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England a bunch
of 2010 no-hopers
THE axing of John Terry as
English football captain is
surely the tinal nail in their
World Cup hopes.
Even before all the off-field
shenanigans, they had history
against them, added to an
uncanny ability to fail come
World Cup time.
I have no idea why their
team are so hyped-up the
world over, especially in this
country.
Is it because of loyalty to
English clubs? This would
make no sense as these clubs
are overflorving u'ith foreigners
and not Englishmen.
Why is no attention paid to
truly incredible teams such as
Spain and Brazil?
The English won the World
Cup once, in 1966, which proves
it rvas indeed a fluke. They
thrash minnows such as
Andorra in qualifying games
and are suddenly cup favorites,
but lose to top teams in
friendlies and nobody takes
notice.
Wayne Rooney and Steven
Gerrard may scrape into a
World XI but the rest of their
players would come nowhere
near Fernando Torres, Lionel
Messi, Kaka and Cristiano
Ronaldo.
They perform worse at major
tournaments than our own
Proteas. They couldn't even
qualify for Euro 2008. They are
indeed forlunate that their
group does not contain Egypt
and Russia, rvhich should have
been the case.
Anyway, expect a complete
meltdown come July as the
over-rated English wiil
capitulate yet again.
-Dhirshan Gobind, Maritzburg
WITH World Cup fever in our midst, the one issue that seems
to be rather contentious, is the use, or iack thereof, of video and
goal-Iine technology in the beautiful game.
The powers that be are afraid that football wi_ll lose its sim-
plicity and appeal as it will slow down the game, but surety a
few seconds to double check a dodgy off-side call will be to the
benefit of all concerned.
The infamous Thierry Henry furore is a case in point. Goals
that don't cross the line are being allowed, players are miles off-
side and score and the goal stands. Cricket and rugby have
proved that this is the way to go. The IFA (International Foot-
ball Association) and Fifa always harp on about fair play; well
there's nothing more fair than using this technology to level
the playing fields and take the game to an even higher level.
DHIRSHAN GOBIND
Raisethorpe, PMB
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2. SA teams
in sigh
of World
Cup glory
SOUTH Afica stands a great
chance of succeeding in the
cricket and rugby World Cups.
Our team should face Aus-
tralia in the cricket filal. Dale
Steyn and Johan van der Wath
are musts in the squad of 15.
Ste1,n is pretty much the closest
thing we have to the legendary
Allan Donald.
The Sprilgboks are the one
tearn capable of toppling the All
Blacks in the rugby flnal in
Paris. Luke Watson would be a
welcome addition as back-up to
Schalk Burger. Besides the cur-
rent crop, players such as
Barend Pieterse, Schalk Brits
and Phillip Burger need to be
considered.
as always, the contentious issue
is at flyhalf.
I know people will disagree
with me but, at his best, Andr6
Pretorius is an average flyhalf.
Cheetahs flrst choice Willem de
Waal is the closest thing we
have to Daniel Carter.
The top points scorer in the
Currie Cup for the past three
years, he could be moulded into
a match-winner, along with
Butch James.
Jake White and Mickey
Arthur have their flaws, but I
have no doubt they will make
sporting history next year.
,s
$
t ""')
The feams to take SA to
victory:
Springboks: 15 Percy Mont-
gomery/Francois Steyn; 74
Brel.ton Paulse; 13 Jacques
Fotuie; 12 Jean de Villiers; 11
Bryan Habana; 10 Willem de
Waal; 9 Fourie du Preez; 8 Joe
van Niekerk/Pierre Spies; 7
Juan Smith;6 Schalk Burger; 5
Victor Matfleld; 4 Bakkies
Botha; 3 CJ van der Linde/BJ
Botha; 2 John Smit (captain); 1
Os Du Randt.
Proteas: Graeme Smith (cap-
tain), AB de Villiers, Jacques
Picture: GALLO IMAGES
Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Ash-
well Prince, Justin Kemp, Mark
Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Andre
Nel/Robin Peterson/Johan van
der Wath, Dale Steyn, Makhaya
Ntini.
- Dhirshan Gobind,
Pietermaritzburg
COOL HAND: Luke llllatson would be a welcome addition to the Bok
I am so happy that Bobby side as back-up to Schalk Burger
Skinstad is back in the mix but,
LETTER TO THE SPORTS
EDTTOR
GERALD Majola, Haroon Lorgat
and the like, have prettY much shot
themselves firmly in the foot with
respect to the target of seven black
players for the al1 important Cricket
Wor'ld Cup.
iVith tlie recent squad of 15 for
the Pakistan series, it is obvious who
the final i5 will be. it perplexes me
beyond cornprehension how we can
choose a weakened squad for one of
the biggest events in the world, sim-
plr' to- please some PoliticallY
inclined idrots in upper manage-
ment.
