Monday, January 26, 2004

The return of the Zulu

Lance Klusener is back. After almost a year of oblivion.For the uninitiated,
he's a South African all-rounder (though the term hardly does him justice)
who was kicked out of the team after SA's failure to qualify for the super sixes,
during the World Cup last year. Apparently, he was being punished for insolence and did
not get along with new captain Graeme Smith.

Now it looks like bygones will be bygones - Klusener made a comeback in the first
ODI vs West Indies yesterday and even took 3 wickets in just 5 overs.

Why does the Zulu's return make me happy? Let me see.
For someone who's grown up in the nineties, South Africa's return to international cricket was the
BIG event. And the Proteas actually played a brand of cricket not seen before - Jonty Rhodes diving
and making catches out of nothing, Hansie Cronje taking to the field with a earpiece,
Lance Klusener smashing the cherry to all parts of the park, the list
goes on.
Plus it all coincided with the dawning of day/night cricket, white ball, coloured clothing
and 15 over restrictions. No wonder I looked up to the South Africans.
With Klusener back, South Africa has the world's best bowling attack.
But that, is for another day.

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