Grant Flower interview

[Flakeman]

Ask yourself why Watambwa left. I encourage you to read his interview. Don't speak for Zimbabwean players. They will write they own books just like Gibbs did or give interviews just like Ntini did. Utseya wrote a letter, so did Black cricketers here in SA.

You're funny.

Utseya wrote a racist letter complaining about lack of game time when he shouldn't even have been in a club 1st team with his post off-spin career. Even you would have probably been able to have faced him.

The SA black players penned a letter because they were being picked by selectors, as per quota requirements, and not playing on tour. They were led by Zondo I believe, who shouldn't have ever gotten into that squad in the first place if stats were anything to go by, yet whines and cries racism? It's honestly mind blowing. He should have directed his anger at the racist system in place that saw him get selected in the first place. But no, it's easier to pull the race card in these situations. I still respect Langeveldt so much for resisting the system that was attempting to promote him where it wasn't due. Learn from him

[Flakeman]

[snip]Faf was number 3 for ages, Stiaan van Zyl who you criticize was a Franchise middle order batsman forced to open, but you conveniently forget that. If Faf and AB are "hiding" at 4, then what is Bavuma doing? He averages 30 batting in a easy position, if you're logic is anything to go by.

Markram is substituted for Ramela in your mind? You're honestly delusional if that's what you think. Anyone with access to Supersport can see Ramela looks out of his depth even at Franchise level. You are a racist.

[snip]

[pariah]

So it's ok for Burl to open but it's criminal to make the black dudes open ?

I have NEVER EVER said that at any point on this forum. If you can find any statement I made to that effect kindly share it.

[pariah]

Aiden Markhram will be in the side before Hendricks and Ramela. His stats are better, and he's overall a greater prospect/talent.

1.You have no idea about South African Domestic stats, plus how they work.

2.Reeza has already appeared for the Proteas. Jon Jon has been competing with him as the LOI opener but hasn't done much better, so will be interesting to see who the selectors drop for Aiden Markram in that format.

3. Stephen Cook outbatted Markram in the FC games, so he's on pole position. This is further complicated by the return of the self-centred ABdV. The selectors will either make AB open (meaning Cook is the reserve batsman, and Aiden falls away) or they will accomodate AB, restrict the bowlers to 4(meaning Theunis de Bruyn is the reserve batsman not Aiden who falls away again).

The implication of all of this is that Aiden who in truth has been a one season wonder (flopped previously in provincial and Franchise, which is why all his other u19 counterparts overtook him), will be pushed back to FC. He will have to repeat his heriocs. History has taught us that it's not easy to do. Ask the likes of Rudi Second, Stiaan van Zyl and Rilee Rossouw or even Engalnd's Haseeb Hameed . The reason why the likes of Bavuma and Ramela are there is because over along period of 4-5 seasons, they have among the best Franchise batting stats. It's not easy for CSA to ignore Ramela who has vastly superior stats to TdB and Aiden over a long period 4-5 season, plus batting in top 3. Ramela has impressed in every A game he's played by the way.

4. Aiden's consolation is that, as reserve batsman, TdB can't and won't open the batting, so Aiden might pip him for that reason alone. But the disadvantage for both Aiden and TdB is that there is a certain Heinrich Klaasen who can bat anywhere in the batting order in any format quite comfortably, plus he's a keeper. So if Klaasen is in the Test side as the reserve keeper, TdB in as the middle order reserve, automatically Ramela will get picked as the reserve top order batsman.

[Flakeman]

Haha Aidan is a one season wonder? He's 22 for goodness sake [snip]!

Omphile Ramela averages 29 in FC cricket
Aiden Markram averages 42.

AB is selfish too now.

The real question here, one that HHM would be going mental about if he was black, is Dwaine Pretorius in the Test team. The guy averages close on 50 with the bat and 21 with the ball. It's a massive injustice that he hasn't been picked !

[pariah]

In 7 FC matches for South Africa A, Omphile Ramela averages 42. He's scored 2 100s and 1 Fifty. In Domestic Franchise cricket he has averaged close to 50 over 3-4 seasons in FC.

5 of Reeza Hendricks' 9 List A 100s and 10 of Reeza's 25 List A 50s have been achieved while batting for South Africa A. He averages 45 opening for South Africa A in List A.

FACTS:
1.Ramela is still still to play for South Africa in Tests,
2.Reeza is still to play for South Africa in ODIs
3.Aiden Markram has no 100 for South Africa A in either FC or List A. In 3 seasons of Franchise cricket, only once has he averaged over 30.

Decide for yourselves!

Worth mentioning that Ramela(29) the left-handed batsman, is working on his Masters Degree in Economics. Former captain of the Cape Cobras.

[pariah]

Back to Grant Flower now...

[Flakeman]

You can cherry pick all the stats you want,

Ramela averages 29 at FC
Reeza averages 30
Markram averages 42
Pretorius also averages 42 and bowls at 21.
Rudi Second averages close to 50 too, mind you.

Then there's also the visual factor, like I mentioned, those who have Supersport can see the two bat, there's not even a comparison.

[cricket_22001]

I offer the following copy & paste fron Cricketarchive. Sorry about the format. They are provided without prejudice.

Ramela has only once averaged close to 50, in 2014/15. He averaged 42 in 15/16 in Franchise cricket
First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Omphile Ramela
Season Matches Inns Not Out Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
2007-08 (Zimbabwe) 1 2 1 39 33 39.00 0 0 2
2007-08 (South Africa) 4 6 0 191 85 31.83 0 1 4
2008-09 (South Africa) 6 11 0 243 62 22.09 0 1 5
2009-10 (Namibia) 1 2 1 42 37 42.00 0 0 1
2009-10 (South Africa) 11 22 0 614 104 27.90 1 4 10
2010-11 (South Africa) 12 22 2 436 52* 21.80 0 2 8
2011-12 (South Africa) 7 12 1 289 84 26.27 0 2 3
2011-12 (Namibia) 1 1 0 1 1 1.00 0 0 1
2012-13 (South Africa) 5 8 0 269 142 33.62 1 0 4
2013-14 (South Africa) 16 27 1 473 59 18.19 0 2 3
2014-15 (South Africa) 10 16 1 724 202* 48.26 2 1 8
2015 (India) 2 3 0 149 112 49.66 1 0 1
2015-16 (South Africa) 10 18 0 713 109 39.61 2 3 2
2016 (Australia) 2 4 0 111 82 27.75 0 1 2
2016 (Zimbabwe) 2 2 1 131 101* 131.00 1 0 1
2016-17 (South Africa) 8 15 0 393 170 26.20 1 1 3
2017 (South Africa) 1 1 0 51 51 51.00 0 1 0




Markram has a FC "A" team ton. He averaged over 30 in his first & only season of Franchise cricket & over 30 in each of the 3 full seasons he has batted.

First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Aiden Markram
Team Matches Inns Not Out Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Northerns 21 34 3 1173 182 37.83 2 5 21
South Africa A 5 10 1 406 102* 45.11 1 3 8
Titans 7 11 0 565 162 51.36 2 2 4


First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Aiden Markram
Season Matches Inns Not Out Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
2014-15 (South Africa) 10 16 2 424 80* 30.28 0 3 10
2015-16 (South Africa) 10 16 0 702 182 43.87 2 2 9
2016-17 (South Africa) 8 13 1 612 162 51.00 2 2 6
2017 (England) 3 6 1 212 102* 42.40 1 1 5
2017 (South Africa) 2 4 0 194 79 48.50 0 2 3

Just saying.

[jaybro]

So it's ok for Burl to open but it's criminal to make the black dudes open ?

I have NEVER EVER said that at any point on this forum. If you can find any statement I made to that effect kindly share it.

Oh my bad it must have been some other [snip] crying about the likes of Vusi, Regis, Hami & Matsi being forced to open.