Cape Town – While
its gravitas remains limited, it is in embattled South Africa’s interests that
the T20 World Cup in Australia from mid-October assumes priority status for
them in the next few months.
That will be
less the case for certain other frontline nations … but the Proteas’ situation
is a little more unique, if you like, given their lengthy hoodoo when it comes
to major ICC tournament trophies and the burning desire to remedy it.
They haven’t
won one – whether World Cup-proper, Champions Trophy or the T20 version – since
as far back as the inaugural “ICC KnockOut” (effectively the birth of the
Champions Trophy) in Bangladesh in 1998.
Also the
arena that brings likeliest, healthy gate receipts to cash-challenged Cricket
South Africa, a strong focus on T20 for the next few weeks – and months — will
suit the bean-counters just fine.
Plunged
deeper into the mire from a Test point of view after the 1-3 home series
walloping from England – duly completed on day four of the final encounter at
the Wanderers on Monday – the Proteas are a humdrum fifth on the ICC rankings
and frankly “nowhere” on the dubious new Test Championship table, either.
Their rank
failure at the 50-over World Cup in England last year also means that they are
curtailed to fourth at present in one-day international terms.
That is the
same spot they occupy on the T20 ladder (for the relatively little that is
worth from bilateral series in the format) but it does seem to be the arena
with best scope – even if some traditionalists will sigh – for the Proteas to excel
as things stand from a personnel point of view.
They say
that “minnow” countries are always brought closer to competitiveness the
shorter the format in international cricket: it may now apply to a South
African cause increasingly losing general touch, sadly, with the big three cricket-economic
nations of India, England and Australia.
The Proteas
selectors have named a very debatable, notably experimental-looking squad for
the next assignment, a three-match ODI series against the cock-a-hoop English
beginning at Newlands on Tuesday next week.
That portion
of the tour has the potential to bring further angst for the home camp against
the defending World Cup champions, even if the visitors’ own group will not be
at fullest strength.
Both outfits
are resting certain key players, but that hallmark significantly changes when
they do battle shortly afterwards (starting on February 12 in East London) in
an again three-match T20 portion, with that global jamboree Down Under quite
firmly in mind.
England, for
example, will reinfuse then their premier bums-on-seats white-ball players like
Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, while the Proteas will
call someone like Kagiso Rabada out of a current, brief break period.
Labouring to
an unusual extent at the crease in Tests and with his continued leadership
there under a cloud, seasoned batsman Faf du Plessis has been left out of the
ODI mix but also seems massively likely to come back into the picture for the
T20s – he still has extremely healthy recent stats there, and a career tally of
1,363 runs at an average of almost 36.
While a
glaring issue appears to linger over the long tail South Africa will sport in
ODIs, it is usually less of an impediment in T20 cricket, and they have enough
explosive individuals – including the suggestion that one AB de Villiers may
return for the T20 World Cup and presumably a bit before it – to be a threat to
most countries in the shortest brand.
When England
last had a full tour of our shores in 2015/16, and also won the first-up Test
series, the Proteas did well to bounce back subsequently and win both the ODI
and T20 combat soon afterwards.
Doing the
white-ball double again this time may be a little optimistic, but it would be
handier, if it is to be at least one of them, for South Africa to claim the T20
honours considering what lies ahead in bigger-picture terms.
*Follow
our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
