from news24 August 01 2002 (thanks Jenny)
South African cricket captain Shaun Pollock will not attend the last training camp of his team ahead
of one of the longest and most gruelling seasons ever. The camp will begin in Centurion on
Thursday. A spokesperson of the United Cricket Board of South Africa said that Pollock will only
return from Birmingham, where he plays for the English county Warwickshire, next week. The same
goes for the all-rounder Nicky Bojé who plays for Nottinghamshire.
Allan Donald and Paul Adams returned from England in time for the four-day training camp. The
15-man touring squad will depart for Tangiers next Thursday to take part in the triangular series
against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Pollock and Bojé, like Donald and Adams, also missed last month's first training camp in Centurion.
South Africa has an incredible programme before they attempt to become the first host country in eight
World Cup series since 1975 to win the coveted title.
The programme will require Omar Henry's selection panel to meet no less than 13 times, including six
times for three test series in South Africa.
The South African run-up to World Cup 2003 can be divided into three phases.
First they will play in a maximum of 12 one-day internationals in four weeks. Then it will be four
home tests in as many weeks against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, followed by another ten
one-dayers in just 22 days in another triangular series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The sting in the tail is the home test series against Pakistan that will end just a month ahead of the
World Cup.
The big plus is that the two away series would be out of the way first. This will give the selectors
the chance to concentrate on players that are in form in terms of World Cup conditions.