In a series of articles I have constructed the best Test cricket teams of nations over the last five decades.
Continuing this series, this article looks at South Africa since the end of apartheid in the 1990s.
The team I have constructed is as follows:
Graeme Smith (9265 runs at 48.25)
Gary Kirsten (7289 runs at 45.27)
Hashim Amla (9282 runs at 46.64)
Jacques Kallis (13, 289 runs at 55.37)
AB de Villiers (8765 runs at 50.66)
Faf du Plessis (4163 runs at 40.02)
Mark Boucher (532 catches, 23 stumpings and 5515 runs at 30.30)
Shaun Pollock (421 wickets at 23.11)
Vernon Philander (224 wickets at 22.32)
Dale Steyn (439 wickets at 22.95)
Allan Donald (330 wickets at 22.25)
(Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
For the opening batting slots I have gone for the two left handers, Graeme Smith and Gary Kirsten.
Both of these were stroke players but with the ability to knuckle down and play the obdurate, defensive knocks as required. Add to this grit and determination.
One example of the latter was Smith’s attempted rearguard action to save a game in Australia in 2008-2009 with a broken hand. I have also given Smith the captaincy.
At number three I have opted for Hashim Amla. Wristy, artistic and aesthetically pleasing, Amla was a fine player on all sides of the wicket and against all types of bowling.
With a haul of almost 10,000 runs, Amla is the ideal number three, capable of mixing attack with defence.
At number four is Jacques Kallis, South Africa’s highest Test run scorer, and arguably one of their best all-rounders with a superb batting average of just over 55.
This is a remarkable record for a player to sustain over the 18 years or so he played top-level international cricket.
Standing firm relentlessly against the might of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne to eke out a draw for his side in 1997-1998 was testimony to his skills and powers of concentration.
For number five, I have chosen AB de Villiers. Explosive and fast scoring with the ability to turn a game in a session, De Villiers is the ideal number five.
Add to this his wicketkeeping and all-round athletic skills and you have the complete package.
At number six – and this might be contentious – I have plumped for Faf du Plessis.
(Photo by Gareth Copley-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
This understated batsmen with a more than useful average fought hard for his country and more than once saved his side from certain defeat, a notable example being his rearguard century against Australia in 2012-2013.
In the batting department, those who were in the frame but not chosen include Ashwell Prince, Peter Kirsten, Kepler Wessels, Hansie Cronje (who was a fine player leaving aside the match fixing scandal for just a moment) and JP Duminy among others.
Although de Villiers could competently keep wickets, I have opted for Mark Boucher as specialist keeper.
Over a lengthy period of time he held down the keeping spot efficiently and effectively and he was a pugnacious batsman.
For the bowlers, I have opted for an all-pace attack, spearheaded by ‘White Lightning’ Allan Donald.
With speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour combined with late movement, Donald is an automatic selection.
Again, it is hard to forget that mesmeric spell that Donald bowled to the Waugh brothers in 1997-1998.
Not far behind in speed and impact is Dale Steyn, who on his day – and there were many of those – could be lethal with his pace, movement and skiddish bowling.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
In support of those two are Shaun Pollock, with his clever change of pace, seam movement and strong cricketing genetic pool, and Vernon Philander.
Vernon Philander was an unyielding, unnervingly accurate and effective bowler especially on home decks.
Unlucky players not to make this side include Makhaya Ntini, Morne Morkel, Brian McMillan, and Kagiso Rabada.
Three further comments are worth noting. First, I could not find a spot for a spinner. South Africa has lacked a truly match-winning spin option since its re-entry into Test cricket.
Second is the relative absence, arguably, of truly iconic batsmen with the possible exception of Jaques Kallis.
Third is that I could not find a current-day player in the side, although Rabada would go close.
This suggests that South Africa is currently some way off being a world power in Test cricket and is going through a rebuilding era.
For all that, this is a fine side that would take some beating.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
From what I knew of him at the time, I supposed he had the talent and potential to be damn near the equal of wasim akram.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Schultz was heading in the direction of being the greatest SA Bowler ever ., great guy too but sadly a bad injury ended things after just 7 Tests . He terrorized the Indians on their own wickets , winning a series on the sub continent . Mitch Johnson a similar bowler but Schultz had more height and used it . .
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Schultz would have been handy against Australia too around 1997/8. When he made it into the side for the third test in early 97, you guys won due to his five wicket haul in our first innings.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
India were an absolute crap side in the 1980s and had no quality spinners of their own to exploit the West Indies only real weakness. If India had had Kumble and Harbajan in 1983, the West Indies would have been in trouble in India.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
De Kock both a better keeper and batsman than Boucher and I would also have Brett Schultz in before Pollock . Although sadly his career cut short after only 7 Tests which I forget the number of wickets taken but his Test average was 19.00 per wicket . He was particularly deadly against India on the sub continent and primarily responsible for SA winning a series there..
Micko
Roar Rookie
You absolutely nailed it in my opinion. Well done! :thumbup: :cricket:
WAYNE BENNETT
Roar Rookie
the windies conquered india without a spinner. that is a pace attack up there with any since 1990
Tendai Dumbutshena
Guest
I think a Test team should have a spinner. Would drop one of the pace bowlers probably Philander and play Maharaj. Am shocked you have not even considered Darrlyn Cullinan. I would put him in place of Faf. I would also have Eugene de Kock instead of Boucher
Mitchell
Roar Rookie
What about Herschelle Gibbs?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Richards, Barlow, Proctor, Pollock (x2) and Rice were fabulous players. -------- The post apartheid team's lack of a spinner would see the 4 Subcontinentelese team's win most games. You walk into their web and you don't bring your own spider?
