GOLDEN OLDIES? Laaste kans for SA’s oumanne to win an international cricket tournament
HANSIE Cronje remains the only South African senior cricket captain to have won an international competition of some sorts, when they lifted the 1998 Wills International Cup - modern-day Champions Trophy.
The Proteas beat the West Indies by four wickets in the final of that tournament and won it by implementing some innovative tactics.
The heroes of that final were two of the country’s best allrounders in recent decades - Cronje and Jacques Kallis.
The latter took 5/30 and scored 37 runs, while the former scored an unbeaten 51 to help SA to 248/6 in reply to the Windies’ 245 all out.
On that day, SA opened the batting with Darryl Cullinan - a middle-order batsman and an allrounder in Mike Rindell.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher batted at No.3 in a team which had a fluid batting lineup, with the likes of allrounders Kallis, Cronje, Derek Crookes, Nicky Boje, Pat Symcox, added to batsman Jonty Rhodes and the only player who wouldn’t be considered an allrounder fast bowler Steve Elworthy.
That team was spin-heavy in the Dhaka, Bangladesh tournament - a blueprint perhaps for this team?
However you look at it, current captain Temba Bavuma and his manskappe have every chance of winning this tournament this year.
To be honest, I think they kind of have to. The reason for that is that I believe this will be the laaste tournament for a number of mense in their team - including Bavuma and his coach Rob Walter.
At 34, Bavuma is not getting any younger and with the next World Cup being in 2027 I have my doubts on whether he will still lead that team - especially considering the amount of geharde youngsters coming through the system now.
Joining Bavuma in that “now or never” tournament-win class are the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen and Tabraiz Shamsi.
Those are all manne who, on their day, can single-handedly win big matches and 10-1 they will still be on fire come 2027, but you get the feeling that this is a turning point for the South African cricket team.
Klaasen is 33 and is perhaps still in with a shot in 2027, while Maharaj is 35, Miller 35, Van der Dussen 36 and Shamsi 35.
These manne will probably not remember much of the days when SA won the tournament back in 1998 - they would have been between the ages of five and eight if my math is correct.
But they will do well to druk on the number of the Class of 98 and possibly sign off their international tournament careers with gold around their necks.
Good luck manne, may you become golden oldies.