Tour of Sri Lanka 2000              Captain: Shaun Pollock

47th official test tour

Second Test-playing tour of Sri Lanka by South Africa

   (June - August 2000)

The shadow of former captain Hansie Cronje’s downfall for match-fixing hung over the start of this tour.  Gibbs was dropped after telling lies and only admitting later at the King Commission that he had been involved with Cronje agreeing to take money.

After the release of King’s interim report, tour manager Goolam Rajah banned all outside telephone calls to the players and allowed no member of the public to go into the rooms of the players.

The South Africans took part in three one-day series, either side of the Test matches. After losing the final of the Singer Cup triangular, they evened the series in Australia with a remarkable tie and a win over Australia at the Colonial Stadium, and then won the Singapore Challenge outright.

Other South African tours

Previous Tour

India 1999-2000

Next tour

West Indies 2000-01

Next tour of Sri Lanka

2004

Members of the Test tour party (16)

Opening batsmen  Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie

Middle-order batsmen  Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Jonty Rhodes, Boeta Dippenaar

Wicket-keepers  Mark Boucher

All rounders: Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Andrew Hall

Spin bowlers  Paul Adams, Nicky Boje (+ Robin Peterson)

Fast bowlers  Nantie Hayward, Roger Telemachus, David Terbrugge, Makhaya Ntini

 

Representation of teams:   

Bo  -  Boland (1)

Br - Border (2)

EP Eastern Province (1)

FS  - Free State (2)

G  - Gauteng (3)

KZN - Kwa Zulu Natal (3)

N - Northerns (1)

WP - Western Province (3)

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(20 July 2000)

       26 yrs  6 months

ODI participation

Sri:  Singer Cup tri-series

Aus: Super Challenge

Sing:  Godrej Singapore Challenge

Test Appearances made before the tour

Kirsten 60,  Cullinan 56,  Rhodes 49,  Pollock 42,  Kallis 36,  Adams 30,  Klusener 29,  Boucher 28,  Hayward 4,  Ntini 4,  Terbrugge 4,  Boje 2,  Dippenaar 2,  Hall 0,  McKenzie 0, Telemachus 0.

Team Officials

Doug Russell was the United Cricket Board’s liaison officer for touring teams visiting South Africa. He acted as manager until Goolam Rajah arrived after having a shoulder operation.

Selectors

Rushdie Magiet (convenor of selectors), Morice Garda, Gerald Majola, Mike Procter, Clive Rice, Kepler Wessels

Selection

Shaun Pollock was given the South African captaincy in April after Cronje was sacked.

Unavailable:  Allan Donald was provided with a break from touring as he fulfilled his county contract with Warwickshire.

Tour Party announced:  18 April 2000.

Withdrawal:  The United Cricket Board withdrew Herschelle Gibbs from representative cricket on 9 June after he admitted to the King Commission that he took money for underperforming. His place was taken by Boeta Dippenaar. Henry Williams was not selected for the tour but would not have been allowed to take part either

Not selected:

Time between selection and departure from South Africa

 73 days

(18 April to 30 June)

Travel

A preparation camp was arranged in Durban for the week before departure. The players left for Colombo on 30 June 2000. Manager Goolam Rajah did not travel as he was recovering from a shoulder operation.

The team arrived at Colombo in the early hours of Sunday morning 2 July 2000 but had to spend more than 12 hours at the international airport waiting for their kit bags and sponsored beer to be released from the customs holding area. This was explained by incorrect documentation.

Nic Pothas, required for the tri-series in August, was already in Barbados for the South Africa A tour and had to return to London’s Gatwick Airport and then catch a flight from Heathrow to Singapore, arriving on Monday 21 August.

Time spent in Sri Lanka

   40 days

(2 July - 11 August)

On-tour selection panel

Shaun Pollock  (captain),  Graham Ford (coach),  Mark Boucher (vice-captain),  Corrie van Zyl (assistant coach)

Reinforcements

Robin Peterson left South Africa on Sunday 16 July to join the tour group in Sri Lanka, covering for Paul Adams who strained his groin in the Singer Cup final, as he was a player of colour. Otherwise the team would have all been white. But Peterson did not play in a match during his three week stay.

Nantie Hayward was unable to play for some matches owing to shin splints.

Nic Pothas was summoned on 18 August to take the place of Mark Boucher who severed a tendon in his finger in Australia and was sent back home immediately. Jonty Rhodes also went home early with a hamstring strain.

Fixtures/Results

† not first-class

§  one-day international

Time spent in Sri Lanka before First Test: 

18 days

(2 July - 20 July)

Super Challenge held at Melbourne’s Colonial Stadium

Godrej Singapore Challenge at Kallang Cricket Ground

Test appearances on tour

3  -   Adams,  Boje,  Boucher,  Cullinan,  Kallis,  Kirsten,  Klusener,  McKenzie,  Pollock,  Rhodes.

2  -   Hayward

1  -   Ntini.

0  -   Dippenaar,  Hall,  Telemachus,  Terbrugge,  Peterson.

Highlights

•   Jonty Rhodes scored a defiant 63* as South Africa slumped to defeat in the first Test.

•   The bowlers, notably Boje with 3-24, dismissed Sri Lanka, chasing 177, for 169 to win the Kandy Test

•   Lance Klusener scored an unbeaten century (118*) in the second Test at Kandy and 95* in the third Test.

•   Nicky Boje took 5 for 62 in the third Test at Colombo SSC.

Tour Summary

Return to South Africa

Robin Peterson was withdrawn from the squad in August to take his place in the South Africa 'A' team touring the West Indies.

After the Test tour the team left Colombo on 11 August and went to Australia to participate in an indoor ODI championship. The South Africans had outdoor net sessions at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane and arrived in Melbourne late on Sunday night 13 August.

Jonty Rhodes and Mark Boucher flew home early because of injuries. 

On Sunday 20 August the team flew to Singapore for a triangular tournament with New Zealand and Pakistan before flying home on Monday 28 August.

Time away from South Africa    60 days  

(30 June to 29 ? August)