Safs will tour thin on spin

As predicted earlier this month, vice-captain Mark Boucher has been axed for political favourite Thami Tsolekile while the selection of Charl Langeveldt and all-rounder Alfonso Thomas came amid direct UCB interference with the national selectors’ original choices.

Omar Henry’s committee had opted for 21-year-old Dale Steyn, the leading wicket-taker in the SuperSports Series, but Gailer (Gerald) Majola, the UCB’s chief executive, having made a commitment to the nation’s parliamentary select sports committee last week, and UCB president Ray Mali overruled the selectors.

They demanded the inclusion of Langeveldt — one of 11 players in the side without experience of Indian conditions — along with Cape Town-based Tsolekile, who took six years to score his maiden first-class century. Langeveldt will only tour should Boje opt out of the tour.

Apart from former captain Shaun Pollock, only Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis have played in India before — and that is four and a half years ago.

Although they have been to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, conditions are totally different in India with its varying climates and extreme in surface conditions.

As also predicted, stylish Durban-based Hashim Amla, of KwaZulu/Natal, becomes the first South African of Asian origin to be selected. Amla had shown good form since the Safs ‘A’ side toured Zimbabwe earlier this year.

He has scored four centuries with two in the current first-class season for a batting average of 85.50 but, as with players such as Ontong, Langeveld, Zander de Bruin, Thomas and Tsolekile, is going to find India a far different environment in which to play.

While Langeveldt and Thomas are swing bowlers, both like pitches with bounce and Langaveldt was found seriously wanting in his brief appearance in Sri Lanka in August; unable to find a length and battling for line and consistency.

There is a serious question mark against Ontong’s ability as a spinner and whether he has the mental toughness to bowl to batsmen such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid in places such as Green Park in Kanpur and the spicy cauldron of Eden Gardens.

Ontong’s one Test was against Australia, during the controversial New Year 2002 when Percy Sonn, the then UCB president, had Jacques Rudolph ejected from the side in place of Ontong.

Rudolph overcame that traumatic setback to his career and has since gone on to twice save Tests and score a double century when making his Test debut in Chittagong, Bangladesh, in April 2003 in Graeme Smith’s first series as captain.

Two names mentioned by new coach Ray Jennings, Daryll Cullinan and Derek Crookes were not even considered when it came to the selection meeting. It was felt South Africa was going ‘‘no where with such players’’.

What seriously mitigates any success this side is likely to have is the way UCB have scheduled A team tours, studiously ignoring South Asian countries since 1998 when they sent a team to Sri Lanka. Plans to send A teams to India and Pakistan have failed to materialise despite invitations.