ALLAN Donald believes England would have suffered even greater humiliation in South Africa had the home groundsmen prepared pitches to suit his lightning pace.

In a blast every ounce as devastating as one of his thunderous deliveries he told England: 'You're lucky we didn't give you a proper hiding.'

And he has warned sides to be prepared for terror on future tours of the country.

Donald condemned the way wickets were prepared for South Africa's Test series against England and the subsequent seven one-day internationals, which South Africa won 6-1.

Criticising their lack of pace, he blames "lack of professional groundsmen" for South Africa not taking control of the Test series much sooner.

"The wickets in our country this year have been absolutely diabolical," he said.

"If we had support from our groundsmen on the pitches we have played on we would have won the Test series quite convincingly.

"They are very flat, very even-paced and that's not what I expected. "I think it can be put down to lack of professional groundsmen.

"We didn't get the support from our ground staff that we should have.

"Our strength is our bowling and we've got to prepare wickets that will exploit our assets.

"They must have pace and bounce.

"When touring sides come in the future we must make them feel very uncomfortable from the outset.

"That means preparing wickets that are going to scare a touring side just by looking at them.

"We didn't get any assistance in that respect."

England did not help their own cause either by employing questionable tactics at vital stages, according to Donald.

On a number of occasions the fragility of South Africa's top order batting was exposed by shrewd English bowling.

But whenever England got South Africa on the rack they were let off it by England altering their tactics.

This, says Donald, was an unforgivable mistake.

"England tried bowling the tail out instead of just staying in that same channel with which they eliminated the top order batters," he said.

"They gave us a few runs and, once we got ourselves established, concern crept into their camp.

"They suddenly lost all idea about how to get rid of us.

"An example was when Shaun Pollock and myself put on a 70-odd partnership in the third Test when we were almost down and out.

"And Paul Adams' contribution with the bat in the fifth Test was crucial. If England had stuck to what had been successful for them it would have served them much better."

Rishton-bound Donald is now firmly established as cricket's new superstar after his exploits over the past three months.

But the fastest bowler in the world is a reluctant celebrity. His unassuming nature off the pitch contrasts sharply with the intimidating surges which brought him 19 wickets during this series of Test matches and 12 in five one-day internationals.

"The man of the series award came a little unexpectedly," he said.

"I started to bowl well in the second Test and was a bit unlucky not to have taken more wickets.

"We had a discussion on the first day of the third Test and Hanse Cronje said to me that I should try to have a crack at the other end - 'This spell after lunch could be the decider of the Test'.

"And it was exactly that.

"I got two wickets in one over and then finished off the tail end quickly.

"That, I suppose, set it all up."

South Africa are banking on similar ambushes in the World Cup.

How England could do with someone like him.

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