Proteas under pressure
THE South African men’s cricket team are under pressure – both on and off the field.
The Proteas have just been soundly beaten 3-0 by England in the T20 series, and they have also been in the spotlight for deciding, as a team, not to take the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The team released a statement last week pledging their support for the campaign against GBV, and added that they would work together to dismantle all forms of racism from their sport.
It therefore remains perplexing and disappointing that they don’t seem to grasp the fact that taking a knee remains a hugely important gesture and symbol of support for BLM.
On the field of play, if captain Quinton de Kock, coach Mark Boucher and selection convener Victor Mpitsang needed a reminder of the gap that exists between South Africa and the world’s best, England emphatically provided it in that T20 series.
South Africa went into those three matches ‘cold’, with most of the players having participated in a couple of rounds of four-day fixtures, while plans for inter-squad matches to get them up to speed for the limited overs formats had to be shelved because of positive Covid tests for some of the players.
The T20s, while chastening, will have helped the Proteas become more battle hardened, and while England are favourites for the ODIs, which start at Newlands today, just like they were for the T20s, the more sedate nature of the 50-over format may be more suitable for the home team at the moment.
With some big names missing – including Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada – now is the time for a couple of younger players to stake a claim for recognition.
Already last season saw the emergence of Janneman Malan, who made a century against Australia, and Kyle Verreynne, who impressed with his composure last summer.
The majority of the SA squad are new to international cricket so there is a case to be made for the public to be patient.
Still, the Proteas will be measured by what they do over the next 12 months, both on and off the field.