from Cricinfo April 08 2002 (thanks Jenny)
South Africa captain Shaun Pollock has scoffed at suggestions that his side
might boycott the opening match of next year's World Cup as some sort of
protest against the way the game is administered in South Africa.
The idea of a World Cup boycott was floated in a Johannesburg morning paper
without naming specific sources, but Pollock said: "There's absolutely
nothing that's been mentioned in out circles (about a proposed boycott). I
haven't heard one person talk about it at all and I don't believe there's
any truth in it. I don't know where it comes from."
Speaking on the eve of the final Standard Bank one-day international against
Australia at Newlands on Wednesday, Pollock said: "Inasmuch as you're always
planning for the World Cup, we haven't given it much thought. Pulling out
of the opening ceremony - that's way above or past anything we've contemplated.
I can assure you that it will never happen."
Despite his claim that the South Africans had not spent a great deal of time
discussing the World Cup, it is clear that Pollock has begun to apply his
mind to one-day cricket's premier event.
He said that he had already identified 12 players who he thought would form
the core of the World Cup squad, while qualifying this by saying that form
would obviously still play a part.
His immediate concern was to try and prevent Australia going through the
current series undefeated, but he did concede that the hammering taken over
the past few weeks might prove beneficial to South Africa in the long term.
"If we'd won this series, we might have gone into next season a little bit
cocksure," he said. "It's outlined for us that basic elements and certain
structures have to be in place. It's been a good wakeup call. If you want
to talk about timing, then it's been better timing for us than rocking up for
the World Cup and coming short on the most important day."
He said that he believed many of South Africa's myriad problems would be
sorted out in the off season.
"Everything from the political side and off the field needs to run as
smoothly as possible to make sure that everything on the field goes as
smoothly," he said.
South Africa will again be without Lance Klusener, who is carrying a hamstring
strain, for the final game in the series and it seems likely that the hosts
will recall Boeta Dippenaar and Nantie Hayward to their team for Wednesday,
if only to give both players a run.
Pollock said that the current Australian side had set a new benchmark for
international cricket, likening Ricky Ponting's team to golf's Tiger Woods.
"In our situation, where we are now, we know what we have to achieve," he
said pointing out that during Woods' golden run in 2000 he had been winning
Majors by enormous margins.
"Ernie (Els) finished second twice in those Majors, but now he's fought back
and is really competing and I believe that's what is going to take for us
to get back," he said.