Dare to Dream
They dared to dream and chased that dream till the final delivery
For the Class of 2023, stronger together has a different meaning. They have been stronger together because all they have had was each other.
There is a picture of Quinton de Kock sitting down close to the stumps looking dejected. There is another one that shows Keshav Maharaj hurting, with his hands on his knees. One picture captured Temba Bavuma’s hands on his head from behind. All of them told the story of the emotions the Proteas were going through after their semi-final defeat to Australia. There are also many more.
But, none of all the pictures out there told the story of the Proteas’ World Cup campaign as poignantly as the one that showed Heinrich Klaasen embracing a crestfallen Gerald Coetzee. They only had each other when the tournament kicked off, played for each other during the showcase and after their campaign ended, all they had was each other. That’s probably why so many people failed to see beyond the semi-final loss to Australia, they jumped on at the prospect of a happily ever after and missed large chunks of the journey.
This is a team that was in cricket purgatory after the 2019 World Cup. They lost Tests, were dumped out of the T20 World Cup by the Dutch and ended their Super League cycle below Afghanistan after losing more matches than other top seven teams and had the same number of wins as the West Indies who failed to qualify for the showpiece. The Proteas just squeezed through at the last minute.
After Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the World Cup, they boasted the most inexperienced pace attack at the tournament. Andile Phehlukwayo was their second-most experienced bowler and two 23-year-olds who boasted a combined ODI 10 ODIs to their names were guaranteed starters.
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Enoch Nkwe isn’t one of the people who missed the journey. 10 hours before South African social media erupted with hot takes on the Proteas’ loss, some three or so hours before the match, South Africa’s Director of Cricket had called the current ODI team a special bunch of players. “Whether they make the final or not, these players have done more than many realise,” said Nkwe from his hotel room in India.
The August 2019 interim coaching unit he was part of felt that South Africa’s white-ball cricket needed to change and drew a blueprint of a brand of cricket for the Proteas. It didn’t quite catch on. When he was appointed as CSA’s Director of Cricket in 2022, Nkwe revived the idea, and with his team, Nkwe conducted numerous coaches’ conferences where they workshopped the blueprint they had for the Proteas. It wasn’t until 2023 that it came alive on the field.
According to Nkwe, Walter’s man-management, his no-ego approach was key. “Rob (Walter) brought a new energy to the team and it helped unlock the best of these guys. He allowed the players to be themselves. The message was consistent, ‘we want the best of you, so we are going to give you the space to be that,’” says Nkwe.
Players are more than their skills, and for them to perform at their best, you need to be prepared to give them a little love, show them a little bit of care, leave them alone when they need space, and provide a shoulder when they need one. Walter did all that and more. They also need to have a strong connection with each other. Walter provided the platform by convening multiple cohesion camps as part of their World Cup preparations.
A number of players in the side came into the team with pre-existing personal relationships and the core of the Class of 2023 was on the August 2019 tour to India. They weathered on and off-field storms along the way - COVID-19 disruptions and life in the bubble, the fallout from Lungi Ngidi standing up for Black Lives Matter, Quinton de Kock refusing to kneel because of an executive order, the SJN hearings...
It all brought them closer together. The cohesion camps helped them to deepen their bonds. A few others joined along the way and the cohesion camps helped them to strengthen their bonds with the senior members and other players. Just before the 2023 World Cup, the Proteas decided to make it a memorable one.
“A career in the game of cricket can go by quickly, so we need to enjoy the journey. I think we did,” said David Miller after their match against Australia. During their time in India, they did a lot of stuff together off the field and played their hearts out on it. One can only look at the semi-final for examples of that.
Rassie van der Dussen, who is probably the least athletic in the current ODI side, threw his body around in the field and one of those efforts bought his side a wicket. Kagiso Rabada had to take painkillers for his heel just to stay on the field. Coetzee, knowing of Rabada’s situation, tirelessly ran in to deliver over after over, sometimes cramping as he shouldered the load.
They dared each other to dream. Even when the writing was on the wall, they refused to go through the motions while trudging towards the inevitable. They held on to the belief of a one per cent possibility of snatching victory and willed each other on.
You could see it in Aiden Markram's 'out of character' outburst after dismissing David Warner. In Tabraiz Shamsi's Imran Tahir-esque celebration after dismissing Glenn Maxwell. In Quinton de Kock's fist-pump after taking a catch to dismiss Steve Smith and Gerald Coetzee literally crying in celebration after that delivery.
They also dared the rest of South Africa to dream. First with David Miller’s 100, then with each wicket they took. That is what they had done throughout the tournament, converted people with each knock. They went where no other South African team has gone. They broke records on their way to seven wins in nine group games. They were bringing Rob Walter’s words to life. The Proteas were playing an inspiring and exciting brand of cricket.
When Walter declared that the Proteas were out to play an inspiring brand of cricket after losing a T20 series to Australia, many must have snickered. It’s hard to inspire people when no one watches. The Proteas could have been playing on the moon and no one would have cared. They were written off before they left foot for India.
And as far as South African cricket is concerned, they showed the system what is possible with the current blueprint. For a long time, domestic teams operated in individual bubbles and the ecosystem did not work towards a single national team playing blueprint.
The Proteas’ World Cup campaign will have a bigger impact than the coaches’ conferences Nkwe and his team conducted and will go a long way in changing attitudes at the provincial level. Domestic cricket will be less resistant to shelving the old methods and adopting this brand of cricket.
The 2023 World Cup saw a few storylines come to life. Australia affirmed their position as the best ODI-playing nation, India established itself as an ODI juggernaut, England's 50-over dominance era came to an end, and for New Zealand, it was the end of something. For the Proteas, it is the beginning of something, the beginning of a new era. This is the team that has ushered it. That is why it is a special team. This is the team that built the template.
“We are at the early stages of our philosophy. We have trusted the process over the past 18 months and will do so as we prepare for 2027. The good thing is that the core for the next World Cup is in this team already. So, whatever happens today, we will not lose sight of the big picture,” said Nkwe just before he left to join the Proteas for the ride to Eden Gardens.
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Thanks for reading. Until next time… - CS