HIGH-RANKING officials are quietly confident that 2023 could be the year the Proteas bag the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy, currently being played in India, after some epic near misses and heartache over three decades.
The Proteas began their quest for glory with a stunning victory in their opening fixture against Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi yesterday.
Pholetsi Moseki, Cricket SA’s chief executive, said he was cautiously optimistic about the Proteas chances of going all the way in the tournament where 10 competing nations clash once in the round-robin phase before the top-four teams progress to the semi-finals.
“As a cricket fan, more than being CEO, I feel the trophy is very much within our grasp,” said Moseki.
“All the reports I’m getting from the team is that the mood in the camp was amazing. I know the players want to do it for the country.”
Moseki said he also knew that the nation was behind the team.
He dispelled the notion that the Proteas were in a popularity contest with the Springbok team, presently involved in the Rugby World Cup in France.
“We don’t want to unseat anyone for attention. I’m thinking as a South African. Imagine having a country with two World Cup winners. Wouldn’t that be something special?” said Moseki.
Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said there was no element of overconfidence in the squad before the tournament started.
Nkwe said he was happy with the balance in the 15-man squad sent to India and had every confidence in Temba Bavuma as the the leader of the team.
“The impact and the value he adds to the team and the way he carries himself, he is a team man and always wants the best.
“Temba cares much about the brand and the cricket system. We are lucky to have an individual like him. The team is in a better space, they know the challenges and how tough it will be, but I believe they can go to the final.”
Given the length of the competition, Nkwe believed the best conditioned teams with the required desire would win.
Nkwe said he could sense the belief when he was in the team environment.
“To win in India is extra special.
“Compared to previous world cups, our team has flown under the radar ahead of the tournament. We’ll take it one game at a time,” said Nkwe.
Andrew Hudson, an independent CSA director and former Proteas opening batsman, said not much was expected from his 1992 team, the first to play in a World Cup, after the country’s reintegration into the international sporting fold.
The 1992 tournament was held in Australia.
“We were so fresh in world cricket and we played against players who we never competed against previously.”
Hudson said apart from Kepler Wessels who played international cricket and Peter Kirsten who had County Cricket experience, the rest of the team were newbies on the world scene.
“I was studying at varsity and playing for Natal. There was lots of excitement and bewilderment. People were wondering whether we would be good enough.”
He said the huge crowds was something they had not experienced before.
“The excitement of it all almost helped us go all the way because there was no pressure on us.We just went there and rode the moment.”
He recalled the tournament’s opening match against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“We came with no preconceived ideas and we just said let’s play. We got them out for about 180 odd, and knocked the runs off in a tidy way.
“The Aussies felt the pressure, playing at home.”
Hudson said one of the iconic world cup moments came in their pool match against Pakistan when Jonty Rhodes ran out Inzamam-ul-Haq in the tightly contested rain-affected game.
“That game is best remembered for the run out but I got 59 runs in inclement weather against a bowling attack led by Wasim (Akram ) and Waqar (Younis). It was difficult to bat against them and I got the ‘man of the match’ award, but Jonty’s magic overshadowed everything,” Hudson recalled.
Unlike nowadays, Hudson said there was no social media presence in his playing days. Still, there was huge interest in their team’s performances back in South Africa.
“There was massive interest, people were waking in the early hours to watch our games.”
Hudson said it was heartbreaking to lose to England in the rain-affected semi-final contest.
“It was a TV requirement that the game had to finish at 10pm so we lost overs when rain fell in our run-chase. We needed 22 off one ball in the end.
“We were gutted.
“From then onwards, the Duckworth-Lewis System (a method to calculate targets in rain-affected games) came about.”
Hudson was also in the 1996 team that went to India and lost to a Brian Lara inspired West Indies side in the quarter-finals.
“It was one of the best One-Day sides I had played for. We beat everyone before us in the group stages and Brain Lara wiped us out with a well played century. Losing was another big disappointment.”
Hudson believed the current team had the ability to do well, provided the senior players in the team step up their performances.
He was referring to the likes of Quinton de Kock, David Miller and Kagiso Rabada.
“They have played a lot, and need to have blinders in the tournament. They need to explode. We have a good enough side to do it,” said Hudson.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE
