I am not one to brag, in fact I rather despise braggarts. They have a condescending manner in which they want everyone to know how great they are and more often than not it comes across in rather poor taste.
It is however time for me to recognise the achievements of the Proteas.
As a passionate rugby person, cricket doesn’t often bring about the same passion and excitement, probably due to the fact that it isn’t a contact sport and I was never very good at it.
Currently the media, pundits and many individuals are swooning over the Proteas, the bowling of Dale Steyn, the batting of Jaques Kallis, Hashim Amla and the fact that Graeme Smith has now achieved 100 Tests as captain.
The funny thing is this run of form started more than five years ago.
Since an away Test series loss in Sri Lanka in 2006, South Africa have completed 22 Test series and only lost one.
If you break it down into unbeaten series runs, South Africa had a very good run between the series loss in Sri Lanka during 2006 and the return series versus Australia at home in January 2009.
During that period they completed a run of 10 series unbeaten and winning nine of them. Since the home series loss versus Australia in 2009, South Africa have now had an unbeaten series run of 11, with seven wins.
When one looks back at the history of South African cricket during this period, it isn’t the ranking that will be revered, but rather the record of series wins.
The question remains though: Why has South Africa been so successful over the past five years?
Batting
The entry of Hashim Amla, the development of AB de Villiers and solid dependable performances up front from Graeme Smith has given Kallis more confidence in his batting line-up, which in the past was always perceived to be brittle.
With these four batsmen regularly featuring in the top ten batting rankings it has changed the fortunes of South African cricket.
Where in the past you needed to get Smith and Kallis to effectively roll them over, you now have a top seven which can and often does deliver on any surface.
Bowling
Dale Steyn made a rather mediocre debut in 2004, but when he made his much improved return in 2006 he has been at the top for almost five years.
South Africa did experiment quite a bit with different bowlers and when Mkaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock eventually retired, they struggled to get a solid bowling line-up together.
However, the arrival of Morne Morkel (who slowly but steadily improved) and Vernon Philander who came onto the scene with a bang, has now given the Proteas a seam bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets with regularity.
Not to be forgotten, Jaques Kallis now revels in his new role as partnership breaker. No longer does he bowl more than 5-6 overs per innings, but his more managed approach as partnership breaker has brought him a new and improved strike rate over the past 18 months or so.
Fielding
The Proteas have always prided themselves on their outfield capabilities, and there aren’t many teams that boast a better slip cordon than Smith, Kallis and Alviro Petersen.
Leadership
Few can doubt the importance of Graeme Smith as a leader. Not the most popular captain around, his brashness was often mistaken for arrogance and overconfidence in the early parts of his captaincy.
He is often seen as a conservative leader, not always willing to take enough risks either when it comes to declarations or field placing, but then the DNA of a South African doesn’t permit us to be maverick all that often.
Smith leads from the front, he doesn’t expect his players to do anything he isn’t prepared to do himself and in my view, that gung ho, shoulder to the grindstone attitude was needed to rid South Africa of the legacy and environment they found themselves in after the Hansie Cronje saga.
Mentality and approach
When Gary Kirsten was appointed the new coach of the Proteas, one of his first goals were to rid the South African mindset of its stoic, militaristic approach and free the structures within the Proteas to the point where individuals were given responsibility for their own actions.
Players are now given programs for fitness and preparation and it is up to them to ensure they perform at the required levels. They will therefore take full accountability if they fail.
He also wanted the Proteas to change their methodology by focusing on the processes during the game and not the outcome, effectively taking away the dogged inflexible methodology that has become part and parcel of South African sport in general.
Thinking outside the box is encouraged rather than frowned upon and flexibility in the match situation has become the mantra.
It also doesn’t hurt to now have ex-internationals such as Donald and Kirsten to impart their knowledge and experience onto the Proteas, something that wasn’t possible previously.
Where to from here?
There is still a lot that can improve in this Proteas team. South Africa is not known for their class spin options, Imran Tahir, Robin Peterson and even JP Duminy are all good first class spin bowlers, but very unlikely to command a spot in any other international cricket team.
Depth and exposure to international cricket is something that is an ongoing process and although Kirsten wants to play his best match day XI wherever possible, it is important to ensure the replacements are up to standard, come injury or retirement.
There is a balance in this cricket team, the players all seem to understand that, and overall they seem a happy bunch proud to play for their country and one another.
Siyabonga Nkosi
Guest
Wow wow wow, I am really proud to be the South African. These guys play beautiful cricket. Amla,Steyn and the legendary Kallis are the best of the best.
