SHAUN POLLOCK

l Born: July 16, 1973. One of the world’s top fast bowlers and an accomplished right-hand batsman, very safe pair of hands. ODI debut: Vs England, Cape Town, 1995-96. Matches: 180. Wickets: 260 at 22.88, economy rate of 3.77. 1,822 runs, average 23.97. 69 Tests, 278 wkts at 20.71, 2,442 runs at 33.45.

F Highly dangerous bowler both with the new ball and at the death, even if not quite as fast as before. Bowls very straight, similar to Glenn McGrath. His ODI bowling best of 6/35 off 10 overs came in a 1999 defeat to West Indies in East London. Batting come into its own in recent seasons and, with 74 ODI catches, second to Jonty Rhodes (105) on South Africa’s all-time list of catchers.

NICKY BOJE

l Born: March 20, 1973. Left arm spinner, clean hitting batsman with two ODI centuries as a pinch-hitter. ODI debut: Vs Zimbabwe, Harare, Oct 1995. Matches: 85. Runs: 1,143 at an average of 27.21 and a strike rate of 86.7. 74 wkts at 32.75. 21 Tests.

F Orthodox spinner. Started as a specialist batsman. Can bat at three or nine. Best bowling of 5/21 vs Australia to beat them in Cape Town ODI in April 2002. ODI centuries both came vs New Zealand in Oct 2000, 105 off 93 balls batting at three in Potchefstroom and 129 off 114 balls in Centurion.

MARK BOUCHER

l Born: Dec 3, 1976. Highly effective batsman, vice-captain. ODI debut: Vs New Zealand, Perth, Jan 1998. Matches: 137. Runs: 1,691 with 13 half-centuries, average 23.81, 119 catches and 10 stumpings. 58 Tests, three hundreds, 12 fifties.

F Initially a controversial replacement for Dave Richardson but became South African favourite. The fastest keeper to 50 and 100 Test dismissals. In Oct 2001, hit a 19-ball 50 vs Kenya and in Jan 2002 hit 50 off 27 vs New Zealand.

BOETA DIPPENAAR

l Born: June 14, 1977. Right handed, anchor batsman. ODI debut: Vs India, Nairobi, Sept 1999. Matches: 50. Runs: 1,587 at 42.89 but a strike rate of just 64.25. 17 Tests.

F Has some technical flaws outside off stump and against bouncers, reflected in a Test average of 22. He had done better in the one-day game.

ALLAN DONALD

l Born: Oct 20, 1966. Right arm fast-medium, nicknamed ‘White Lightning’. ODI debut: Vs India, Calcutta, Nov 1991. Matches: 161. Wickets: 271 at 21.37. 72 Tests, 330 wkts at 22.25.

F Considered retiring after trauma of 1999s World Cup, when he was run out vs Australia in the semis, causing a tie and the South Africans’ exit. Cajoled to continue but retired from Test cricket a year ago. Only South African to take 300 Test wkts and Wisden’s second-best ODI bowler of all time behind Wasim Akram. His best ODI figures date back to Oct 1996, 6/23 vs Kenya. Greatest Test bowling netted him 8/71 vs Zimbabwe in Harare in Oct 1995.

HERSCHELLE GIBBS

l Born: Feb 23, 1974. Right-hand opening batsman, brilliant fielder. ODI debut: Vs Kenya, Nairobi, Oct 1996. Matches: 117 ODIs. Runs: 3,829, 11 centuries. 43 Tests, average 44.47, 8 hundreds.

F Fine technique. Arguably the world’s second best fielder, usually stationed square of the wicket, opposite Jonty Rhodes. Highest Test score of 228 off 240 balls, vs Pakistan at Cape Town, in January in last Test innings before World Cup. ODI best of 153, vs Bangladesh in Oct 2002.

ANDREW HALL

l Born: July 31, 1975. Right-hand batsman, away swing bowler. ODI debut: Vs West Indies, Durban, Jan 1999. Matches: 26. Runs 435 at 21.75. 8 wkts, 26 matches. 4 Tests.

F Shot in the hand from point-blank range — four bullets just missed — whilst withdrawing money from a cashpoint machine in 1998. Formerly a chubby fast bowler, transformed himself into a pinch-hitting opener. JACQUES KALLIS

l Born: Oct 16, 1975. Right-hand bat, right-arm fast, good slip. ODI debut: Vs England, Cape Town, Jan 1996. Matches: 168. Runs: 5,902 at 44.04, 8 centuries, 42 fifties, 164 wkts at 29.73, best of 5/30. 66 Tests, 4,486 runs at 50.4, 11 centuries, 137 wkts at 28.60.