I am guessing, with some good
degree of calcuiation, that the "tar-
set" for the next World CuP will
irobabh'be about 10 and then four
vears lirereafteq these very same
idiots rn the hierarchy will keep the
talset- at a full squad of only biack
piai,ers rnd nothing else
^
Yes I do utter these r.r'ords r,vith a
degree of sarcasm but I fuilY agree
rvrth the majority of the squad, as
they have served us excelientiy over
the past two years.
Birt r,vhen it comes to the squad
reserves, u'hich are just as imPor-
tant in this prolonged e.rent, I am
just not convinoed. It is one thing
having an unproven Robin Peterson
anci technically flarved Loots
Bosman but the iikes of an average,
unfit and over-the-hill Roger
Telemachus is going just too far. The
guy ,/vas picked for his dornestic Pro
20'form last year and not for his 50-
over game which wasn't uP Jo
scratcli. Let us not forget how Ricky
Ponting and comPanY hammered
and exposed him in the 438 game ,
lVitii a couple of sPots left uP tbr
grabs in the current squad, it conve-
nientiv vent t0 tr.r'o black players in
Bosmin and Telemachus ri'ith tlle
aim of reaching that pathetic target
anci unpedigreed Lorgar has the
nerve to say that the team lvas
pickeC on merit.
Give me a break.
The above-mentioned PlaYers are
very much second string ones and I
am sure that the eniire countrY
would agree with me that the likes
of Johan van der Yath, Morne van
'r'k. Dale Stet'n and Alhie llorkel
,n,r. , erv own Shane Wat:on,
deserve to be there on merit.
As patriotic as I am, i desPeratel,v
rvant these B-grade plavers t0 per-
fcrm terribly just to oPen uP the
selectors' eyes.
'e all understand our unique Past
but lvhy jeopardise our World CcuP
hopes? lf you are so in love nith
qubtas then have them domestically.
Don't selectors and politicians learn
an-vthingi' All this coming from -a
ncn-u'hi1e South African like myself
should speak volumes.
Let us all just take a minute and
ponder i,vhether the likes of Brazil.
iire att Blacks or the Austl'alian
cricket team would put up rith such
nonsense? I am sure that even non-
sport foilowers wili know the
answer to this one.
DHIRSHAN GOBIND
Raisethorpe
fuffiYYffiffi ffiffi Yffiffi Wffiffiffi{ su''}nnY TttrEs f oiizIc-r
Quotas unfair to black players
TIIERE has been much debate
and controversy over the past 12
years regarding racial quotas in
various sporting disciplines,
especially rugby and cricket.
One has to uaderstand our
unique past and take into ac-
count all the prejudices heaped
on black South Africans in the
dAe days of apartheid, especial-
ly in sport.
But does this mean we do not
select our best teams to compete
against the best?
In any sporting event, par-
ticularly huge ones like world
cups, we cannot afford to pick
black playersjust for the sake of
"meeting targets", as convener
of cricket selectors Haroon
Lorgat likes to describe it.
In fact, by putting it this way,
Lorgat is desperately trying to
hide the fact that it is indeed
quotas.
Forget words such as trans-
formation. SAs biggest sports
teams are being set up to fail by
self-serving politicians who
have their own agenda.
The bottom line is that you
pick your best team on merit, no
matter what.
If ihe best 15 rugby players in
the land are white, so be it.
United Cricket Board chief
Gerald Majola wants seven
black players at next year's
World C.up when we only have
two who are assured of a place
Herschelle Gibbs and
Ivlakhaya Ntini.
How do black piayers feel
when they know they are just
there to help banish memories
of apartheid, and not for their
talent?
We can't let thc, rcst of the
world beat us just because irf the
past. Selectors. please wake up
anri pich the best, 'lhe idiot
politicians must understand
why they have been picked.
-Dhirshan Gobind, Pieter-
maritzburg
O Dhirshan wins R500 for the
week's best letter.

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cup must
go to Japan
Room for another beautiful game
THE 2011Rugby World CuP was
widely expected to go to JaPan,
with the aim of spreading the
rugby gospel throughout Asia, a
continent in dire need of it.
hrstead, the cautious aP-
proach was taken and the tour-
nament was given to New
Zealand., suggesting that rugbY
as a whole is run by an elite few,
hellbent on sticking to old-
school traditions.
I would love to see rugby sur-
pass or at least equal soccer in
the world popularity stakes. But
therein lies the problem
- how
is it going to materialise if we
stick to our norlns and don't
grow the game around the
globe.
The 2011 tournament was the
perfect opportunity and Plat-
form to spark this amazing
game in Asia and convert non-
followers of the sport.
I am glad South Africa did
not get the cup as we recentlY
had our chance and need to
give the rest of the world a
chance to showcase this fab-
ulous sport.
Let's hope that there are
enough funds and personnel are
available to help grow the game
in countries not really known
for the sport, with the aim of
making it a religion all on its
own.
Just imagine watching Por-
tugal v Germany in a World CuP
quarterfrnal!
One has only to look at teams
such as Argentina and Italy for
motivation.
