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By Telford Vice
South Africa captain Graeme Smith has mocked Shane Warne's suggestion that the home side were trying to negate the Australian's spin bowling by preparing pitches to suit seamers.
"Do you guys take him seriously any more?" Smith asked reporters at a news conference on Thursday.
The first test in Cape Town was played on a pitch that favoured seamers and Australia won by seven wickets inside three days.
| 'We've asked for good test wickets' |
Kingsmead, where the second test starts on Friday, traditionally assists swing and seam bowlers.
"If they want to juice it up to negate me, I'll take my nought for 40 and we win in three days," leg spinner Warne, who is most dangerous on drier tracks, told reporters in Durban on Wednesday.
Smith countered that the wicket in Cape Town had been difficult to bat on.
"It spun, it seamed, and you were never in. It was up and down.
"They had one partnership (the 154 Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting shared in Australia's first innings of 308), and the rest of the batters were 130 for nine.
"So what are we talking about? We don't even bother with what comes out of his mouth any more."
Smith said South Africa's request for lively pitches was a positive decision and was not related to Warne.
"We've asked for good test wickets. We want wickets that have a bit of juice in them, wickets that carry," Smith said.
"That's what we enjoy playing on. It's got nothing to do with him.
"The wicket turned in Cape Town, so I don't know what he's talking about."
Smith said all rounder Shaun Pollock, who missed the first test with a buttock strain, had been passed fit and would return to the team.
"We all know the skills that Polly brings, and it will be great to have him back," Smith said.
That left South Africa with a choice between all rounder Andrew Hall, who replaced Pollock in the first test, and left-arm spinner Nicky Boje.
"Hall would be unlucky but an all rounder takes out an all rounder," Smith said.
Omitting Boje would leave South Africa without a slow bowler.
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