Telford Vice's Blog, page 25

Long way home for sweaty, smiling Irish

South Africa crack under pressure of courageous, clever bowling.

Telford Vice / Cape Town

HOW long is too long to go to play a home game? Surely 7,520 kilometres is too far. Especially if the longest distance between two points at home is 644 kilometres: almost a dozen times shorter. Even more strangely, the visitors are home alone without you for 14 days before the match.

Welcome to Ireland’s world. Those 7,520 kilometres separate Dublin, where Cricket Ireland are based, from Abu Dha...

Abu Dhabi heat, and pressure, on Ireland, South Africa

“What matters to us most is understanding where we are, and making sure that we fast-track our learnings through experiences so we can become a better team and a squad with better depth.” – Aiden Markram

Telford Vice / Cape Town

THIS time last week, South Africa’s first loss in six men’s white-ball games against Afghanistan the day before might have seemed an aberration. The next day, it happened again. And even more emphatically.

To borrow from Oscar Wilde, to lose one game to oppone...

How South Africa sagged against ace Afghans

“While we are handing out opportunities, we’re not casting the net too wide. We still want to make sure that, when gaining experience, we’re doing it in a measured fashion.” – Rob Walter

Telford Vice / Cape Town

TO illustrate the difference between Afghanistan and South Africa in their men’s ODI series in Sharjah, which ended on Sunday with the latter winning a dead rubber in the wake of two thumping victories by the Afghans, Rob Walter reached for the peerless example set by Rashid Khan...

First Gurbaz then Rashid take Afghanistan to triumph

“Good job by the physio to get me ready.” – Rashid Khan

Telford Vice / Cape Town

AMONG the lesser but nonetheless striking facts about the 270 runs that Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah and Azmatullah Omarzai hit off South Africa’s bowlers in the second men’s ODI in Sharjah on Friday is that they did so without a bat sponsor between them.

Naked, unblemished willow met steadily more lathered leather to score almost 90% of Afghanistan’s total of 311/4. Gurbaz delivered an ic...

Afghan players shouldn’t suffer ‘secondary persecution for Taliban’s actions’

“Gender advocacy in cricket should never be advanced by meting out punishment on innocent cricket administrators and players for the misdemeanours of a regime that stands to lose nothing from that punishment.” – CSA 

Telford Vice / Cape Town

SOUTH Africa will not follow Australia’s example of declining to play bilateral matches against Afghanistan in reaction to the Taliban’s treatment of the country’s citizens, particularly women and girls. CSA’s argument, which they made in a statement...

Singing and dancing for Afghanistan

Afghanistan have beaten six fellow ICC full members in the white-ball formats this year.

Telford Vice / Cape Town

IF only they could have sang and danced in the streets of Kabul on Wednesday. Alas, the Taliban have banned singing and dancing in Afghanistan, along with much else that brings joy. Cricket itself could be put on the long and lengthening list of what is illegal in future, if reports from that benighted country are to be believed.

Certainly, they were singing and dancing in...

The cruel, complex context of playing against Afghanistan

“South Africa’s decision to continue playing against Afghanistan is not just a sporting choice – it is a tacit endorsement of the Taliban’s repressive regime.” – Lawyers for Human Rights

Telford Vice / Cape Town

NO cricket happens without context, real or contrived. World Cups are the best example of the latter. The winners are not, as they are erroneously called, world champions. They are not even necessarily the best team in a particular tournament. Sometimes they are the best team at ...

Afghanistan’s gender apartheid at the crease

“I support the idea of inclusivity and caring for women. We know that is relevant to us in South Africa.” – Temba Bavuma

Telford Vice / Cape Town

WHAT would Siya Kolisi do? The question is unfair on several levels. Not least that the team Kolisi captains, the rugby union men’s Springboks, will never have to countenance taking on Afghanistan. Temba Bavuma isn’t as fortunate. He will lead South Africa’s men’s team against the Afghans in three ODIs in Sharjah from next week.

Hashmatullah...

Afghanistan boycott won’t work because ‘the Taliban don’t give a shit about cricket’

“We urge CSA to utilise the leverage available to it through this series to highlight that rights for Afghanistan’s women’s players must be protected and respected.” – Andrew Breetzke, South African Cricketers’ Association chief executive

Telford Vice / Cape Town

REFUSING to play against Afghanistan to protest oppression of women in the country will have no effect because, a senior international administrator told Cricbuzz on Thursday, “the Taliban don’t give a shit about cricket”.

Th...

South Africa’s difficult dance with greatness

“It’s not only about rest. It’s rest, recovery and conditioning. Because when KG puts on a jersey for South Africa we want him to be delivering his best.” – Rob Walter

Telford Vice / Cape Town

THERE is, we are told too many times, no I in team. There is also no K and no G. Except if that team are South Africa. As in Kagiso Rabada, who has become the face of their men’s side.

Rabada has played in 60.85% of South Africa’s matches across the formats from his debut in a T20I against Austr...