South Africa have had to hear the “chokers” taunt every now and then.
However, inspiring performances from Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram and above all, captain Temba Bavuma, wrote a fresh script for the Proteas, earning them their second ICC trophy in the form of the World Test Championship (WTC) crown with a win over Australia in the final at Lord’s earlier this year.
A series draw braving tough conditions in Pakistan followed, but what’s “right up there” with their WTC triumph is the Eden Test win over India, where they had to defend just 124 runs.
The win at Lord’s and at the Eden certainly underpin a rejuvenated South African side, which banks more on team effort. Sunday’s victory, in particular, is a big instance of their changed psyche: the will to win regardless of the situation.
Head coach Shukri Conrad highlighted it on Sunday, while Henning Gericke, a high performance coach and a sports psychologist who was a part of the Proteas
support staff during the 2011 ODI World Cup, elaborated on the aspect.
“This Proteas side has fewer of big names, but these guys are braver and don’t carry any baggage,” Gericke told The Telegraph from Johannesburg on Monday.
“With Bavuma’s good leadership skills, these players are not scared of expressing themselves even under pressure and importantly, have the winning mentality, which showed in the wins over Australia and India. Winning close games has strengthened their mental belief, building on their resilience,” Gericke added.
Rugby role
The South Africa rugby team, having won the Rugby World Cup four times, also has a contribution to the Proteas’ changed mindset.
“Our rugby team captain (Siya Kolisi) and coach (Rassie Erasmus) keep in touch with Temba and Shukri, sharing their on-field experiences. That’s a learning as well, as cricketers are embracing this winning mentality from the rugby guys,” Gericke, currently working for football club Kaizer Chiefs FC, said.
Bit of concern
It was learnt that the spin duo of Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, along with pacer Marco Jansen, visited a city hospital late on Monday evening for a check-up.
The Proteas, with an unbeatable 1-0 lead in the series, will hope it’s not too serious.
