-term plans has seriously backfired. South Africa are suffering.
