'Waugh Will Bounce Back'

With the arrival of the Australians came the news that Steve Waugh had been axed as captain of the limited overs team. If that wasn’t enough, we learnt that Ponting was to be his successor and that the coach John Buchanan, knew absolutely nothing about the whole saga before its announcement.

What I really find hard to digest, is that a panel of selectors can even begin toplan for the 2003 World Cup knowing that the coach has been contracted until that time, and then not consult him one iota. No way mate -- I don’t believe Buchanan one little bit! Someone is trying to pull the wool over Steve Waugh’s eyes, that’s for sure.

The Proteas team to play the first Test has no surprises. It has depth in the batting and a strong bowling attack with plenty of options available to it. I guess there were some thoughts of Cullinan making a comeback and whether Klusener could do enough for the Dolphins over the weekend to force a place.

Someone who has been left out in the cold is Haywood. He batted with a runner over the weekend but is reported to be fit. Not long ago he fell foul of the UCB medical men and one wonders what repercussions this will have for him in the long term. The other young player I feel desperately sorry for is Jacques Rudolph.

I’m not for one minute saying he should be in the team, but when one goes back to when he was selected to play against India in the controversial Test at Supersport Park, he batted like a veteran Test player and then was taken to Australia. He wasn’t fortunate enough to play in any Test, but came close. He was there because of his form and his ability. Now on his return, without doing anything wrong, he is not in the mix.

The twelfth man duties have gone to Smith of Western Province for his wonderfulrun of form. I wonder if Rudolph dropped the drinks or forgot the jelly babies in the last match in Australia!

While on selection issues, I cannot help thinking that our panel, have once again got their timing completely wrong. How can the announcement of the Test team take place before the end of the 'A' team match has finished or even the Supersport matches that are being played?

Remember, it was the same panel that wanted the national players to play in the provincial games over the weekend and the same guys who selected the players like Cullinan, Hall and Bodi in the 'A' team to see how they performed against Australia in Potch.

Surely someone from the UCB must sit down with the convener and help him get the dates for selecting the times in tune with vital matches being played. To the players playing for a place, it has all become a bit of a joke.

The Test series promises so much, but then so did the series in Australia. Whether the saga over the captaincy will affect the Aussies remains to be seen.

Somehow Waugh will find a way to galvanise his troops. That has been his style for a long time. The fact that his leadership is being questioned and that senior players are starting to look over their shoulders, does not make it easy.

The Proteas are confident after the limited overs competition and could quite easily become the winners of the African Rumble!