SA selectors bungle squad announcement

Several hours of confusion after a first announcement, a revised South African squad for the next two games in the Standard Bank Triangular one-day series was named on Sunday night which included Nicky Boje as well as Boeta Dippenaar and Charl Langeveldt, but omitted left-arm spinner Claud Henderson.

Quite how the mix-up occurred is not known, but it is believed at this stage that selection convener Rushdie Magiet issued an incorrect team list after a selection meeting that lasted more than an hour after South Africa's seven-wicket victory over Kenya in Benoni.

The first squad released simply added Boje's name to the 12 who did duty in South Africa's first two games in the tournament. Later, however, a new squad was announced, including Boje, Dippenaar and Langeveldt, but leaving out Henderson.

Quite how the misunderstanding arose is not clear. It is believed that Magiet might simply have handed over the wrong piece of paper on which he had written a list of names, but because he has now adopted a policy of allowing a third party to make team and squad announcements, he was not on hand to pick up the mistake immediately.

Magiet's tenure as selection convener has been distinguished by a succession of blunders and serious questions are now being asked of his ability to perform what is not a particularly difficult job.

The six-man South African selection panel has already been criticised because is contains not a single member who has played post-isolation Test or first-class cricket and the most recent faux pas does little to enhance its credibility.

Revised squad: Shaun Pollock (capt), Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Kemp, Nicky Boje, Boeta Dippenaar, Charl Langveldt.