I am sure that New-Zealand,
with their great rugby Pedigree,
will host a good tournament, but
let's hope some sense Prevails
and that the 2015 World CuP is
awarded to Japan.
If rugby is embraced by as
many countries as soccer,
we could have a new beau-
tiful game on our hands. ._
Dhirshan Gobind, Pietermar-
itzburg
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4. Strengthening our soccer
1MTH so many millions invested in the Profes-
sional Soccer League (PSL), it shocks me how
weak a product it still is.
Various issues come to mind such as pathet-
ic pitches and stadia, unruly fans uprooting
seats and causing mayhem, and of course the
foo[hall itself. However, the one glaring fault
hasto be the trvo-ticr first diviskrn league and
the play-off system.
t . r".purufion of coastal from inland teams
was a huge mistake. Even if a team tops their
stream, they stillhave no guarantee ofplaying
in the PSL. The team that ended second from
bottom in thatverysame PSLhas every chance
of reclaiming their spot ahead of the stream
rvin.uer. llow ridicuktus is that?
WEEKEND WITNESS, SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2O'1O
The only fair thing to do would be to join
the streams into one league, Iike the previous
Mvela league, with the top two teams replac-
ing the bottom two PSL teams. That would be
so much simpler and everyone would knorv
where they sl,and.
DHIRSHAN GOBI}ID
Raisethorpe, Pietermaritzburg
Use technology
WITH Soccer World Cup
fever in our midst, the
one issue that seems to
be a rather contentious
one is the use or lack
thereof, of video and
goal-line technology in
the beautiful game.
In my opinion, the fu-
ture implementation of
this is vital. Coaches and
players alike have their
careers threatened be-
cause of sloppy referee
and linesmen decisions.
The powers that be are
afraid that football will
lose its simplicity and ap-
peal as it will slow down
the game but surely a
ftw seconds to double-
::$teck a dodgy offside call
David Beckham, on
crutches, leaves for
surgery in Finland
after tearing his
Achilles tendon
on March 14.
PHOTO: AP
"a.
will be to the benefit of
all concerned?
The infamous Thierry
Henry furore is a case in
point. Goals that don't
cross the line are being
allowed, players are off-
side and score, and the
goal stands.
Cricket and rugby have
proved that this is the
way to go.
The IFA and Fifa al-
ways harp on about fair
play. Well there can be
nothing more fair than
using this technology to
level the playing fields
and take the game to an
even higher level.
DHIRSHAN GOBITTD
Raisethqq
:1
li
!
ri'
Taking foothall to greater heights
MTH Soccer World Cup fever
in our midst, one issue that
seems rather contentious is the
use, or lack, ofvideo and goal-
Iine technologyin the beautiful
game. Its future implementa-
tion is vital. Coaches and play-
g1s aliks have their careers
threatened because of sloppy
referee and linesmen deci-
sions.
The powers that be are
afraid that football will lose its
simplicity and appeal as use of
technology will slow down the
@e. But surelY a few seconds
to double-check a dodgy offside call
will be to the benefit of all con-
cerned. The infamous Thierry Hen-
ry furore is a case in point. Goals
that don't cross the line are being
allowed and although players are
miles off side, goals stand. Cricket
and rugby have proved that this
is the way to go. Fifa harps on
about fair play, but there can be
nothing more fair than using
technology to level the playrng
fields and take the game to an
even higher level.
DHIRSHAN GOBIND
Pietermaritzburg
::

5. In defence of Smith
I AM responding to M. H. Comrie's letter
(The Wtness, January 5) regarding
Graeme Smith as the scapegoat for re-
cent poor cricket Test match results. It
see.ni h. has a very poor memtry and
no solid cricketing knowledge at all. Ex-
actly a year ago, Smith was named man
ofthe series Down Under and received
a trophy as the only international cap-
tain in 16 years and the only South Afri-
can captain to dor+Tr Australia in their
own backyard. This, after doing the
same to England a few months before,
and becoming the first South African
captain since 1965 to win a series in Eng-
land.
He is only halfi,vay through his career
w',
South Africa cricket
captain Graeme
Smith ... 'There is
no one even
remotely better for
the jobl
PHOTO: GALLO
and is already the most prolifi c
South African captain statisti-
cally. His recent knock of 1 8 3 has
again made all his detractors eat
humble pie as he has nowbecome
onlythe second captainin history
after Allan Border to reach 6 000
Test runs. God knows whathis record
will be at the end of his career. There is
no one even remotely better for the job.
I would like Comrie to back his argu-
ments up with facts and figures and
tellme how all of Smith'syears of cap-
taincy and experience can go to
waste?
DHIRSHAN GOBIND
Raisethorpe, Pietermaritzburg
t
l.
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1
J
J
i
ll
IIam peiplexed at horv rnany
detractors Smith has. He is one
of the most experienced cap-
tains in the rvorid and doesn't
get the credit he deserves.
-Dhirshan Gobind, Scottsyille
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