When JP Duminy finally made his Test debut the first question many people asked was, "How good is South Africa's top six if this guy can't make it?"
'The structure of the team needs to change. It is very hard to play with two seamers. We definitely need to find a third seamer who can bat. There's Saifuddin but he is struggling with injuries.'
Air pollution levels in New Delhi escalated to hazardous and visibility dropped significantly as a thick blanket of smog engulfed several parts of the city on Sunday morning.
South Africa's coach Russell Domingo lists reasons for South Africa's batting collapse on Day 1 of the second Test against India in Bangalore on Saturday. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com listens in...
Domingo didn't really get a chance to work with Shakib but what the South African understands is that the world's No.1 all-rounder commands huge respect in the change room.
'There will be uncertainty among players of both the teams of playing a pink ball Test'
An 'energised' Dale Steyn has passed his fitness tests and will play for South Africa in their three-match Twenty20 International series against Australia starting in Durban on Friday.
Captain Hashim Amla has said South Africa were suffering a crisis of confidence following a woeful 2015 which culminated with a 241-run defeat to England in the first Test.
South Africa will play a minimum of 23 warm-up one-day internationals against five different countries to boost their preparation for next year's World Cup, the country's cricket board said on Monday.
Dismissing reports of interference in team selection ahead of South Africa's World Cup semi-final against New Zealand as 'utter nonsense.'
South Africa could take the field for the second and final Test against Pakistan starting in Dubai on Wednesday without either the world's top-ranked bowler or batsman.
South Africa are to gamble on the fitness of Quinton de Kock and JP Duminy, who were named on Wednesday in a 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next month.
South Africa coach Russell Domingo has vowed his side won't play "fancy" cricket in their search for an elusive ICC trophy as they depart for the World Twenty20 in India on Thursday in confident mood. South Africa head to the tournament ranked as the third best team in the 20-over format and on the back of recent series wins in Bangladesh and, crucially, India. Domingo believes they will be able to quickly put behind them the 2-1 home loss to Australia, confirmed on Wednesday with a six-wicket loss in Cape Town, which he didn't think diminished from an excellent 14 months for his side in the shortest format. "We are all pretty chilled. I don't think there is a weight of expectation around our team or any of the teams because of the nature of the competition," he told reporters. "You can't get too fancy, you can't get too funky. There is no magic wand to wave. The sides that do the basics really well in high-pressure games, they usually come out on top."
Chahal has made a successful comeback with a stellar showing against Bangladesh
Sourav Ganguly emphasised the need for playing day/night Tests to attract more spectators to stadiums.
South Africa took full advantage of an abject England batting display on Monday to complete an easy 340-run win in the second Test to level the series 1-1 with two games left to play.
AB de Villiers described his appointment as captain of South Africa's Test team as the fulfilment of a life-long dream but it will raise further questions about the burden on the team's outstanding player.
Standing in as skipper for the injured AB de Villiers and without pace spearhead Dale Steyn for all but a day and a half of the campaign, the 32-year-old batsman delivered a 2-1 series triumph that sent Australia plummeting into crisis.
Handicapped by the absence of key strike bowler Dale Steyn, South Africa will need to dig deep into their reserves if they are to beat England in the third Test and bring parity to the series.
The South Africa fast bowler said he had made the difficult decision to sign a four-year contract with Hampshire to ensure his financial security.
The paceman had injury problems in the recent ICC Champions Trophy in England, forcing him to miss the semi-final defeat by the hosts, and that has weighed heavily on the minds of the selectors with Test series coming up against Pakistan, India and Australia.
India would be aiming to ensure that a plucky Bangladesh don't run away with the momentum when the two sides clash in the second T20 International, which is facing a cyclonic threat, in Rajkot, on Thursday.
The prospect of placid pitches and soaring temperatures present a formidable challenge to South Africa's hopes of verifying their status as the world's top team when their Test series against Pakistan begins in the United Arab Emirates on Monday.
Chris Gayle will return to the top of the batting order as West Indies look to continue their winning run and secure a semifinal berth when they take on South Africa in the ICC World Twenty20 in Nagpur, on Friday.
South Africa coach Russell Domingo admitted that his team fell apart whenever the Indians applied the pressure on them during the ongoing Test series.
The Proteas high performance coach and renowned explorer, Mike Horn, on Thursday, revealed that he was required to provide additional support at the World Cup ahead of their semi-final against New Zealand following a change in team selection to meet apparent 'quota' requirements.
Despite the painful semi-final loss to New Zealand in Auckland in the World Cup, South African fans and media went easy on its cricket team. A long history of failure at the tournament has often put the Proteas at the sharp end of stinging criticism from the demanding media and fans back home.
Jayasuriya would like Sangakkara to continue beyond the World Cup.
There was no shortage of quotable quotes. Here's some of the more memorable ones.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith expects an even contest between bat and ball to set up a thrilling finale in the series-deciding third Test against Australia at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.
Quinton de Kock's return to form in South Africa's World Cup quarter-final rout of Sri Lanka was one of the most pleasing aspects of a convincing victory for the Proteas.
South Africa's Quinton de Kock was probably already feeling the most pressure of his fledgling international career before captain AB de Villiers dumped even more of it on his shoulders.
South Africa coach Russell Domingo said that a couple of crucial partnerships and performance of the spinners were the key to India's success in the fourth One-Day International in Chennai.
Graeme Smith made three in his final Test innings as South Africa were slipping towards a heavy defeat at the close on the fourth day of the series-deciding third Test against Australia on Tuesday.
South Africa's success in Australia is often put down to their comfort on the hard local tracks, which can be similar to those at home, but they could face some unfamiliar conditions this year.
Hard-hitting left-hander Chris Gayle will return to the West Indies squad for their tour of South Africa after recovering from a back injury.
'I believe that if you have your skills, you will be in a mentally good space.'
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hit back at criticism of the pitch for the ongoing third Test between India and South Africa in Nagpur, saying it needs to be taken out of the equation since both teams have to deal with the same conditions. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports
Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com takes a look at some players Indian fans will miss following their exploits in the Indian Premier League.
Factbox on the cricket World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland.
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