Prince to Kallis: Going Around in Circles?

What effect victory or defeat in a series can have on the team is obvious. But there is also chaos within the minds that govern the game. That is one way of explaining how Ashwell Prince was announced as captain of the South African team only to lose it to Jacques Kallis twenty-fours hours later!

kallis captain

Ashwell Prince was ruled out with a broken thumb ahead of South Africa's Test series in Australia. That led to the inclusion of JP Duminy who grabbed his opportunity with both hands. But it meant that suddenly the South African vice captain was without a place in the team!

Need prove? Prince was not part of the first two Tests against Australia in the home series thus far. How does he make a comeback? After Graeme Smith suffered yet another broken hand at the hands of Mitchell Johnson, the selectors decided the time was apt not only for Prince to make a comeback but also, take on two new roles - one as the captain, who had no experience against the Australians in the two Test series, and second as an opener who has not played against the Australian team on a low, let alone on a high. Worse still, Prince has never opened in his life and his position is one of compromise so as not to upset the batting order!

If that was not challenging enough, Prince soon found out twenty-fours hours after the convener of selectors Mike Procter made the announcement that Gerald Majola, the Cricket South Africa's CEO, had overrode the decision and appointed Jacques Kallis as the captain of the remaining Test.

Kallis incidentally also captained the team in the third Test of the series in Australia. He would have made the logical choice given that he has featured in all the Tests thus far and has been able to provide assistance with the bat as well, as Prince faces an arduous task of getting himself back in the South African line up and that too in a position totally unfamiliar to him!