The Next 48hOURS ≈ Weekend Sport There’s a new Paul Adams in town Tristan Holme from Cricket365.com perienced such hype for a player they’ve on home soil, the honour of inclusion takes a detailed look at the hotly never seen bowl - not since Paul Adams would hopefully mean more than a fat followed ODI series between South emerged in the mid-nineties has there IPL contract.Sachin Tendulkar plays his Africa and India that started on been this much chit-chat about someone fi rst ODIs in almost a year - the last time Wednesday in Durban and that will who so few of the population have seen he stepped out in the India Blue was in have its Cape Town leg at Newlands in action. The expectations surrounding Gwalior, and I think we all remember on Tuesday January 18. Imran Tahir’s call-up are clearly directly what happened there. proportionate to the dearth of promising With their frontline bowlers all pres- Overview spin bowlers in South Africa. ent the tourists will start the series as The legspinner qualifi ed to play for his equals, with the only major concern be- hose who enjoy Test cricket new country on the last day of December, ing how quickly the players not involved probably wish this series could and ten days later he’d been added to the in the Tests can adapt to conditions. Sport be exchanged for another fi ve- preliminary World Cup squad after tak- The pitch they played on at Moses day encounter between two sides ing another 12 wickets in the SuperSport Mabhida Stadium this past Sunday could Twho entertained ceaslessly as they traded Series. The Proteas need a second spinner hardly have been more different to what blowsblows overover the past month. to complement Johan Botha at the World they found at Kingsmead on Wednesday After the three-matchthree-match series ended 1- Cup, and they appear to have nailed their and will fi nd at the Wanderers on Sat- 1 and left punterspunters panting for moremore it’sit’s hopes to Tahir. urday. o b v i - ously a pity that a fourth Another big performer on the domes- Despite the fact that both teams will or even fi fth Test wasn’t tic circuit has gained a call-up, with Faf have one eye on the World Cup, they scheduled, but at least the du Plessis likely to make his debut at should serve up a series of high quality four one-dayersone-dayers we havehave still some point during the series. David Miller so even the purists will be entertained havehave lined up will havehave a realreal and Colin Ingram are also included in the over the next couple of weeks. sensesense of purpose. squad, giving it a relatively fresh feel. When South Africa touredtoured India It seems likely that everyone will get Key Players last yearyear they spentspent the one-day series a game at some stage to prove that they South Africa: It’s crucial that AB de chopping and changing to givgivee eveveryoneeryone deserve to be part of the fi nal World Cup Villiers has a good series with bat and a chance to sshowhow their sskillskills in Indian squad. Ryan McLaren and Albie Morkel gloves, not only in terms of getting a conditionsconditions ahead of the World Cup. will watch on hoping they can fi nd a way result in this series but also in building Having culled a few playersplayers overover the back into the selectors’ plans. confi dence for the World Cup. Without coursecourse of the past 1010 months,months, they’ll now The hosts have their work cut out for Jacques Kallis to lead the middle order, be looking to fi ne-tune those prepara-prepara- them, because India boasts a strong unit. de Villiers will need to provide stabil- tionstions and pick their best team, knowing Although they’ve been weakened by the ity for the less experienced players like King Kenny they only have the fi ve matches plus a withdrawal of Virender Sehwag and Gau- Miller and Ingram while also improving Imran Tahir in action returns to couple of warm-ups before their cam- tam Gambhir due to injury, the replace- his wicketkeeping. paign gets underway against the West ments are solid young players desperate Liverpool just indies in Delhi on February 24. to prove that they should be part of the India: Yuvraj Singh has had great suc- squad. It could well prove the differ- in time for One man has dominated the build- squad that will seek India’s fi rst World cess in South Africa in Twenty20 cricket ence. Merseyside derby up for the Proteas, and will be watched Cup in 28 years. (think six sixes in WT20 and also IPL2), on Sunday eagerly by a public who have rarely ex- With the tournament being played enjoying the way the ball comes onto Squads the bat. If he can transform that onto South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), the one-day scene then there are few Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Vil- players in the world who can be more liers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Weekend sport on TV - Highlights devastating. Ingram, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Friday – 14 Jan Saturday – 15 Jan Sunday – 16 Jan Last Five Head-To-Head ODI Results Steyn, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Cricket Cricket prior to current series Cricket South Africa v India 2nd ODI Australia v England 1st ODI – Feb 2010: 3rd ODI: SA won by 90 runs in India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Australia v England 2nd T20 – 14:00 – SS2 5:10 – SS2 Ahmedabad Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh – 10:20 -SS2 Feb 2010: 2nd ODI: India won by 153 Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Mu- Golf Golf runs in Gwalior rali Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Soccer Joburg Open Day 3 – 11:30 Joburg Open Day 4 – 11:30 Feb 2010: 1st ODI: India won by one run Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Pa- Vasco Da Gama v SuperSport Utd – SS1 – SS1 in Jaipur tel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yusuf Pathan, – 17:30 – SS4 July 2007: 3rd ODI: India won by six Piyush Chawla, Shantha Sreesanth. Ajax Cape Town v Kaizer Chiefs Soccer Soccer wickets in Belfast – 20:30 – SS4 Man City v Wolverhampton Wan- Liverpool v Everton – 16:00 June 2007: 2nd ODI: India won by six Fixtures remaining derers – 16:45 – SS3 – SS3 wickets in Belfast Second ODI in Johannesburg on Janu- Golf Mamelodi Sundowns v Maritz- Tottenham Hotspur v Man Utd ary 15 Joburg Open Day 2 – 12:00 burg Utd – 17:30 – SS4 – 18:05 – SS3 Prediction Third ODI in Cape Town on January 18 – SS1 West Ham Utd v Arsenal – 19:00 Almeria v Real Madrid – 19:55 With both sides tinkering from time to Fourth ODI in Port Elizabeth on Janu- – SS3 – SS7 time, don’t be surprised if India sneak ary 21 Barcelona v Malaga – 21:55 the series on the basis that their young Fifth ODI in Centurion on January 23 – SS3 back-up players have more one-day ex- perience than those in the South African * Cricket365.com C M Y CM MY CY INTRODUCING LINDA, AMANDA AND LINA, CMY THREE OF 120 BEAUTIFUL MAVERICKS DANCERS entertaining customers 6 nights a week K OPEN, 6 NIGHTS A WEEK MONDAY - FRIDAY: 7PM - 4AM 68 BARRACK STREET, CAPE TOWN | TEL: (021) 461 9988 12 The Next 48hOURS www.48hours.co.za 14 January - 20 January 2011.