As all know the Proteas have a dismal record when it comes to tournaments, and if there is one man desperate enough to turn it around it, it is captain Graeme Smith.

Fresh from the injury where he broke his finger in the IPL, Smith should lead the Proteas with determination and resilience to end the “choker” tag. He might be rusty when it comes to batting but hopefully he used this rest period to learn more about the opposition the Proteas will encounter.

Alongside Smith are Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Loots Bosman, all capable of holding their own.

It would be interesting to see how coach Corrie van Zyl uses his top batsmen as they still have AB de Villiers and JP Duminy to hustle and bustle in the middle overs. That said AB had a very average IPL while Duminy struggles with spin.

The injuries to Wayne Parnell and Justin Kemp opened the door for stalwart Charl Langeveldt and newbie Juan Theron. But I think Smith will rely heavily on the Morkel brothers. Albie to finish off an innings with majestic  hitting, while taller Morkel will try and keep up with world no1 bowler Dale Steyn.

South Africa meets India Sunday in their first match. It is going to be an action filled 17 days before the ICC T20 champions will be crowned and you can bet your hat that Smith and the Proteas will be among the top contenders.

Squad
Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis, Lungile Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Juan Theron, Roelof van der Merwe.