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Pace will be ace for Proteas against NZ: Ponting
Auckland: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Monday said South Africa should consider unleashing an all-out pace assault against New Zealand in the semifinal of the Cricket World Cup on Tuesday.
Ponting said the Proteas should leave out leg-spinner Imran Tahir, their leading wicket-taker for the tournament with 15 scalps, and back their seamers to exploit the seam-friendly conditions in Auckland.
“Spinner Imran Tahir got four wickets for South Africa last match, but they might be tempted to load up with seamers for that ground and I reckon that will be a good tactic,” Ponting was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia (CA).
“The Kiwis have been extraordinary, but apart from Australia no bowling attack has asked any serious questions of their batsmen,” he said.
“It seems to swing for most of the game at Eden Park so the bowlers on both sides are going to make it hard for the batsmen and that movement makes it hard to exploit the short boundaries.”
Proteas pacer Vernon Philander has been declared fit for the knockout clash after missing their quarter-final win over Sri Lanka and appearing in just three of the six group matches due to a hamstring issue.
The right-arm pacer looks set to rejoin Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in the playing XI on Tuesday, while Kyle Abbott has done little wrong with nine wickets at an average of 14.44 from four matches.
New Zealand have displayed their strength at the top of the order with Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson and Saturday’s double-centurion Martin Guptill, but Ponting suggests the competition co-hosts are vulnerable through the middle order.
“I wonder a bit about the Kiwi middle order if South Africa go hard at them with four seamers,” the 40-year-old said.
“I think Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott and those blokes might find the going hard if the squeeze is put on them.”
South Africa enter the clash full of confidence after finally breaking through for their first victory in a World Cup knockout clash.
Ponting, who played in the famous semi-final tie against South Africa in the 1999 edition of the tournament, suggested the Proteas have gone a long way to shaking the ‘chokers’ tag that has stuck with them for so long.
“The team AB de Villiers has at the moment has shaken off a lot of the failings of previous South African sides,” Ponting said.
He further added, “Blokes like AB and Faf (du Plessis) and Hashim (Amla) seem to lift when the pressure is on and have banished that suggestion they will choke at the critical moment.”
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.