‌South Africa’s one-step solution to nervy knockouts

A group of Indian fans patiently waited behind the barricade as the South African team bus arrived and all one could hear, on a historic Sunday morning, were chants of 'we love you'. A poker-faced Heinrich Klaasen, accompanied by his family, did not pay much attention. Quinton de Kock reluctantly acknowledged the crowd before trudging off the scene while David Miller and Tabraiz Shamsi greeted the fan’s warm gestures with a salute and smirk respectively. Melancholy was clearly written all over their faces as the Proteas unit headed to the team hotel from the ground after a seven-run defeat in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.

Rewind twelve hours and this is the same bunch that had one hand on the trophy when a run-a-ball 30 was required at the fag end of the contest. However, Jasprit Bumrah’s trademark brilliance was followed by the wicket of the on-song Klaasen in the 17th over, eventually leaving South Africa 22 runs to chase in 18 balls. Cutting the chase to the final over, an experienced Miller at one end would’ve backed himself to surmount 16 runs against his former IPL skipper Hardik Pandya to finally end the Proteas’ chase of an ever-elusive silverware. However, a widish low full-toss that on any given day would have been bid adieu ended up in the hands of ballerino Suryakumar Yadav at long off. In a matter of moments, the Proteas dugout could feel the match slip away along with their dreams of becoming the first ever cricket World Champions from their continent. 

“It's going to take them a long time to get over this because it just takes so much out of you," cited former SA head coach Russell Domingo, during Super Sport’s coverage of the final. And that seemed quite evident as soon as the game ended with Miller and Shamsi looking grief-stricken, in the midst of a celebratory Kensington Oval, whilst being consoled by their wives. Aiden Markram labeled it a “really good campaign” during the post-match interview, stating he was “incredibly proud” of being the “worthy finalists” after South Africa reached their maiden summit clash in ICC events since 1998. 

It’s true that the Rainbow Nation was undefeated before the finals and had a fabulous World Cup until the last thirty minutes when nerves got the better of them. But one is bound to enquire - what has been the reason behind their constant collapses in the big stages? After all, this is arguably not even the best South African side to have ever taken the field in a must-win game.

They were almost through to the finals of the 1999 World Cup, if not for Allan Donald’s disastrous run out in the semi-final, or Herschelle Gibb’s dropped catch due to which South Africa was placed below Australia in the Super Six. Chasing a 222-run target in the 2011 quarter-final, at one point in time, the Proteas needed just 113 runs from 26 overs with eight wickets in hand. But Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers’ dismissals paved the way for a horrendous collapse, costing them the semi-final spot. A peak Dale Steyn failed to defend ten runs off four balls against New Zealand in the World Cup 2015 semi-final, resulting in one of the most heart-wrenching moments in South African cricket. There have been numerous occasions when the Proteas have been inches away from the finish line, only to succumb in spectacular fashion.

One entity common to all these editions was a former South African cricketer as the coach of the unit. From Mickey Arthur to Russell Domingo and Mark Boucher to Rob Walter, none of the Proteas coaches succeeded in guiding the team past the finishing line in crucial knockout games.

When it comes to playing, asserting, and dominating in the knockouts, there is truly only one team that possesses the famed 'Mamba Mentality' - Australia. Between 2021 and 2023, they became the first time to complete the holy trifecta -- World T20, World Test Championship, and ODI World Cup. Their cabinet is filled with 10 trophies, including six ODI World Cup titles, two Champions trophy titles, and one each in the T20I and Test formats. The Kangaroos have lost only two finals in their history. While the first one came in 1975 against the mighty Windies, it took 35 years for the second defeat against bitter rivals England in the 2010 T20 World Cup. All the readers of this article might be long gone before the team from Down Under lose another one!

Interestingly, Australia is a team that has been coached mostly by their former cricketers. The only time when Mickey Arthur, a South African, coached the side between 2010 and 2013, the team did not win a single ICC trophy. 

So what is South Africa’s one-step solution to nervy knockouts? Get some Aussies in the mix. Cricket South Africa (CSA) should make a move to rope in an Aussie coach to take care of the team’s business for the next few years. Someone like Ricky Ponting is currently a free agent with substantial coaching experience already in the IPL, BBL, and MLC. Similarly, a Justin Langer with his hardened mindset could be just what the team needs, and it is worth remembering that his stewardship yielded Australia the 2021 T20 World Cup - a first for the all-conquering cricket empire.

Currently, South Africa have one of the best white ball squads that possess the ability to take over the cricketing world. Even Quinton de Kock’s farewell from international cricket should not be a huge problem with talents like Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, and Leus du Plooy ready to fill the void. In Aiden Markram, South Africa have found a great leader whose first-ever loss as captain in a World Cup came in the final itself. The mix of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller’s experience and exceptional talents like Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, and Marco Jansen seems to be enough firepower to guide them to the promised land. Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj present a fierce spinning front and the triumvirate of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi are a handful for any side on the planet. Such is the depth that they possess that Gerald Coetzee, Ottneil Baartman, and Lizaad Williams don’t even get a proper look into the side.

In addition, the exposure to the IPL and SA20 has been a huge boost to some of these youngsters where they’re learning various facets of the game and adapting quickly. Even former cricketer Hashim Amla reiterated the same recently.

“We're seeing these youngsters come in and they're straight into the game, whereas maybe before it took a little bit longer to get into international cricket. They're getting into it very quickly and we're seeing the performances coming," he stated during the T20 World Cup final.

Despite all the positives of breaking past the semi-final barrier as runners-up, there remains a chink in the armor that the South African board needs to resolve. Who can ignite the Proteas fire? Perhaps a certain Aussie, who could help them burying the past and blazing a new trail enroute to some elusive silverware.