Pollock might play in first Test against Pakistan

Shaun Pollock’s chances of playing in the first Test against Pakistan brightened as Morne Morkel sprained his left foot during practice and is doubtful for the match beginning on Monday.

South African coach Mickey Arthur said Morkel may miss the game.

“Morkel sprained his landing foot during practice and he is a bit of worry for us. He will have to go through a fitness Test on Sunday. So Polly (Pollock) is in the run now to play the match,” Arthur said.

Pollock, the most experienced Test player for his country with 416 wickets, was not first choice of captain Greame Smith and Arthur, who wanted to go in with a new bowling line-up as part of the rotation policy and rebuilding process.

“Polly is still an integral part of the team and will remain with the team. It is just a rebuilding process that we have to start sooner or later. Next year we play India in India, England and Australia and we need to have our bowling attack in place by then. So we felt this is the right time to start,” he added.

It was first time that 107 Test-old Pollock was told he was not selected for reasons other than injury.

Arthur said Polly had handled the decision maturely, “I spoke to him and he was disappointed but okay.”

“Now as the situation stands, Pollock might still play because of Morkel’s niggle and he might not be fit for the Test,” said Arthur.

Turning his attention to left-arm spinner, Paul Harris who took three wickets in South Africa’s only warm up game, ending in a draw on Saturday, Arthur said he would add a new dimension to the bowling attack.

“He had a good run in this match and the positive we got out of this game was that the players got used to the heat and acclimatised well to the conditions.”

Arthur said his team was prepared to handle Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria although he was a bowler in the top bracket.

“We know what to expect and I am confident that our batsmen are technically equipped and have a game plan to see us through even on a turning track,” he stated.

Time for India to take brave decisions :Ramiz Raja

India played a perfect game built around youth and inexperienced players to clinch a Twebty20 confident victory on Saturday. Earlier, Australia were chained by Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik’s spin and variation. Knowing Australia, they will certainly be toying with an idea of specialist Twenty20 team, for their 50-overs specialists have been found wanting once again, in a format that is high-paced and impact-based.

The Aussies looked surprisingly rusty on the field and they bowled wide of target. Their fielders were as nervous and out of the game as their bowlers, and that is a rarity. They were not allowed to match the performance by India, and they never appeared to be happy on the field.

India were happy to sprinkle their Twenty20 eleven with youth and punchy players. The players showed both calmness and aggression, which is a great springboard to win matches. And, that they have inherited from their captain. His [Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s] calm demeanour and street-smart mind has given his team a lot of hope.

Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh are made for Twenty20. Gautam [Gambhir] needs to work on his 50-overs game to clinch a permanent place in limited-overs cricket. Robin [Uthappa] for his young fans is superhero Robin from the Batman and Robin pair. When in hitting zone, no one can match his bat speed and walk down the ramp against faster bowlers. Yuvraj is making Australia pay every time he plays them in Twenty20 cricket; he is a real star on and off the field. The list of impact players is long. Indians need to find a place for Gautam and Sehwag in 50-overs cricket, if they [India] are keen to match their Twenty20 success. Time is ripe for making brave decisions.