/ 7 January 2011

The upside of being the underdogs

The Upside Of Being The Underdogs

Not for the first time South African cricket followers can look forward in 2011 to an epic year. In fact, they look forward to an epic year every four years.

South Africa’s obsession with the World Cup is regarded as unhealthy by many within the game, but at least the passion and desire are there. An obsession with winning is far better than apathy about losing.

There is so much more to international cricket than the International Cricket Council’s showpiece knockout tournament, of course, but nothing quite captures the imagination of the public — especially the South African public — than the trophy their national team has never won. Or even threatened to win.

The difference this time, and it really might make a difference, is that the Proteas will not be starting among the favourites. That won’t mean the players put themselves under less pressure to win but, despite their ranking and record (in bilateral series) against all the other leading cricketing nations in the world, they will be disregarded as contenders for two reasons.

The first is their dismal record in the tournament. The second is the location — the Asian subcontinent. India and Sri Lanka are consequently regarded as shoo-ins for at least the semifinals while Pakistan, as always, are rated in equal measure as potential champions and first-round losers to Zimbabwe. Or Canada, for that matter.

Big-occasion temperament aside, the Proteas would appear to lack the bowling skills or depth to function on flat wickets that offer little more than a modicum of turn.

Excited and hopeful
The batting unit may have the ability to score 300, but that’s exactly the kind of score that can be chased down on Indian and Sri Lankan pitches with our bowlers lacking the nuances of mysteries like reverse swing and pace-change — and the onus to implement them.

If that all makes sense, why is there reason to feel excited and hopeful? A team with obvious defects may be able to win two or three games in a row, but not an extended tournament like the World Cup. Surely? No, not this time. Not this year. The World Cup is only three games long, effectively.

The format, which reduces 14 teams to eight, means the quarterfinalists need win only their final three games to become champions after a protracted and largely pointless series of six games.

If South Africa are not among the four teams to progress out of a group including the West Indies, Ireland, Bangladesh and the Netherlands (as well as India and England), then we might as well rip up the entire blueprint for the game in the country and start again from scratch.

As for Test cricket, the year could easily be remembered for the beginning of a new, dominant era for the Proteas. Although their first series of 2011 will not be played until October, they embark thereafter on a relentless schedule of tours stretching beyond two years, virtually without stopping.

It begins with the arrival of Australia on these shores, followed by Sri Lanka over the festive season. They then travel to New Zealand for the first time in eight years before wintering in England for what is scheduled to be an “icon series” of five Tests.

By that time, if Dale Steyn continues to lead the attack with such devastating effect, Morné Morkel continues to develop and the batting quartet of Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers maintain their ascent to the game’s hall of fame, South Africa could be the number one ranked team in the world and on the verge of a protracted period of domination to rival the one Australia enjoyed through the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Improvements
Not only are there six world-class players who select themselves, but the team could yet improve even further. Alviro Petersen could be pushed for his place by any of three outstanding young left-handers in Rilee Rossouw, Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl, while space for an “extra” player will be found if and when De Villiers takes the gloves from Mark Boucher but continues to bat in the top six.

If naturalised leg spinner Imran Tahir lives up to even half the expectations being unfairly heaped on him, then a match-winning spinner — something South Africa have not had for 20 years — could be added to the broth. Wayne Parnell is also just one of three or four seam bowlers good enough both to apply pressure on Lonwabo Tsotsobe and offer backup in the role of third seamer.

India, meanwhile, despite playing resources that dwarf those of the rest of the world combined, are bound to suffer a playing hangover following the departure of stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Zaheer Khan — not to mention that of coach Gary Kirsten — and there is nothing to suggest that Australia will be able to stem their ­freefall into mediocrity.

England’s ascent towards the upper echelons seems equally unlikely to be halted any time soon. Unlike India and Australia, they have age on their side and have learned, finally, to play for the team rather than themselves as individuals.

But it is South Africa’s immediate future that looks brightest — on one condition. The men in the boardroom must have the emotional intelligence and maturity to realise, and then remember, that they too must play for the team rather than themselves.

Every moment of politically or selfishly motivated manoeuvring among the men in suits will, ultimately, have a negative knock-on effect on the men in white (or green) just as surely as Steyn can be relied upon to take a wicket when it’s really needed.