Dale Steyn will slip into the best XI
Staring up from the cover of the book of ‘The 25 greatest South African cricketers of all time’ are 16 faces in black and white and nine in colour.
This book, The Selected, was written by two of the country’s most respected cricket journalists in 2007.
Michael Owen-Smith and Neil Manthorp presumably burned the midnight oil many times in providing their definitive list of the finest cricketers to have played for South Africa.
SACricketmag
They even went so far as to name the 25 – and they provided long and convincing reasons for their decision – in order.
The book only took into consideration those who played official cricket for the country, which ruled out those affected by apartheid, black and white.
The top five, in order, were Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards, Mike Procter, Aubrey Faulkner and Allan Donald.
Rounding off the top 10 were Eddie Barlow, Jacques Kallis, Dudley Nourse, Herby Taylor and Hugh Tayfield. The No 11 was John Waite. Barlow was made captain of the mythical team.
Of the modern generation, those who played their cricket in colour and not black and white, only Donald and Kallis made the ‘Best XI’, while Shaun Pollock came in at 14, Makhaya Ntini at 16, Jonty Rhodes at 20, Brian McMillan at 21, Mark Boucher at 22, Gary Kirsten at 23 and Graeme Smith snuck in at 25.
One needs to respect the painstaking research Owen-Smith and Manthorp put into the project, but how things have changed in the seven years since the book was written. It has to be argued with strong conviction, that the order of the top 25 – even the ‘Best XI’ – would look rather different in 2014 to what it did in 2007.
Just use Donald as an example. ‘White Lightning’ came in as the No 5 all-time greatest South African cricketer. He did so on the basis of 330 Test wickets from 72 matches and 272 ODI wickets from 164 matches.
Dale Steyn, who is shortly to complete a decade of international cricket, was not named in the 25. Now, though, drawing a line through Donald, Steyn would comfortably slot into the ‘Best XI’. His stats show he has taken 383 Test wickets from 75 games and 135 ODI scalps from 87 games. Their wicket-taking ratios are remarkably similar, although Donald’s averages are slightly better.
Yet, Steyn’s influence in the South African team is arguably greater than Donald’s was, although it’s a close-run thing. It might be perception, but when Steyn doesn’t fire, the Proteas struggle. Yes, there was that meteoric rise of Vernon Philander, but since the latter has understandably dipped in the rate of wickets he takes, the country’s bowling success largely falls on Steyn’s shoulders.
What there cannot be debate about is that he is now worthy of inclusion in the top 25 – which would knock No 25 off the cover of the book. That man is Graeme Smith, whose career was still a work in progress in 2007. But Smith now comfortably qualifies for the top 25, so Peter Pollock makes way.
Kallis will surely have moved from No 7 and into the top three – he has to be regarded as a greater all-rounder than Procter – and from there let the experts debate how he compares to Graeme Pollock and Richards.
What of other ‘new entries’?
AB de Villiers is one of the great players of the modern generation, a batsman of such ridiculous talent across all forms of the game that he makes batting look easy. Yes, equipment, clothing, pitches and law adjustments have helped batsmen but De Villiers is a great player, regardless of the era or nationality. His inclusion, comfortably in the top 25, would nudge Gary Kirsten – whose international days were over in 2004 – into ‘last spot’.
Does Hashim Amla, the Test captain, make the top 25? Yes. Kirsten hit 21 centuries in 101 Tests, and he had an average of 45.27 in the long format and 40.95 in ODIs. His highest score was 275.
Amla has struck 22 hundreds in 79 Tests at an average of 51.32 and his ODI average is over 54. Plus he has a 311no. He would come in, so it’s bye-bye Kirsten.
In fact, one can argue that when the Proteas reached the No 1 ranking in Test cricket, under the coaching guidance of Kirsten, they did so with five players who could be considered strong candidates for the top South African XI of all time.
My research is based on much broader brushstrokes than Owen-Smith and Manthorp’s was, but in looking at an all-time XI, my ‘team’ would incorporate: Graeme Smith (captain), Barry Richards, Hashim Amla, Graeme Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Dudley Nourse (or Aubrey Faulkner), AB de Villiers (wicketkeeper), Mike Procter, Hugh Tayfield, Dale Steyn and Allan Donald.
That is in batting order, not a list of greatest from one to 11, and it shows just how strong our cricket has been in the past seven years, arguably the strongest in the 125 years South Africa has played international cricket.
Based on the book of 2007 and subsequent events, the three players I’d ‘drop’ from the 25 of the greatest ever would be Peter Pollock, Gary Kirsten and Brian McMillan, to accommodate the rise up the rankings of Smith, Mark Boucher and the ‘new entries’ of Steyn, De Villiers and Amla.
