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Cronje sizzles amidst the downpour

There was this movie, one time, called Albert Pinto ko gussa kyon aata hai?

Bollywood badshahs contemplating a sequel need only change the name to Hansie Cronje. Or Shaun Pollock. And you got a box office smash, sure.

The South African captain sizzled while the skies above Hove gave of their plenty, preventing any play in the team's first practise outing, against Sussex.

In a bid to make the best of a bad job, Cronje promptly told the organisers that his team was willing to play the fixture on Saturday, even though they have another practise game lined up for Sunday as well. Sussex was game, too, but the organisers nixed it.

That had the Protean skipper's blood pressure on the boil -- though why it should, is a bit of a mystery. Earlier this week, when the captains of the 12 participating nations met at Lord's, they had been specifically told that no reserve days would be permitted for the practise games.

"I am very disappointed to miss the opportunity of playing on this ground," Cronje said, indicating by voice and manner that before chosing the word 'disappointed', he had first selected and then discarded some stronger adjectives. There is, after all, a list of naughty-boy rules -- dubbed the Code of Conduct by the ICC -- which tends to inhibit a more fluent vocalisation of disappointment. One reason for his disappointment could be that rain robbed him of a wonderful opportunity to practise on the very ground -- Hove -- where his team will begin its Cup campaign, against India, on the 15th.

The incomparable Jonty Rhodes Pic: Adrian Murrell/Allsport

Cronje's frown lines deepened thanks to star fielding Jonty Rhodes' continued presence on the injured list. The original india-rubber-man of international cricket hurt a tendon in his wrist during rowing practise -- rowing practise? yeah, right, rowing practise, strengthens your wrist, helps you whip those throws in quicker and flatter, gives beef to your shoulders and arms, et cetera -- in Cape Town before leaving for London, but played -- or rather, practised -- on, regardless.

On getting to England, Rhodes found that his wrist had packed it in altogether. This necessitated a visit to a specialist, who gave the injured member a cortisone shot and put the arm in a splint, prescribing three days of rest. Which means Rhodes could miss Sunday's practise game against Kent as well.

Jonty Rhodes, warming up in England Pic: Graham Chadwick/Allsport

The real question worrying Cronje, though, is: what if Rhodes doesn't recover before May 15, when South Africa begin its Cup campaign?

"I am confident he will be available," said the Protean skipper. "He has played before with a broken finger and given his all, he is burning to get back out there. If someone really wants to get out there it speeds up the recovery process.

"I have played with him in more than 150 one-day internationals. You don't notice him so much when he is playing but if he doesn't play it makes a big, big difference."

South Africa, which announced for the rain-ruined match a lineup reading Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje, Dale Benkenstein, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje and Allan Donald, will now play Kent on Sunday, followed by a final practise game against Middlesex on May 11.