Proteas out to win back respect

A month ago, many felt England would just have to rock up to inflict a heavy thumping on our national cricketers.

Boardroom shenanigans, a number of suspensions – including that of chief executive Thabang Moroe – and sponsors expressing their unhappiness at Cricket South Africa left the sport dangling close to the edge. But the picture looks a bit more positive since then, a mood captain Faf du Plessis describes has changed from “the Dark Ages last week to a little lighter now”.

The Titans’ Jacques Faul is the new acting CEO, while the appointments of old heads Mark Boucher (coach), Graeme Smith (director of cricket), Jacques Kallis (batting mentor), and Charl Langeveldt (bowling consultant) have given the nation some hope again ahead of the four Tests against England, third in the World Test Championship standings – six places above the out-of sorts, bottom-placed Proteas.

While the Proteas will still enter the first Test against England at Centurion on Boxing Day as the underdogs, there is an air of optimism once again after a dark period.

It’s not been a good year for South African cricket. They were awful at the World Cup, were taught a proper lesson by India away from home in a recent Test series and were hit hard by the departure of a number of experienced players due to retirements.

England also have their own issues to contend with. Fast bowlers Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer missed both warm-up games with sickness. As did spinner Jack Leach, suggesting the visitors could field an all seam attack in Centurion. Veteran seamer James Anderson looks set to play his first Test since August, after a calf injury ruled him out of the Ashes, so they are far from being a settled side.

As a player, Boucher always insisted “he loved beating the Poms”. A good showing against England over the next few weeks will go a long way in winning back the respect of South African fans.

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