SA sqaud announced

[Goatman]

Graeme Smith (Capt)
Nicky Boje
Hashim Amla
Zander de Bruyn
AB de Villiers
Boeta Dippenaar
Andrew Hall
Jacques Kallis
Makhaya Ntini
Shaun Pollock
Jacques Rudolph
Dale Steyn
Thami Tsolekile (Wkt)

Gibbs and Boucher miss the cut, as do past series bowlers Nel and Hayward. Unfamiliar faces are de Villiers (an opening bat) and Steyn (a quick bowler).

My sources tell me that Kallis will not bowl.

Comments? Thoughts?

[Mike_Hock]

Supprised that Gibbs and Boucher are not playing - Both have good records against England

[Goatman]

Predicted XI for PE:-

Graeme Smith (Capt)
AB de Villiers
Jacques Rudolph
Jacques Kallis
Boeta Dippenaar
Zander de Bruyn (bowler - RFM/MF)
Nicky Boje (bowler - slow left arm)
Shaun Pollock (bowler - RFM)
Andrew Hall (bowler - RFM)
Thami Tsolekile (Wkt)
Makhaya Ntini (bowler - RF)

[Andy Mellon]

I'm shocked Gibbs isn't playing! Is there any reason for this? Surely not another bizarre use of quotas? He's one of SA's very best batsmen and although he didn't tour India, I thought the reasons for him not touring were reasonable enough under the circumstances. Is there something here that we don't know?

I'm going to keep him in my fantasy team for solidarity! Power to the people!!

[Milo]

He's got a finger injury and is possibly going to miss the first three tests.

[Mike_Hock]

I heard a rumor he is 'injured'

[Goatman]

Also, his form in SL was absolutely execrable. At that time - before the India lawsuit situation arose - there was already talk of giving him a "rest".

[Beny]

Two uncapped young players, AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, have been included in South Africa's 13-man squad for the first Test against England that starts at Port Elizabeth next Friday (December 17).

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/C...07DEC2004.html

Both these guys look preety decent.

Styne:
http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/R...N_DW_03047154/
Has only played 7 matches... Somebody must rate him.

De Villers:
http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/R...S_AB_03046533/
Unsure... Looks Ok. Will he get a game?

[Zainub]

Equally suriprised by Gibbs' droping as everyone else. Just wondering if Tsolekile is really going to bat 10? If that is the team SA will pick, they'll have a very short tail, theoritically Ntini is the only player of the lot who can't bat.

[flanflinger]

Let's look at the side

Only 6 of the players have Test centuries - Kallis with 17 has the most. But the rest of the team have less than 17 between them.

Of the bowlers (If Kallis does play as a specialist Bat) only Pollock, Ntini and Boje have fivefers.

Compare that with England 7 centurians (49 centuries between all of them). All the Bowlers have 5-fers.

At the moment England have possibly only one un-proved player the extra bowler... SA have potentialy 5!!

Despite being at Home, I don't think the saffers will be good enough