No complacency against Zimbabwe, says Kallis by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Player:	JH Kallis
Event:	Zimbabwe in South Africa 2006/07

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DateLine: 15th September 2006

 

Stand-in South Africa captain Jacques Kallis said on Thursday his team was taking its three-match limited-overs series against minnows Zimbabwe very seriously ahead of next month’s ICC Champions Trophy.

 

“This series is especially valuable for the players who have not been in action for a while,” said Kallis, promising his players would play as hard as they would if they were facing world champions Australia when the series starts on Friday in Bloemfontein.

 

While Australia, India and the West Indies are currently contesting a triangular tournament in Malaysia, South Africa are light on recent top-level competition after pulling out of a tri-series in Sri Lanka due to security concerns.

 

The South Africans were to play India and Sri Lanka in the tournament, but cancelled their participation after security experts deemed it unsafe to stay in Sri Lanka in the face of a series of bomb blasts in the capital Colombo.

 

Zimbabwe were dealt a comprehensive nine-wicket defeat in their tour warm-up match against the Eagles, the South African 20-over series provincial champions.

 

The squad: South Africa: Jacques Kallis (captain), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, A.B. de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Robin Peterson.

 

Zimbabwe: Prosper Utseya (captain), Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Terry Duffin, Anthony Ireland, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tafadzwa Mufambisi, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Piet Rinke, Vusi Sibanda, Greg Strydom, Brendan Taylor.