Brian
Guest
G Smith (c), Kirsten, Amla, Kallis, De Villiers, Du Plessis, Prince, Maharaj, Rabada, Steyn, Donald. If conditions allowed then Pollock could replace Maharaj.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
I’d say even in Australia you need a good spinner to win unless the decks are unusually spicy. During South Africa’s three-peat of wins in Australia, spinners played important supporting roles on each occasion. I’d put Maharaj in the team, at least as 12th man to come in for flat or spinning decks. He’s got an excellent test record for a SENA spinner.
peterj
Roar Rookie
I had no idea Donald’s average was that good. I knew he was a hell of a player but that’s incredible. It’s interesting as a kid growing up in the late 80’s early 90’s the players that I remember were Fannie De Villiers who tore Australia part around then and Jonty Rhodes who everyone knows and remembers because of his fielding. Not saying they should be in the team just an observation. Great article!
sheek
Roar Guru
So here is a combined pre & post-Apartheid XI: Graeme Smith (c) – postA Barry Richards (vc) -preA Haslim Amla – postA Graeme Pollock – preA Jaco Kallis – postA Aubrey Faulkner – preA Mike Procter – preA Mark Boucher (wk) – postA Hugh Tayfield – preA Dale Steyn – postA Allan Donald – postA Shaun Pollock (12th man) – postA Even though postA have 7 players to 5 in the 12, I believe the preA team is better balanced for all wickets in all conditions.
sheek
Roar Guru
As mentioned by others, a great team but the glaring weakness is the lack of a quality spinner. Paul Adams is the best of an ordinary bunch. This would be a great team in SA, England, Australia, NZ & West Indies. But it would struggle on the sub-continent without a quality spinner. Yes, I know the Windies managed winning on the sub-continent without a spinner. But that wasn’t the all-time best vs another all-time best, or even a periodic best vs another periodic best. So they were able to exploit obvious weaknesses in the opposition. Here’s a Saffie all-time XI pre-Apartheid to take on the post-Apartheid all-time XI. Composite Internationals (CIs) combine official tests, Rest of World (1970 & 71/72), Derek Robins (1972-74), International Wanders (1975/76), WSC (1977-79) & Rebel Tests (1982-90) Barry Richards (vc) – b.45, rb – 29 CIs, 60.70 batt (the best opener I’ve seen circa 1965 to present) Bruce Mitchell – b.09, rb, ls – 42 tests, 48.89 batt, 27 wkts, 51.11 bowl (the best opener in SA history until Richards came along) Eddie Barlow (c) – b.40, rb, rfm – 44 CIs, 45.62 batt, 80 wkts, 28.29 bowl (brilliant, bustling all-rounder, the beating heart of every SA team he played in) Graeme Pollock – b.44, lb – 53 CIs, 55.53 batt (on his retirement in 1987, Bradman called him the best left-hand bat in history) Dudley Nourse – b.10, rb – 34 tests, 53.82 batt (the best batter in SA history until Pollock came along) Aubrey Faulkner – b.1881, rb, ls – 25 tests, 40.79 batt, 82 wkts, 26.59 bowl (the best all-rounder in SA history until Procter came along) Denis Lindsay – b.39, rb, wk – 19 tests, 37.67 batt (his 606 runs at 86.57 with 3 centuries against Oz in 1966/67 was the prototype for the modern keeper/batsman) Mike Procter – b.46, rb, rf – 26 CIs, 33.60, 102 wkts, 18.58 bowl (look at that bowl avge! 1st class record is almost identical to Imran Khan) Peter Pollock – b.41, rb, rf – 28 tests, 21.68 batt, 116 wkts, 24.19 bowl (lion-hearted fast bowler of the 1960s) Hugh Tayfield – b.29, rb, os – 37 tests, 16.90 batt, 170 wkts, 25.91 bowl (still the greatest spin bowler in SA history) Vincent van der Bijl – b.48, rb, rfm – no official tests, 13 CIs, 61 wkts, 20.20 bowl (the greatest & best Castle Cup bowler in domestic SA history) Clive Rice (12th man) – b.49, rb, rfm – no official tests, 24 CIs, 26.27 batt, 47 wkts, 24.66 bowl (I believe he was better than this, averaging 40 in 1st class cricket) My money is on the pre-Apartheid XI. They have two things missing from the post-Apartheid XI, ie, two quality spinners in offie Tayfield & leggie Faulkner. Otherwise, the two teams are similarly powerful, possessing bating depth down to 8 & 9, & a minimum 4 fast bowlers.
matth
Roar Guru
I’d say ABDV was a truly iconic batsman
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
Wow! That team wouldn't lose many tests. Donald & Steyn genuinely rival some West Indian great opening pairs and like the fabulous Windies sides of the past they won't need a genuine spinner to dominate. If only we had a time machine so we could see these two greats steaming in at Greenwich and Haynes on the first morning of a test with Sir Viv waiting in the wings for his chance to dominate.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
What a team. No spinner is a problem on the sub-continent though. I might have gone for de Kock instead of Boucher; a more prolific batsman. Could also let AB don the gloves to allow Adams/Tahir apply some balance. Ntini (and Rabada) would be unlucky too...
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
More than handy, that's a great team. What did these bowlers achieve in the hot n dusties? No spinner is weak link.