KOLKATA: Why would it? No batter in the top 35 Test run-scorers in this cycle and Kagiso Rabada not figuring among the top-10 wicket-takers, South Africa are not exactly the poster boys of cricket. At a time when the highest validation comes in the form of five-Test tours against India, South Africa could only host them for two in 2024.
ICC's points system may come under scrutiny for allowing South Africa to make the cut with just six wins, none of which, by the way, have come against higher ranked teams. And with India winning the New Year's Test at Cape Town, South Africa's home record too has lost a bit of sheen.
Further eroding their position was the decision to send a second-string squad—naming seven rookies in the 14-man side—to New Zealand to ensure participation of their top players in the domestic T20 tournament earlier this year. It led to a backlash led by the redoubtable Steve Waugh, who slammed South Africa for "not caring" enough for Test cricket.
Denne historien er fra January 01, 2025-utgaven av Hindustan Times Mumbai.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 01, 2025-utgaven av Hindustan Times Mumbai.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
No matter what I do, my son will always be my priority: Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza has been jetsetting since her appointment as an ambassador for Dubai's Sports Council in December. But her busy year didn't keep her from ringing in 2025 with her \"forever date\", her six-year-old son Izhaan Mirza Malik.
Love lockdown: OYO's new rule for unmarried couples sparks mixed reactions
On Sunday, the hotel booking platform OYO introduced a new policy that prohibits unmarried couples from checking into its partner hotels in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
Tough questions for India after two debacles in a row
A second series loss raises more questions than answers as head coach's performance comes under the lens
Gambhir, Sharma face BCCI scrutiny
India have lost six of their last eight Tests; they were saved by the weather in Brisbane while the Perth Test win was the only bright spot.
Fan, Ma Long out of tour events over row with WTT
These are somewhat turbulent times in world table tennis.
How far are our leagues from introducing VAR?
Could take up to 18 months to implement it, says Trevor Kettle, federation's chief refereeing officer
NCLAT to hear Meta's plea against ₹213 cr fine on Jan 16
META ASKED NCLAT TO HEAR THE CASE URGENTLY, NOTING ITS IMPLICATIONS AND THE STAKES INVOLVED
India Eyes Private Capital For $107 Billion Grid Expansion
India is asking states to attract more private capital to accelerate the expansion of its power transmission network, part of a plan to revamp the country's grid and accommodate more clean power.
SC transfers CCI's e-commerce probe cases to K'taka HC
The Supreme Court on Monday centralised all petitions challenging the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) anti-trust probe against e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart to the Karnataka high court, while also urging the high court to decide the matter expeditiously.
Services activity rises to 4-month high in Dec
Growth in India's services activity, as measured by the Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI), rose to a four-month high of 59.3 in December, up from 58.4 in November, according to a release from S&P Global on Monday.