mactheblack
Guest
Hi BB - My intro to my post postures whether it is any coincidence that these players, singled out by you, are players of colour - not once did I use the phrase "racist" and neither did I suggest you are. You are of course concluding that I am making" a veiled allegation you have a racial bias towards sport" purely by implication. Please, I am not saying you are racist mate. Maybe it's you who owe these players an apology for suggesting: "they are all good first class spin bowlers, but very unlikely to command a spot in any other international cricket team." What kind of comment is that mate? When SA is No 1 in the world? The problem with us fans is that we want success, on our own terms, when we need to be more patient. Maybe as an example, you should research Shane Warne's bowling stats when he debuted for Australia, before becoming a great. At SCG in 1992 for his debut Test against India, he took 1/150 off 45 overs, 0/78 in the fourth Test in Adelaide - with overall figures of 1/228 for the series, and was dropped for the fifth Test at the WACA. His poor form continued in the first innings against Sri Lanka at Colombo, in which he recorded 0/107. Imran Tahir not so young of course, but he does bring something different in terms of variety - and I'm sure the selectors are still keeping an eye on him. His googly is also a special weapon. Peterson has unfortunately been a victim of selectors and captain dithering over his selection for many seasons - and, has been, together with now-retired Boeta Dippenaar the yo-yo man, (unfairly so) of the side, The upside is he had worked hard at his game and has come back a far better bowler. Yours a good and interesting post but unfortunately sullied by the above quote: "they are all good first class spin bowlers, but very unlikely to command a spot in any other international cricket team." Hope we can put it to bed now.
clipper
Guest
This is certainly a golden period for South Africa with the balanced line up you highlight. Hope Kallis and keep going for awhile longer and not fall into the Ponting/Tendulkar diminishing returns scenario. Not long now for him to be the only batting all rounder to be in the 3000 runs 300 wickets club.
Grow up mac, not every white South African is a racist. The weakness I see in our team is a quality spin bowler. Duminy is parttime, He bowls on average 6-7 overs in an innings, he takes the odd wicket at an average of 42. Tahir is simply not good enough, either you are a containment bowler or a strike bowler, taking a wicket every 82 balls at a cost of 50 does not a great bowler make. Robin Peterson is rhe best of a bad bunch, when batsmen go after him he is successful, when they don't he doesn't often get wickets. He might improve but if we can get a better spinner I doubt he will remain in the team. Elgar wasn't mentioned as He hasn't even been given the ball apart from 1 over, so he isn't even in consideration. In your infinite wisdom, are there any white spinners around? None that I know of. I really do suggest that you stop seeing every comment or opinion in colour, as I don't, I take exception to your veiled allegation that I have a racial bias towards sport. I personally think you owe me an apology.
mactheblack
Guest
Is it any coincidence that Peterson, Tahir and Duminy, whom you suggest would not make any other international team are so-called players of colour? I reckon you meant they wouldn't earn a spot in other international teams - as bowlers .. Duminy is worth his salt as a batsman and as a part-time bowler. Peterson's bowling has improved in leaps and bounds and he is an integral part of the set-up ... admittedly he's got to sharpen up his batting; but is a better batsman than the averages suggest. But you have to look at who's coming in before him, so he hardly gets a bat. His fielding skills, well, a no-brainer really ... fantastic in the field. Tahir's leaking runs at test level, but gives Graeme a different option; a few tweaks here and there playing domestic cricket and he'll still come into the reckoning I guess. You are watering down the ethic and stature of this team by suggesting these players would not make any other international team. When I last checked SA still N0 1 in tests- do you think they expect nothing less than the best from their players selected to do the job? Bet you'd like to have a go at Amla too then - unfortunately the stats speaks for themselves. Alviro, whom many pundits wrote off - is answering his critics making the opening berth his own. Why don't you mention Dean Elgar, -except for a century on what was a placid pitch in PE, he still has to prove that he's got what it takes in PE. By the way at team like Australia could make do with a bowler like Petersen, looking at what guys like Lyon and other guys before him in the post-Warne era are dishing up. I still maintain SA not as potent with the old ball compared to the new ball - and intimidation is also contributory to their success Their success also hides the numerous batting collapses they too have experienced along theway . How long will they keep it up is the question? Consistency is the mark of excellence.
Fancytips, the problem is there is so much to say when you start analysing it in more depth. Like the fact that Kallis in his last sixty tests have scored just 2 centuries lest than his first 100 tests, the fact that his strike rate has increas by 10 runs per hhundred balls since Amla and co are in the team. Steyn in his first 13 tests averaged 30 with the ball and how his effectiveness have improved, his start to his career puts him way down the list in fastest to 50 wickets, but he has mase up so much ground he and Waqar Younis took around 12500 deliveries to 300 wickets roughly a 1000 balls quicker than anyone else, and going the way he is going now will be the fastest to 350 wickets. That on batsmen frinedly wickets. The fact that AB de Villiers is probably the most complete batsman in all three formats, average near 50 in all of them. Graeme Smith who holds the record for the most number of triple century opening stands (four by memory) The list goes on and on, it would likely take a 10 pager to list everything I would need to.
Bokke spyker naas
Guest
And don't make any excuses of it being bragging BB. We fully deserve it and it's about time.
FantasyTips1
Roar Rookie
As soon as I read the headline of this article (despite it being related to cricket, I just knew it was you behind it. I'll admit I'm not sure I've ever watched a cricket player I have admired more than Kallis. A constand thorn for any opposition side. Surprised you hadn't mentioned about Faf in there. Still early days but looks like he's got the goods with bat in hand and makes the ladies swoon at the same time. As you mentioned, the only weakness in the side looks to be spin so if you manage to include a master of that then it's a complete team. Australia has just come out of it's golden period so I say lap up the glory days while they last, the unwavering form of this cricket team prove that all the allocades are well deserved.