For the record, The Selected had the following players listed from 1-25, in order of their ‘greatness’: Graeme Pollock, Richards, Procter, Faulkner, Donald, Barlow, Kallis, Nourse, Taylor, Tayfield, Waite, Neil Adcock, Jimmy Sinclair, Shaun Pollock, Trevor Goddard, Ntini, Peter Kirsten, Jock Cameron, Colin Bland, Rhodes, McMillan, Boucher, Gary Kirsten, Peter Pollock and Smith.
Based on actual achievement (not taking into account imponderables like truncated careers, non selection for political reasons, etc.), here in the year 2014 Jacques Kallis must undoubtedly be numero uno in SA – an almost peerless world class Test cricketer when measured across three Test cricket disciplines (batting, bowling & fielding), basically on par with the great Sir Garfield Sobers (and there can be no greater accolade than that)!
If its SA’s best, D’Oliveira has to be in the team.
He started playing test cricket at 40 (the English authorities thought he was 35 cause he lied about his true age). He averaged over 40 and was way past his best.
@ Jeraldjay:
The batsman in Lemke’s team average closer to 50?
But yes he’s a sure thing for the other list and better than half the players mentioned in the book.
People often talk about the tragedy of Richards and Pillovks careers but at least they got to playe for the land of their birth.
@ gunther:
Richards was in a class of his own and from an entertainment point of view I would save him higher than Jakes.
He made it into Bradman best XI.
@ Jeraldjay:
Agreed and I’d put Pollock just behind from what I’ve seen.
😆
I have only seen Steyn and Kallis.
Steyn is probably an ATG fast bowler in cricket history.
Our “Golden era” did not end with Kallis retiring, but it will when Dale leaves Test cricket.
6 @ MacroBok:
Ooh Ah, Glenn McGrath wasn’t a bad fast bowler. Close call between Steyn and him.
@ Jeraldjay:
Let me reiterate, Steyn could arguably be in an ATG XI, There is also Richard Hadlee and Malcom Marshall, who were insane, I guess I am biased on Steyn, but his longevity and record in the sub continent really stands out.
… Sorry I meant Denis Lilee not Hadlee… then again Hadlee was also an amazing bowler.
gunther wrote:
Amazing….. there is something we agree on 🙂
1. Richards..2. pollock..3. Kallis
One must remeber that batting averages are higher these days than in the days of Pollock/Richards. But it is not only that, Kallis did not dominate bowling attacks like the other two did and was not nearly as entertaining. Richards was so good he became bored, it was ridiculous.
Kallis is IMO the greatest (all round) cricketer SA ever produced but as batsman Pollock and Richards were quite a bit better.
As an all rounder Proctor was not far behind Kallis.. he was the better bowler while Kallis was the better batsman…. but Proctor was also more devastating with the bat ( and he could bowl either extremely quick or even spin) so its a close call but I will give it to Kallis.
MacroBok wrote:
There were also others…. a few more West Indians and also Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Not many , if any, Pakistani’s will rate Steyn above Akram.. his left arm swing was lethal.. often totally unplayable.. and in one day cricket I do not think any quick bowler ever could touch him .
@ robzim: Rob, you summed it up better than I could ever have. Exactly right my learned friend. You must have been a witness to the genius, much like me. But I lack the expression of it.
@ robzim: both Pollock and B Richards were quite a bit better. Certainly in terms of entertainment value. Kallis was positively pedestrian by comparison. And I’m talking about Test cricket. One had to see it to believe it. No, Pollock and Richards were in a league of their own. Trust me. Both just couldn’t bowl for shit.
Must say Curtly is my all time favourite quicky.
You simply cannot compare players from different eras. Still a nice debate.
I am a huge Malcolm Marshall fan, I remember the way he could swing it at pace, it was devastating. Younis too, used to bowl the toe crusher that was almost unplayable.
Shane Warne has to be one of the best bowlers ever, regardless of spin or seam. He could win a test match all on his own.
Witblits was feared in his day, possibly more than any of his peers. He could swing the ball at 150km/h, something that not even Dale can do.
@ Tassies:
Hi Tassies.. thanks for the compliment … nothing wrong with your “expressions” though..
btw.. i did the K to C on Sunday.. got cramps on the 55km mark and from then on I had to take it slower… as a result i did not make my target time although i bettered my previous PB.
Was humbled by a few of my “friends’ though… they came past me on the last big climb without even giving me a glimpse…. next time…lol.
Will contact you after 8 October and then we can hopefully meet for a beer after a night ride at meerendal.
@ Stormersboy:
@ 15
true.. Witblits was amazing.. his battles with Mike Atherton in particular were legendary…. Atherton must be one of the gutsiest batsmen ever.
@ robzim:
Yes his holdout with Jack Russsell to save the test is a performance for the ages….
@ robzim:
Thing is, when Steyn is on form and gets going in any conditions he is unplayable… Steyn has however been average in ODI cricket.
MacroBok wrote:
He related to Hadleigh Parkes?
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