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Can Dale Steyn join Lillee and Waqar?

By David Isaacson | 5 hours, 50 minutes ago
Dale Steyn of South Africa appeals for lbw with Sachin Tendulkar of India on 0 during the day 3 of the 1st test between India and South Africa from Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground on February 08, 2010 in Nagpur, India. Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images

Dale Steyn of South Africa appeals for lbw with Sachin Tendulkar of India on 0 during the day 3 of the 1st test between India and South Africa from Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground on February 08, 2010 in Nagpur, India. Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images

Dale Steyn is one Test away from possibly joining Dennis Lillee and Waqar Younis as the world’s fastest fast bowlers to claim 200 Test wickets.

His haul of 10 against India in Nagpur took his career tally to 195 scalps from just 37 Tests. By comparison, after 37 matches, Allan Donald had 169 wickets, Shaun Pollock 160 and Makhaya Ntini 123.

The quickest bowler on the planet to reach the 200 mark was a New Zealand-born Aussie called Clarrie Grimmett, who claimed his milestone against South Africa in Johannesburg way back in 1936 – in his 36th Test match.

But Grimmett was nowhere near the quickest bowler on the planet when it came to pace, practising the art of the legbreak googly. Clearly one heck of a bowler, Grimmett played only 37 Tests in all and ended with 216 wickets.

Lillee and Younis both achieved their 200th wickets in their 38th games. Behind them are Ian Botham and Stuart MacGill (remember the Aussie spinner who played second fiddle to Shane Warne?) on 41 matches.

Then Warne, Donald and Malcolm Marshall weigh in with 42 Tests.

Stastically speaking, Steyn will surpass Botham and MacGill. He has three matches to claim five wickets, and in his career to date, he has never taken fewer than eight wickets in a three-match spell – and those happened to be his first three Tests for South Africa against England in the summer of 2004/05.

And his odds of taking five in the second Test against India in Kolkata from Sunday to Thursday? In his last 10 matches he has taken fewer than five wickets on four occasions. Statistically, that means he has a 60% chance of joining Lillee and Younis (see the full list).

By the way, of South Africa’s 200-plus quick bowlers of the post-isolation era, Steyn is the least economical. Pollock leads that with a cost of 2.39 runs an over, followed by Jacques Kallis (2.81), Donald (2.83), Ntini (3.23) and then Steyn (3.54).

But who really cares when Steyn is taking wickets?

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Will Jacques Kallis ever score a double ton?

By David Isaacson | 1 day, 6 hours ago

Kallis

Jacques Kallis is South Africa’s most prolific batsman of the post-isolation era, with 10,813 career runs and an average of 55.16.

But the one milestone he has never reached is that elusive double century.

On 10 occasions he has scored 150 or better – his highest was an unbeaten 189 against Zimbabwe – but Mr Solid has simply been unable to convert any of those into 200.

So why has Kallis failed in this endeavour?

It’s not because he’s a poor batsman, nor is it because his scoring rate slows too much the higher his score gets (his 186 against New Zealand in 2007 came from 262 balls, with his last 86 runs coming off an impressive 96 deliveries).

Whatever the reason, it’s a feat he should have achieved.

Kallis ranks seventh in terms of most runs scored in a career, with Tendulkar topping the list with more than 13,000 runs. Then comes Brian Lara (11,953), Ricky Ponting (11,859) and Rahul Dravid (11,395). Of the top 10 career run-scorers, Kallis is the only one not to have reached 200 in an innings.

In fact, if you stretch the list to 20, the number of non-200s increases to three, with the addition of former England wicket-keeper Alec Stewart ( 8,463 runs and a top score of 190) and Australian bad boy Mark Waugh (8,029 and 153 not out).

When it comes to ability, Kallis ranks higher than both Stewart (career average of 39.54) and Waugh (41.81).

The statistics show that Kallis should be in the 200 club, and hopefully that means that he will get there one day.

Here’s a list of his top 10 Test knocks (in chronological order):

v New Zealand, Nov 2000 – 160 from 289 balls

v Zimbabwe, Sep 2001 – 157* from 272 balls

v Zimbabwe, Sep 2001 – 189* from 443 balls

v West Indies, Dec 2003 – 158 from 297 balls

v West Indies, Dec 2003 – 177 from 344 balls

v New Zealand, March 2004 – 150* from 312 balls

v England, Dec 2004 – 162 from 264 balls

v Pakistan, Oct 2007 – 155 from 249 balls

v New Zealand, Nov 2007 – 186 from 262 balls

v India, Feb 2010 – 173 from 351 balls

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Tiger Woods is sport’s top earner

By David Isaacson | 4 days, 5 hours ago

GOLF-UAE-DESERT CLASSIC-WOODS

Golfer Tiger Woods is the world’s top-earning sportsman, according to Forbes.

