Kemp: The Next Klusener?

[jaywalker]

He's been playing in our local Standard Bank Cup tournament this summer. Actually had a good season with the bat, but the general feeling (even from those of us who love him) is that he's past his "sell by" date in ODI's.

[jot1]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

There is this beliefe that he and Smith don't get along that well. I know they've all cleared it up for the record and come out and said it in the press that there's nothing between them now, but who knows if that's really the case. No one can really tell for sure what's happening inside their hearts and minds...

True, and they did say the problem was sorted, but then they let Zulu play a few token games and then left him out permanently. Makes you think, especially if you compare some of the guys playing at the moments' domestic stats to his. The idea is to put your best players in the country in the National team, isn't it?

[Paoli]

Zainub the truth is they dont get along. They cleared it up in the media because they had to, they were on the same team. Zulu and Smith dont speak on the cricket field and are never chatting away in the dressing room.

[Zainub]

If Klusener is really the best man for the job (I don't know if he is) then he should be in the team, there should be no two ways about that. Differences with Smith shouldn't keep him out of the side. I'm sure Smith will find Zulu easier to get along with if Zulu is winning matches for his team.

May be its just the South African selectors, and nothing to do with Smith, sometimes selectors have a tendency to sideline players as some said too earlier in the thread and tag them "pass due date". May be they just think its time to move forward and grom someone else for the future, someone other then Klusner, who lets not forget is 33 years old.

[vosser]

In response to a previous quote from Milo, I would like to provide some stats in defense of the "slogger" title with which Justin Kemp has been labelled. The stats below show the immense talent and were it not for a horrible ankle injury (currently under rehab) which has seen his bowling currently lose most of the venom it used to have. His fisrt class stats with 5x 100's and 17x 50's with a highest score of 188 show that he has both the mentality and skill to play longer innings and on top of all that has one of the safest pair of hands in the slip cordon I have ever seen.

FIRST-CLASS
(1996/97 - 2004/05; last updated 06/03/2005)
                    M   I  NO Runs HS  Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 67 110 12 3373 188 34.41 5  17 74 0
 
         O       M   R   W   Ave   BBI 5 10 SR  Econ
Bowling 1386.1 346 3787 148 25.58 6-56 4 0 56.1 2.73
 
LIST A LIMITED OVERS
(1997/98 - 2004/05; last updated 06/03/2005)
                    M   I   NO Runs HS   Ave  100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 141 117 32 3036 107* 35.71  2  21 57 0
 
          O    M   R   W   Ave   BBI  4w  5w SR  Econ
Bowling 905.1 50 4255 149 28.55 6-20  4   3 36.4 4.70

Regards to all
Vosser

[Paoli]

Welcome back Vosser...do you reckon that Kempie will ever get his bowling ability back??

[Doink]

Yep, Goughie did seem to have figured him out by the end of the series..then came the ZIMs and Kemp had a good time! He wasnt such a hitter in his first innings in int'l cricket! Was more of a bowler, now he's more of a batsman! He's going to the Carribean where I believe he and his fans will have a good time!

[basikdesign]

Klusener has too many enemies!i think he would do much better than kemp!kemp looks like a 1 season wonder,lets not forget he has only batted against the weaker sides like zim and a tired england attack!the thing is south african public is so quick to forget a players success!

if only he had 1 gud run in the team again,by the way kemp aint 2 young either 27 is also gettin on a bit isnt it!

[oracle]

Originally Posted by basikdesign

Klusener has too many enemies!i think he would do much better than kemp!kemp looks like a 1 season wonder,lets not forget he has only batted against the weaker sides like zim and a tired england attack!the thing is south african public is so quick to forget a players success!

if only he had 1 gud run in the team again,by the way kemp aint 2 young either 27 is also gettin on a bit isnt it!

Dude Klusener has done nothing in SA limited over cricket this whole year ! I think he got 1 or 2 50's in something like 12 matches !

klusners had his day ! and thats that !!!!!!!!!

[John]

I think the future with SA cricket does not lie with Lance. He had not been in great form in recent years it did look his best days were gone.
As for Kemp he has got to be given a chance time will tell.