Proteas name unchanged XI
Sydney - Proteas' Test squad captain Graeme Smith on Friday announced an unchanged starting XI for the third Test against Australia at the SCG, starting on Saturday.
?Ashwell Prince was not considered for selection,? he said. ?He had a net on Thursday and is still feeling pain in his thumb.
?He is hugely frustrated,? Smith said of Prince's disappointment. ?In sport you can't predict these things. He is extremely proud and happy about the way the team has performed. As vice-captain he has handled himself outstandingly in the environment and has been a great supporter of JP.
As a senior player you can't ask more of a player except to get on the field and perform and, when we get home, he knows the support he has got from us and the performances he has put in over a period of time and he will be right there to be in the reckoning to play in the Tests at home.?
One of the big talking points among the pundits has been the decision of Australia to include two left-handed seamers in Mitchell Johnson and new cap Dougie Bollinger.
?It is unusual,? commented Smith. ?Only India these days seem to have two left-handers around. Having Hilfenhaus in the squad for Melbourne and now going for Bollinger shows a certain lack of clarity in the selection process. That has surprised us. We know that it is his (Bollinger's) home ground but I guess Hilfenhaus must feel a bit hard done by.
?We have got as much information (about Bollinger) as we can. Any guy who can give 150 000 percent is somebody we are going to have to respect a bit!? he joked in reference to some of the new cap's recent utterings in the Media.
?Throughout the series we have concentrated on what we can do rather than what the opposition has thrown at us but, if we have caused a bit of uncertainty in their camp, then we will take that as a compliment that we have played well and met the challenges that we need to do.
?I think we will take that as a bit of a feather in our cap.?
Smith added that he was very happy with the preparation of the team, particularly the mental focus in maintaining concentration leading into another big game.
?Our two victories have shown up very much the frame of mind our guys are in. They have been very graceful in the victories they have had. They haven't been over the top and they have been very respectful. I think that shows the mindset of the guys.
?There is obviously a huge amount of happiness to be arriving here in Sydney 2-0 up. I guess it doesn't really sink in and you just move ahead to the next challenge. The Sydney Test match is normally a great occasion and we know that there is still a lengthy summer ahead of us against Australia.
?It is quite difficult when the first two Tests have had such great moments but I look around me and the squad appears very calm. Each bloke is hungry for a good performance. They either want to score a big hundred or take five wickets. We want to win and there is a real motivation to win the series 3-0. That opportunity hasn't come around very often for teams against Australia.
?The team is motivated and I think there is a lot of individual motivation as well. The guys want to win and put in big performances.?
South African team: Graeme Smith (capt), Neil McKenzie, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini. 12th man: Robin Peterson.