He is said to have earned $64-million from endorsements last year, most of it before his sexcapades became public knowledge. Although he was dumped by a couple of sponsors after that, his income would have to drop substantially before he gets pipped.

The next highest earners were soccer star David Beckham ($18-million), tennis player Roger Federer ($16-million), Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt ($14-million) and then basketball stars LeBron James ($13-million) and Kobe Bryant ($12-million).

The richest team brand is English soccer club Manchester United, which has a value estimated at $270-million. They edged out the New York Yankees baseball team, apparently worth $266-million.

If there’s one person who must surely be happy with these stats, it’ll be Woods’s wife Elin. Should she get divorced, she could become the world’s richest sports-earner without having ever played sport.

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Shane Mosley v Floyd Mayweather: a fight to watch

By David Isaacson | 5 days, 4 hours ago

mayweatherr

At last, a welterweight fight to look forward to.

Sugar Shane Mosley will face Floyd Mayweather jnr on May 1 in a bout that will surely attract more world attention (outside the Philippines, that is) than Manny Pacquiao versus Joshua Clottey on March 13.

Mosley-Mayweather has been talked about for a long while and it’s about time it got signed.

But I do wonder about the drug-testing requirements. Did Mayweather again insist on following the Wada rules, or not?

It’s an intriguing match-up although I reckon Mayweather has the edge (having said that, I’m not writing Mosley off). I don’t expect it to be an all-action thriller, but it’ll be scientific, perhaps like watching Stephen Hawking against Albert Einstein, if you know what I mean.

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Zakumi doll claims to be investigated

By David Isaacson | 6 days, 1 hour ago

Global Brands Group, Fifa’s licensee, says it has ordered a probe into media reports that Chinese workers making Zakumi dolls for the World Cup were being exploited.

Their statement reads:

Global Brands Group (GBG) and FIFA are aware of recent media articles pertaining to the manufacturer of the Zakumi figurine …

As FIFA’s exclusive worldwide Master Licensee, GBG is taking the lead role in the review of this specific manufacturer of this figurine. Prior to these media reports, no specific issues had previously been raised with GBG regarding this particular facility. GBG has taken appropriate steps to contract Intertek (the world’s largest independent testing, inspection and certification organisation) to conduct an immediate ethical and social compliance audit and inspection of this facility. An important step in this process is to liaise directly with the parties concerned and ascertain all the key facts surrounding any claims. FIFA is being kept informed on the progress of the review.

From the outset, GBG has sought to only deal with the “best of the best” manufacturers and distributors worldwide to help produce and sell official licensed product for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. As often as possible first choice of production is South Africa, however, in cases where this is impossible international manufacturing partners are considered.

By virtue of GBG’s manufacturing and distribution license agreements and letters of undertaking from third party manufacturers, licensees and their respective third party manufacturers have committed to comply with the Code of Conduct of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) and the declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). These codes include, but are not limited to, the legal compliance of national laws and international working condition standards, the non-use of forced labour, non discrimination, freedom of association, prevailing industry wages, standard working hours, no child labour and safe and hygienic working conditions for all, etc.

“Global Brands Group takes these matters very seriously and we have therefore launched a review audit as a matter of priority. We wish to stress the fact that the Chinese manufacturer in question does not produce any of the other Zakumi plush toys, merchandise or products that are available in the market place. Global Brands Group has a variety of other manufacturers that handle these products and they are in no way linked to the same factory or industrial plant.,” says Paul Zacks, General Manager of Global Brands Group SA.

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Jones v Hopkins rematch – years too late

By David Isaacson | 1 week ago
www.bloodyelbow.com

www.bloodyelbow.com

Seventeen years after they first fought, Roy Jones jnr and Bernard Hopkins are to face off again.

In boxing terms they are both old men, although Hopkins appears to have aged better than Jones.

I can’t say it’s a fight I would pay money to watch, especially since I reckon the outcome is obvious – Hopkins to win, most probably inside the distance.

