ing circles said the report should make all these decisions cle | Forum

While Australia lurch through a wide range of selection conundrums ranging from resting bowlers to Steven Smith saying there is no-one banging down the door domestically and now the sudden stepping down of Rod Marsh, South Africa are seemingly spoilt for choice in a remarkable change of fortune from last summers struggles. Luis Barrera Athletics Jersey . Back then, it seemed South Africa were touching the bottom of their talent pool. Now, that bottom has been proven false and they have options in every discipline.Instead of delight in any schadenfreude, convener Linda Zondi remained mindful of the cycles that a selection committee can go through. One thing I have learned in this position as convener of selectors is that its a thankless job. You have to understand the position you hold. Either way, there will be issues. I dont want to get involved too much in the Australian selection but as long as we are happy where we are, I am comfortable. There will be hard times going forward. Im happy with the team, the environment, the players and the way they have performed for us. Its excellent, he said.Zondi was appointed in July last year, after serving on his predecessor Andrew Hudsons panel, and his first task was to pick the squad to tour India. On that trip, South Africa lost both Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander to injuries, prompting a revolving door of fast bowlers that were used through the summer. Kagiso Rabada made his first appearance in Mohali, Chris Morris and Hardus Viljoen debuted against England and Kyle Abbott yo yo-ed in and out of the side. At the other end of the team sheet, there was pressure to find an opening batsman when Stiaan van Zyl struggled and its not as though everything in between was settled.Dane Vilas was used that time after Quinton de Kock was not included in the India Test squad because of losing form earlier in the year. Like van Zyl, Vilas also battled. Instead of recalling de Kock immediately, the gloves were given to AB de Villiers who responded with complaints about workload. In addition to that, both Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy lost form and were dropped in turns, leaving the middle order lacking muscle.Before Zondi and his panel could begin to find a solution, ahead of the New Zealand series this August, they were hit by another requirement. They needed to meet transformation targets too. The system seemed set to fail but the selectors have come out smiling with targets met and a winning team. How did they achieve that?The board makes policy, and our role is to implement those policies, Zondi said. When we got to the stage where the policies were passed, we were in the position where the best represented South Africa, regardless of any target or colour. All the players deserve to be there and weve got young guys that are coming through to add to the senior squad.The panel was helped by the return of Steyn - albeit temporarily - and Philander, the second coming of Duminy, the ability of du Plessis to step up and the coming of age of de Kock, Temba Bavuma and Rabada - but theyve also made some brave calls. Dane Piedt was dropped for the Australia Tests for two rookie spinners and Morne Morkel, battling fitness concerns, has not yet been recalled.Those decisions were not easy but Zondi explained that they were made with the focus on combinations and conditions. We are looking at conditions and seeing how we feel, and how the players suit a particular role. The combination is important.Crucially for South Africa they have been able to toggle their combinations because they have enough players in each department. Their attack includes seamers who offer speed, swing and seam movement; they have an offspinner in Duminy, a left-arm spinner in Keshav Maharaj and a wristspinner in Tabraiz Shamsi plus they have attacking batsmen like de Kock and Rilee Rossouw to Bavumas more cautious style.That has allowed them to compile as diverse a squad as possible and, having studied the domestic set-up, Zondi believes the trend will continue.You can only make those decisions when you know you have a good enough back-up in whatever role you are looking at. Domestically, I am happy with what Ive seen. The stronger the franchise matches are, the better for South Africa A and the Proteas.We have a lot of guys, who are matric (final year or school) and performing at franchise level and guys that have been in the system for a while are dominating. Another benefit that I see is that weve got good coaches so its a good combination of the two. We are in a position where players in every single role is available. Its just a matter of us taking those guys to that next level and seeing how we move on. Rollie Fingers Jersey . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Khris Davis Athletics Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. https:///...ersey-athletics.html . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Russian Olympic athletes are as much pawns as true players in the drug-infused game in which their government broke rules in a brazen attempt to win medals at any cost.Now, all those athletes -- more than 400 of them, including those who did nothing wrong -- can only wait and see what their fate is for the Summer Olympics, which start in a mere 17 days.With the clock ticking, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee meets Tuesday to go over options in the wake of a report that uncovered a state-run doping scheme that ensnared 28 sports, both summer and winter. It started in 2011 and ended four years later -- well past the time when Russian authorities knew they were under the doping microscope.The investigation, authored by arbitrator Richard McLaren, told of 312 positive tests that Russias deputy minister of sport directed lab workers not to reported to the World Anti-Doping Agency. Also involved were Russias FSB -- the current version of the Soviet Unions KGB.Im shocked and devastated by whats been going on, said Paul Melia, the head of Canadas anti-doping organization, after the findings were delivered Monday in Toronto. And I can only imagine how betrayed the clean athletes of the world are feeling today in the face of this evidence.After receiving the evidence from a report that it commissioned, WADA called for the IOC to consider a ban of Russias entire Olympic team.WADA insists upon imposition of the most serious consequences to protect clean athletes from the scourge of doping in sport, said agency president Craig Reedie, who is also an IOC member.But a blanket ban is not a sure thing.The decision to deliver one is rife with political ramifications that involve a country that sent the third-most athletes (more than 430) to the previous Summer Olympics, four years ago in London. It puts the IOC in the position of ruling against one of its biggest supporters, a nation that spent more than $50 billion hosting the Winter Games in Sochi just two years ago.IOC president Thomas Bach said the committtee wouldnt hesitate to apply the toughest sanctions available. Luis Barrera Jersey. But Bach has frequently spoken about the fine line between collective responsibility and individual justice. And for every anti-doping agency and athlete group calling for a full ban in the name of clean athletes, theres seemingly another sports organization or leader urging restraint.The right to participate at the games cannot be stolen from an athlete, who has duly qualified and has not been found guilty of doping, said Bruno Grandi, president of gymnastics international federation. Blanket bans have never been and will never be just.Gymnastics was not among the sports listed in the report. Wrestling, meanwhile, accounted for 28 of the 312 unreported positives. The head of that international federation, Nenad Lalovic of Serbia, told The Associated Press we will absolutely follow the decisions of the IOC.What parameters the IOC will use to determine Russias fate is unknown. One part of the Olympic charter states that international sports federations establish their own rules for participation in the Olympics. Another states that the entry of any team is subject to acceptance by the IOC, which may at its discretion, at any time, refuse any entry, without indication of grounds.Whether the IOC issues its decision Tuesday or simply sets the table for it to come later, it could be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is the final authority when it comes to world sports events.Many in anti-doping circles said the report should make all these decisions clear.The McLaren Report has concluded, beyond a reasonable doubt, a mind-blowing level of corruption within both Russian sport and government that goes right to the field of play, said Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. And most importantly, our hearts go out to athletes from all over the world who were robbed of their Olympic dreams. ' ' '