F A barrel-chested man and extraordinary talent, technique matched by power. Genuine quick bowler when he chooses and can swing the ball. ODI batting average second highest among active players. 19 MOM awards, more than any other South African. In 2001 vs Zimbabwe, scored 388 runs in three innings —157, 42 and a Test-best 189 — without being dismissed. Oct 2002, second Test vs Bangladesh in Potchefstroom, took 5 wkts in 12 balls and hit 139 not out, moving into top 10 batting and bowling world rankings.

GARY KIRSTEN

l Born: Nov 23, 1967. Left-handed opener. South Africa’s leading run-scorer in both forms of the game. ODI debut: Vs Australia, Sydney, Dec 1993. Runs: 6,612 , average 40.56, 13 centuries, 42 fifties. 89 tests, 6,133 runs at 42.88, 16 centuries, 29 fifties.

F Holds South African Test-best score of 275 (shared with Daryll Cullinan), scored vs England in Dec 1999, and the country’s ODI record of 188 not out, against UAE in the 1996 World Cup. Scratchy form in season building up to World Cup. Virtually ignored for ODI team and left out of Champions Trophy, sudden recall vs Pakistan in December and scored 102 off 118 balls in Paarl.

LANCE KLUSENER

l Born: Sept 4 1971. Allrounder, explosive left-hand bat, medium-fast seamer. ODI debut: vs England, East London, Jan 1996. Runs: 3,290, average 42.73, two hundreds and strike rate of 90.09, 170 wkts at 29.43. 48 Tests, 4 hundreds.

F Grew up speaking Zulu, earning him that nickname. Highly feared as a fast-scoring baseball-style batsman, less as a bowler. In 1999, scored world-record 400 runs over a string of ODIs before being finally dismissed, starting with 103 not out vs New Zealand in Auckland in Feb and ending during the World Cup. He won four MoM awards at the World Cup as well as being named Man of the Tournament, with a batting average of 140.5 and 17 wkts at 20.58, including 5/21 vs Kenya.

CHARL LANGEVELDT

l Born: Dec 17, 1974. Right-arm medium-pace away swing bowler. ODI debut: Vs Kenya, Kimberley, Oct 2001. 6 wkts in 3 matches, best of 4/21 v Kenya just before tournament. No Tests.

F Former prison officer who gave up his job to try to make the grade. Learnt to perfect his away swing on low, slow pitches of Paarl. Partly owes place to South Africa’s five-man non-white quota but will not be out of his depth.

MAKHAYA NTINI

l Born: July 6, 1977. Fast, aggressive right-arm fast bowler. First black African to play for South Africa. ODI debut: Vs New Zealand, Perth, Jan 1998. Matches: 62. Wickets: 89 at 24.87. 29 Tests, 93 wkts at 28.90.

F Matured into a consistent wicket-taker and in fine form just before the World Cup. Superbly fit, fine outfielder. Improved his accuracy without dropping his pace. His ODI best of 5/31 came vs New Zealand in Feb 2002, removing both openers and then cleaning up the tail. Taken two wickets in last five appearances.

ROBIN PETERSON

l Born: Aug 4, 1979. Left arm spinner, useful batsman, good fielder. ODI debut: Vs India, Colombo, Sept 2002. 3 wkts at 70.33, 6 matches.

F South African rarity as a genuine spinner rather than simply a slow bowler. Extracts sharp turn and bounce, bowls a good arm ball. JONTY RHODES

l Born: July 27, 1969. Perhaps the only batsman/fielder allrounder in the world. Right-handed engine room of the middle order, cover point fielder with few rivals in cricket’s long history. ODI debut: Vs Australia, Sydney, Feb 1992 World Cup. 5,933 runs av 35.32, strike rate of 81.15. 105 catches.

F Iconic figure and South Africa’s most experienced one-day player. Got by for much of his career playing on-side strokes, owing to a grip that harked back to his hockey background (he has played for South Africa and would probably have played in the 1992 Olympics if the team had qualified). Since remodelled his grip. Excellent sweeper. Quit Test cricket at the end of 2000 to devote more time to his wife and daughter while playing ODIs. Immediately hit five 50s in a row.

MONDE ZONDEKI

l Born: July 25, 1982. Right arm fast bowler. Hardly any experience but already one claim to fame — a wicket with his first ball in one-day Internationals. ODI debut: Vs Sri Lanka, Bloemfontein, Dec 2002. 2 wkts, 2 matches.

F Find of the South African season . Struggled with injury. Got the call-up to the senior ODI squad after remarkable figures of 7-2-8-1 for South Africa A vs Sri Lanka. In his debut in the 5th ODI in Bloemfontein in Dec, aged 20, had Atapattu caught for 53 with his first ball.