Poor Roy … he was excellent once, but those days are long gone (along with his chin).

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Boycott the Fifa World Cup mascot dolls?

By David Isaacson | 1 week, 4 days ago

zakumi

Have you read the story about how Chinese workers are being exploited to make models of the Soccer World Cup mascot, Zakumi?

Personally, I think it’s disgraceful.

If the report is accurate, I intend boycotting the mascot – and I hope other people do too.

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Football
Soccer
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Biggest threat to World Cup players will probably come from hooligan fans

By David Isaacson | 1 week, 5 days ago
Craig Bellamy of Manchester City reacts after being hit by objects thrown from the crowd during the Carling Cup Semi Final second leg match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 27, 2010 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Craig Bellamy of Manchester City reacts after being hit by objects thrown from the crowd during the Carling Cup Semi Final second leg match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 27, 2010 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Forget all the worries over security for the 2010 World Cup players in South Africa.

Their biggest threat will probably come from the type of hooligan supporters who pelted Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy with a bottle and other missiles on Wednesday night.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness recently said that allowing SA to host the football spectacular was a big mistake because of the security issue, adding the problem was highlighted when gunmen opened fire at the Togolese soccer team in Angola.

Excuse me? That’s like saying Germany was an unsafe tourist destination because of the Serbian conflict. What happened in Angola has nothing to do with South Africa.

These two countries are separated by quite a distance. One of the sandwiched nations, Namibia, runs some 2,000km north to south.

I concede that players and tourists will have to watch out for South African crooks when out on the streets – and as long as they don’t dress like tourists and remain vigilant, they should be fine (don’t wear moonbags, don’t examine a map in a busy street, etc).

But hopefully players won’t have to endure the type of thugs who went to Old Trafford.

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Gerald Majola is new convenor of selectors

By David Isaacson | 1 week, 6 days ago

South African cricket looks to be in a crisis, if you ask me.

Nobody had a problem with Mickey Arthur resigning as national coach. It was one of those things. Fine.

But today we’ve found out that the selection committee, including convenor Mike Procter, have been canned (and that there’s even more upheaval at Gauteng where a bunch of directors have been booted out!).

The new selectors are caretaker coach Corrie van Zyl, former captain Kepler Wessels and Cricket SA CEO Gerald Majola!!!! Majola is the convenor.

Maybe I’m naive, but why is an administrator getting involved in team selection?

Is it for transformation reasons? If so, why hasn’t his federation done more to transform sport so he doesn’t have to try window-dressing the national team?

Maybe he, or the CSA board, just want more control of team selection.

Perhaps there’s another reason altogether, but whatever it is, administrators should not get involved in picking the team.

As CEO does Majola have the time to watch the players at net practice?

This is not a good omen for SA cricket.

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Who should wield a team’s power – captain or coach?

By David Isaacson | 1 week, 6 days ago

Mickey Arthur

If Alex Ferguson had preferred cricket to football and found himself coaching the Proteas in 2010, one has to wonder if Graeme Smith would have ousted him like he did Mickey Arthur.

I don’t want to get into an examination of whether Arthur was a good coach or not, but the issue of power, as raised by The Times’ cricket columnist Alex Parker, is an interesting one. He believes that the captain should hold the power in a team.

But what happens if a captain becomes too powerful, as apparently happened to Hansie Cronje before his fall from grace over match-fixing claims?

And if the captain has the power, who will drop him when his own form dips? Can he be expected to make an objective decision if he stands to lose a fortune in salary if he drops himself? I doubt it.

Remember the outcry when then Springbok coach dumped skipper Gary Teichmann before the 1999 Rugby World Cup? Teichmann was certainly aggrieved, and he clearly wouldn’t have dropped himself had the decision been his.

But Mallett was perfectly correct in his decision – Teichman proved he was way off his best playing for the losing Sharks side in the Currie Cup final against the Lions – but the coach’s mistake was the replacements he chose for eighthman.

Equally, there are times when an all-powerful coach is a bad thing – like Rudolf Straeuli piling his team into Kamp Staaldraad before the 2003 World Cup. Captain Corne Krige lacked the character to stand up to him at the time!

Captain versus coach? Is cricket different to football or rugby?

Ideally, they should work together as a team (that’s what team sports are about, after all).

But in the end I would think that a coach should always have the final say. After all, you always need someone to drop the captain – and that’s a job that should never be left to administrators.

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