South Africa reveal secret plan to unleash mystery spin bowler for Sydney
South Africa's secret plan to defeat Australia is slowly being revealed as they've unveiled their decision to fly "mystery spin bowler" Johan Botha to Sydney for the 3rd Test. My first thought is it's a bit of a last minute decision - the guy barely has time to recover from jet-lag before he'd be walking out on the SCG to bowl. But apparently this is all part of the master plan that South Africa have been hatching for months. The scheme was so confidential and top secret, even Botha himself is stunned by the move. I don't know much about the bowler so if any South African readers could provide us with a sneak preview, we promise not to pass it onto the Australia squad! :-)
| Posted by JC on Wed 28 Dec |  14 comments |
Yo Ozzie boys. Johan Botha was not fit to fly out originally, but has played some provincial cricket over the last two weeks and has come right - prompting the move to fly him. It's no surprise they have made it out to be some mystery plan - ha ha - we need some intrigue, dammit!
Johan Botha is something of a mystery to us too. Originally an average medium pacer, Johan switched to his pretty useful offy's about two years ago.
We are hoping he is the messianic answer to our spinning depression - and he does bowl farily well. Only given two opportunities in India, he did ok - as ok as you can expect a 23 year-old slow bowler in the sub-continent to do.
I personally like the look of him - he does a lot more with the ball than our good friend Boje can (or does). He spins it both ways an is able to get it through rapidly too. He averages 31 in first class cricket as a batsman, so he is pretty handy with the willow. His first class bowling average is 26, with a best of 6-42.
I look forward to seeing him bowl in Sydney - but even more so how his captain will support him.
Posted by Mike SA on 2005-12-28 20:20:26
Johan Botha is something of a mystery to us too. Originally an average medium pacer, Johan switched to his pretty useful offy's about two years ago.
We are hoping he is the messianic answer to our spinning depression - and he does bowl farily well. Only given two opportunities in India, he did ok - as ok as you can expect a 23 year-old slow bowler in the sub-continent to do.
I personally like the look of him - he does a lot more with the ball than our good friend Boje can (or does). He spins it both ways an is able to get it through rapidly too. He averages 31 in first class cricket as a batsman, so he is pretty handy with the willow. His first class bowling average is 26, with a best of 6-42.
I look forward to seeing him bowl in Sydney - but even more so how his captain will support him.
Posted by Mike SA on 2005-12-28 20:20:26
26 is a good first class average, particularly for a young spinner. They were saying on ABC radio that he's the only bowler since Murali who can bowl the doosra. I don't know if that's true or not but it will be interesting to see how he goes. Thanx for the info - very illuminating!
Posted by JC on 2005-12-28 20:35:04
Posted by JC on 2005-12-28 20:35:04
He can bowl it, but whether he can disguise it as well as Murali is yet to be seen. The kids got class, no doubt. A great action and the ability to bowl some corkers. It will be interesting... ;)
Posted by Mike SA on 2005-12-28 21:47:41
Posted by Mike SA on 2005-12-28 21:47:41
He was recently here in India, playing ODI's. Very rarely, or more appropriatly no spinner has been able to make much of an impression on our batsmen, as they grow up playing spinners and may be thats why they stuggle on Australian tours, and tours like that..Botha was no different!!
But back to the point, Botha is a bowler having arm action merged between that of Struat McGill and Harbhajan singh, his idol. He met Harbhajan when we were in South Africa two years ago, and switched onto spinning the ball rather than seaming it. As far as I remember, he stuggles to land the conventional off-spinners delivery at the right spot, but bowls beautiful "Doosra". He also seems to use it quite nicely.. and one more thing, he varies his delivery speed quite a lot..He may have little bit to offer with the bat as well as nearly every South African does, but didn't show anything to us in those limited opportunities he got here.
for cricket from Indian perspcetive, welcome..
http://talkcricket.dopanne.com/
Posted by Binit, india on 2005-12-29 03:28:51
But back to the point, Botha is a bowler having arm action merged between that of Struat McGill and Harbhajan singh, his idol. He met Harbhajan when we were in South Africa two years ago, and switched onto spinning the ball rather than seaming it. As far as I remember, he stuggles to land the conventional off-spinners delivery at the right spot, but bowls beautiful "Doosra". He also seems to use it quite nicely.. and one more thing, he varies his delivery speed quite a lot..He may have little bit to offer with the bat as well as nearly every South African does, but didn't show anything to us in those limited opportunities he got here.
for cricket from Indian perspcetive, welcome..
http://talkcricket.dopanne.com/
Posted by Binit, india on 2005-12-29 03:28:51
I dont think he's the only bowler since Murali who can bowl the doosra. How can u forget Saqlain, he's the one who started it and the term 'Doosra" was coined by him only when asked what he calls his away going delivery. And Harbhajan is also capable of bowling the doosra.
Posted by Surya on 2006-01-01 10:08:57
Posted by Surya on 2006-01-01 10:08:57
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