A chance for Proteas to prove arrogant Aussies wrong

Australia has always been a daunting touring proposition. Their cricketers are seen as tough and bristly, confident to the point of arrogance and fiercely competitive.

When Mike Brearley was England captain, he grew a beard before touring Australia in an effort to “roughen his exterior” Not sure he achieved this image with his greying beard, but it did earn him the nickname “Ayatollah”!

In the early 2000s, Australia ruled the sporting world as number one or two in more than 40 sporting codes. They became natural targets for all other countries. In 2004, during the Hong Kong Sevens, I witnessed even the Aussie referees and touch judges being booed when they came on. The rest of the sporting world had had enough.

In earlier days, Australia seemed a distant country hewn out of an unfriendly environment with desert sweeps, deadly spiders, gigantic stretches of almost uninhabitable land and, geographically, just out of reach.

Touring England was like going back home to mother, while playing Australia was akin to fighting with a distant, unlikeable cousin. SA and Australian sporting teams are too similar in attitude to be close buddies or mates. We are antagonists. Our matches reflect that.

HEROES

The media write off most SA sides as underperformers long before tours to Australia even take place. SA teams led by Jack Cheetham in 1952-1953, Trevor Goddard in 1963-1964 and then in 1993-1994, under Kepler Wessels, were never considered threats. Yet each tour ended in a drawn series. These teams produced SA heroes of the future: Hugh Tayfield, Roy McLean, Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock emerged as world class.

Graeme Smith learnt from his disappointing first Australian tour as captain in 2005-2006. He led from the front like a warrior, in charge of young cohorts, and took on too much personal responsibility.

Six players from that team toured Australia again in 20082009 and using that experience returned home victorious. Smith earned the Aussie’s respect with his courageous and unyielding approach, which included batting with an arm cast in a vain attempt to play out a draw at Sydney. The team under Smith matured with each experience and became the No 1 Test team in the world.

Our gutsy Test captain, Dean Elgar, is the only player who toured Australia in 2016—2017.

While his experience is vital, Elgar must not shoulder all the responsibility as Smith did in the early stages of his captaincy.

Teams need more than captaincy; they need leadership from within. Barlow was the dynamo who brought a muchneeded positive, winning approach to Goddard’s 19631964 SA team. He epitomised what has now become known as Baz Ball cricket. Barlow would have admired the English sides’ daring declaration to snatch an unlikely victory in Pakistan this week. Test match cricket between leading nations is alive and well.

Elgar is fortunate to have a slew of captains under him on this tour — Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabada plus others with cricket smarts. They can provide that additional power from within.

BOWLING ATTACK

Australia have a balanced and experienced side. Their batting line-up is brimful of runs. The powerful Proteas bowling attack can counter the onslaught of the run makers. That tussle is central to the contest. Our batters have fought bravely in the past five years, winning some Test series through their doggedness and application. Large totals are built around partnerships that enable victory.

Many articles have been written about the inadequate Test preparation and state of mind of Elgar’s team after the depressing exit from the ICC T20 event. Yes, the T20 World Cup was a low blow to us.

Ironically, an Australian tour is the best medicine right now. They will be out of the SA public eye, working together in a foreign land while playing in conditions similar to SA. They should come back stronger as a unit, whatever the result.

Those who stand up boldly in these tours become the heart of future Protea teams. Look no further than Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and Vernon Philander. Playing in one of world cricket’s most competitive environments spawns great players. We await the emergence of our new heroes.

This Proteas team has the grit, commitment and talent to surprise. This is not the time to be hesitant and uncertain. Proteas, you are good enough to take on Australia on their own turf. Relish the opportunity and enjoy!