Just pick the best available team

If your objective is winning a major trophy, you have to pick the best available players. And if the Proteas want to win the T20 World Cup, they have to pick ‘freelancers’, writes RYAN VREDE.

IPL ’21: Legacy of greed and cowardice

The Indian Premier League organisers will forever be remembered for putting profits ahead of people, while the players who stayed and played while thousands died and hundreds of thousands were infected daily will be judged by history, writes RYAN VREDE.

IPL throws money at its Covid-19 problem while ICC silent

As the humanitarian crisis in India deepens, so does the desperation of the organisers and franchise owners to plaster over their moral bankruptcy. This while the spineless ICC says nothing, writes RYAN VREDE.

Scrap the IPL

People should always matter more than products. The product that is the Indian Premier League needs to be scrapped as India wrestles with a health crisis that shows no signs of abating, writes RYAN VREDE.

Time to complete the AB transaction

AB de Villiers will turn the Proteas from T20 World Cup place fillers to title contenders. His inclusion in the squad is critical, despite what unsophisticated rationale rooted in ‘patriotism’ will tell you, writes RYAN VREDE.

How the Proteas T20 World Cup squad is shaping up

With the T20 World Cup only six months away, Proteas head coach Mark Boucher faces a lot of interesting selection choices in the lead-up to the showpiece. CARL LEWIS looks at the potential makeup of the squad.

Boucher’s Verreynne rationale is rubbish

Picking a generational talent like Kyle Verreynne whenever he is available is a no-brainer, even if it means he bats out of position. Mark Boucher is failing in the most obvious selection of them all and it’s sickening that he defends it, writes RYAN VREDE. 

Proteas’ spin surge bodes well

After a barren period for the Proteas spinners in T20Is, they have taken more than half the team’s wickets in matches in 2021. This is a piece of the World Cup puzzle that could be critical to their performance at the tournament, writes RYAN VREDE.

Boucher is failing and his reckoning is nearing

Great coaches are able to find solutions to their team’s most difficult challenges in relatively short periods of time. Mark Boucher’s capacity to do so is now in question, writes RYAN VREDE.

LIVE: Proteas vs Pakistan (1st T20I)

Follow the live action from the Wanderers where the Proteas take on Pakistan in the first of four T20Is.

The ‘B’ word baffles as Proteas look to the future

Aiden Markram’s declaration that the Proteas want to play a certain ‘brand’ of cricket is concerning because the team has a history of wanting to be something it cannot, writes RYAN VREDE.

Conway’s brilliance hands NZ easy win

South African-born Devon Conway’s excellent form with the bat continued on Sunday when he smashed an unbeaten 92 as New Zealand beat Bangladesh by 66 runs in the first T20I.

UAE duo’s ban reminder that corruption lives on

Match-fixing had disappeared from cricket’s consciousness until a UAE duo were pinned for it this week. It’s a reminder that this scourge continues to be one of the game’s greatest threats.

England thump India in Ahmedabad

Mark Wood took three wickets and Jos Buttler struck an unbeaten 83 as England claimed a commanding eight-wicket victory over India in the third T20I on Tuesday.

Highlights: India vs England (2nd T20I)

India levelled the T20I series after Virat Kohli led the hosts to a seven-wicket victory over England this past Sunday.