Testing times ahead

The repercussions of South Africa’s demise in round one of the New Zealand tour are rippling throughout the cricketing world… and it hurts.

If it hurts us, imagine how wounded the players are… and therein lies the key.

Throughout sporting history it has been proven that a wounded competitor is a dangerous commodity. Right now the cricketers in New Zealand are no exception.

Make not mistake, they have had a serious wake up call. They were caught on the hop and surprised by the ferocity of the Kiwis, in particular Stephen Fleming.

New Zealanders can be a brash bunch and the South Africans will be copping it from all and sundry the minute they leave the comfort of their hotel rooms.

Quaffing a quiet beer or two whilst relaxing with your team mates at the local bar is a thing of the past! Space invasion will be a national past time in the current cricketing climate.

Again… therein lies the key. The senior players will be bristling and, to be brutally honest, will have had a gutful of the negative attention that is abounding.

Quite simply, it is time for one of them to halt the slide.

Someone needs to spark a revival and, after working closely with the individuals concerned for many years, I have a gut feeling that fortunes are about to change.

The players are, these days, encouraged to read media reports that reflect the emotions of the country’s cricketing supporters. They know how disappointing they have been.

As the test series gets underway, look for an intense air of determination.

Smithy’s men are currently up against the wall and caged by the Kiwi's. It’s not called a test series for nothing!