SA take top spot as Aussies get whipping.

So, its official, following the Kiwis demolition of the Aussies, twice, South Africa have become the top one-day side in the world.

For the cricket critics

Both Pakistan and Australia have announced their world cup squads:

Pakistan:
Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthick, Mahendra Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Shanta Sreesanth and Munaf Patel

Read more about the Pakistan team selection here.

Australia:
Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (vc), Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson

Read more about the Australian team selection here.

South Africa will be announcing their final squad tomorrow night, following the last one day match between SA and Pakistan at Wanderers tonight. Click here to read more about the selection possibilities.

It's getting closer!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, team mates! In 8 weeks today we will be setting off on our "tor"! Can't wait!
Ross is trying his best to teach me as much cricket trivia as possible - every morning while we get ready for work I hear stats about players and matches (Lee, that is why it sounds like I know what I am talking about!), and this evening we are off to a romantic valentines date at Wanderers to watch the last ODI between SA and Pakistan!

Some cricket trivia for those who didn't know - if SA win the match tonight, we will take over Australia's position as the number 1 ranked one day side (Australia has been number 1 since the introduction of the current ranking system in 2002), which will be awesome going into the World Cup.

Looking forward to seeing you all in the sun with rum soon! :)

T Minus 60

I'm not sure it's possible to actually be this excited about a trip? There are a host of reasons. It may be the cricket world cup. It may also be the fact that it's in the Caribbean. Combine these factors, throw in 16 cricket mad, die-hard Durbanites, known to have enjoyed the odd jug of Castle in the one and only "Castle Corner" at Kingsmead, and I'd say your recipe for the trip of a lifetime is almost complete. Add some tropical weather to the mix, with some seafood on the braai (barbeque for those of you who live in the northern hemisphere), and top it all off with some of Barbados's finest rum, and you'll understand about a 10th of my excitement!

I think anyone I've shared a drink with, or even had a chat to in passing over the last six months (since I found out I was going on this trip), has heard about the Tor. Some on numerous occasions. Each and every time, I'm met with the same variety of responses... "you lucky b*stard", "this will be the trip of your life", "are there any spots available?!".

So, with the Aussies getting beaten by the Poms (no wonder it snowed in London this week), SA and Pakistan not really revealing too much except that the can both be as dire as each other on a bad day, India and Sri Lanka taking it down to the wire today, 6 of the expected top 8 sides going in to the CWC seemingly have little to choose between them. Add to that homeground advantage for the ever unpredictable calypso king's, and throw in the under-rated sheep-shagger one day outfit, and the likely top 8 games should prove to be of the highest quality.

Let's hope that, through a rum induced haze, we actually get to see some of it!

South Africa reveal World Cup cricket hand

The South African cricket selectors have revealed their likely World Cup hand when they announced a 15-man squad for a five-match, one-day international series against Pakistan starting at Centurion Sunday.

The One-day international squad is as follows: Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis (vice-captain), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Roger Telemachus.

Thirteen of the players, including five black cricketers, were generally regarded as automatic choices. The remaining two places went to Loots Bosman and Roger Telemachus who could both be regarded as marginal choices:

• Bosman, who has played in seven one-day internationals with modest success, was picked as an extra batsman ahead of the experienced Boeta Dippenaar, who was man of the series when South Africa won a one-day series against the West Indies in the Caribbean two seasons ago, form player Morne van Wyk and fellow black players Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy. Read more about this reported selection flaw here. (Ross, any comments?)
• Telemachus, 33, is renowned as a tough competitor. He has played in 37 one-day internationals and gained the extra bowler's position ahead of in-form fellow black player Alfonso Thomas and white bowlers Dale Steyn and Johan van der Wath.

Click here to read more about the controversial selection of the SA squad.