Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » Cricket » Reuters » Report
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

Pollock back to boost South Africa
Related Articles
Stats: Records tumble for Sri Lankans
Jayawardene scores 374 as records tumble
Jayawardene-Sangakkara smash world record
Get Cricket updates:What's this?
Advertisement
August 02, 2006 19:45 IST

Experienced pace bowler Shaun Pollock [Images] returns for South Africa as they seek to bounce back against Sri Lanka [Images] in the second Test, starting on Friday.

Pollock will strengthen a bowling attack that conceded 756 runs in the first innings of the first Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

The 33-year-old, who missed the first Test after staying home for the birth of his second daughter, has urged his team mates to raise their game after they lost by an innings and 153 runs on Monday.

"We should not be thinking too much about what happened," Pollock told reporters. "Instead we must draw a line under it and look ahead.

"From the reports we've heard, the pitch for the second Test is going to be even lower and slower than the first, but there's no point dwelling on the negatives.

"We just have to get on with it and prepare ourselves for a hard, patient fight going right down to the final session on day five."

Pollock, a veteran of 101 Tests, is set to replace pace bowler Andre Nel [Images], the most lacklustre of the tourists' seamers.

No further changes are expected, although the fitness of Herschelle Gibbs [Images] will be watched carefully as he recovers from a stomach bug.

Sri Lanka will also welcome back left-armer seamer Chaminda Vaas [Images], a high-class performer in subcontinental conditions.  

The 32-year-old has recovered fully from a hamstring injury first sustained in England [Images].

"Vaasy is fit and bowling extremely well in the nets," skipper Mahela Jayawardene [Images] told reporters.

"We all know what a superb bowler he is and having him back is a huge bonus."

The rest of the 15-man squad has been declared fit despite a couple of minor niggles and the biggest selection dilemma will be the make-up of the bowling attack.

A turning pitch has been predicted at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium, the home club of Muttiah Muralitharan and all rounder Farveez Maharoof is the likeliest of the seamers to be left out.

Teams:

Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya [Images], Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Michael Vandort, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga [Images], Dilhara Fernando, Malinga Bandara, Prasanna Jayawardene, Rangana Herath.

South Africa (from): Ashwell Prince (capt), Andrew Hall [Images], Hashim Amla, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher [Images], AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini [Images], Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Thandi Tshabalala.




© Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
 Email this Article      Print this Article

© 2008 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback