The much anticipated series between the Proteas and India is upon us. Although South Africans may feel cheated with the reduced tour schedule (3 ODI’s & 2 Tests), we must make the best of what the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was willing to give us.
At the playing end of things, away from the boardroom, the Indians are bringing over a very inexperienced test squad. Combined with the lack of preparation for South African conditions, they may be found wanting. Although they won their last 6 matches at home, they also lost the last 8 away, which is a firm indication that they do not travel well.
I am pretty confident we will be able to win both these matches, weather permitting, as our test squad will be flying high after their heroics in Dubai. Also, and most importantly, the inexperience of the touring party in the test arena could result in them finding conditions too much to handle. Both the Wanderers (JHB) and Kingsmead (Durban) pitches are pretty bouncy wickets and Steyn, Philander and Morkel will prove too much to handle, in my opinion.
The tour however kicks off with 3 one day games, and this is where the Proteas have struggled in the recent past. Losing the series to Pakistan in the way they did, will haunt skipper de Villiers, in particular. The challenge could prove a difficult one for the Proteas as they have a few demons to deal with. The character of a side is only really tested once it has fallen. It is now up to AB and the boys in pink to set the tone… (The Thursday the 5th game is played in pink as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign).
With the controversy around the tour, and the schedule, I wouldn’t mind seeing one or two banners around the ground giving the BCCI some stick for acting the way they did.
Perhaps it is time for the other test playing nations like Australia (CA), England (ECB), West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan to consider their options to stand together against the BCCI. CSA will not be the first nation they have dictated to and bullied, nor will it be the last, if nothing is done.
24 Indisputable Laws of Golf
LAW 1
No Matter how bad your last shot was, you should have Inner Peace knowing that a shittier one is yet to come. This law does not expire on the 18th hole, since it has the supernatural tendency to extend over the course of a tournament, a summer and, eventually, a lifetime.
LAW 2
Your best round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.
LAW 3
Brand new golf balls are water-magnetic. Though this cannot be proven in the lab, it is a known fact that the more expensive the golf ball, the greater its attraction to water. Expensive clubs have been known to be partly made with this most unusual natural alloy.
LAW 4
Golf balls never bounce off of trees back into play. If one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.
LAW 5
The higher a golfer’s handicap, the more qualified he deems himself as an instructor.
LAW 6
A golfer hitting into your group will always be bigger than anyone in your group. Likewise, a group you accidentally hit into will consist of a football player, a professional wrestler, a convicted murderer and an IRS agent — or some similar combination.
LAW 7
All 3-woods are demon-possessed. Your Mother in Law does not come close.
LAW 8
Golf balls from the same “sleeve” tend to follow one another, particularly out of bounds or into the water. See LAW 3.
LAW 9
The last three holes of a round will automatically adjust your score to what it really should be.
LAW 10
Golf should be given up at least twice per month.
LAW 11
All vows taken on a golf course shall be valid only until the sunset.
LAW 12
Since bad shots come in groups of three, your fourth consecutive bad shot is really the beginning of the next group of three.
LAW 13
If it isn’t broke, try changing your grip.
LAW 14
It’s surprisingly easy to hole a 50-foot putt when you lie 8.
LAW 15
Counting on your opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.
LAW 16
Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts.
LAW 17
It’s not a gimme if you’re still 4 feet away.
LAW 18
The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.
LAW 19
You can hit a 2-acre fairway 10% of the time, and a 2-inch branch 90% of the time.
LAW 20
Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make a double or triple bogey to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.
LAW 21
If you want to hit a 7-iron as far as Tiger Woods does, simply try to use it to lay up just short of a water hazard.
LAW 22
There are two things you can learn by stopping your backswing at the top and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one is wearing the glove.
LAW 23
A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.
LAW 24
Don’t buy a putter until you’ve had a chance to throw it.
