South Africa reap rewards of picking a team for the conditions, proving again they can win the hard way, and anywhere.
South Africa engineered a rare and hard-earned run of subcontinent success.
They claim that South Africans are distinct in that they thrive in difficult circumstances. Take consecutive trips of the subcontinent to begin defending your World Test Championship (WTC) crown. I accept the challenge. Win a series in locations you haven’t visited in 25 years (India) and 18 years (Pakistan)? Yes. First, do it without your captain, and second, without your best seamer. Bring it.
While it is true that South Africans enjoy the arrogance of all of this, it also maintains that their ascent back up the international cricket rankings over the past six years was the result of painstaking preparation and attention to detail.
One of the most important things South Africa has done well throughout that time is selection. It may seem apparent, but they have selected squads and starting lineups only on the basis of who they believe can perform well in a particular setting, against a particular team, not on reputation, and occasionally not even on form. Tristan Stubbs at No. 3 and Lungi Ngidi for the WTC final at Lord’s, who hasn’t played red-ball cricket in ten months, are two examples of how it hasn’t always looked obvious, but so far it has all worked. Better than ever for the past two months.
Simon Harmer’s recall was a brilliant move for South Africa’s visits to Pakistan and India. It showed how well South Africa has made the right decisions for the present by putting the problems of the past behind them.
Since leaving the nation’s cricket scene during the 2017 Kolpak migration, Harmer has held strong views on a variety of topics, including the security of a career in South Africa and the implementation of reform initiatives. The majority of what he did was impressive, but some of what he said has irritated.
Gaining that title also demonstrated to South Africa the effectiveness of their strategies. With no games against Australia or England and a home series versus India, the 2023–25 cycle didn’t seem all that difficult on paper. Rather, it was limited to six two-match series, and South Africa essentially lost one when they sent a weakened team to New Zealand to make room for the SA20. Every game was therefore extremely stressful, but coach Conrad had found a solution.
Harmer was correct. South Africa realised from away that in order to win in the subcontinent, they needed to have strong spinners in addition to their top spin players, such as Tony de Zorzi, who currently has two Test hundreds, both in Asia. Harmer had also developed into a really skilled spinner. He learnt how to change his tempo and bowl on occasionally unfavourable tracks in England. Harmer was able to demonstrate those abilities once more ten years after making his debut and was dropped in India.
South Africa’s golden era began with series victories in Bangladesh in 2008, India in 2008, and Pakistan in 2007. They won in England, Australia, and Sri Lanka while going 15 series without losing away from home.
This time, the order is a little different because last year’s success in Bangladesh gave them their first subcontinental triumph in ten years, and they won in India but drew in Pakistan. The final one is a generational accomplishment at a time when India is more powerful than ever, both as a team and as the dominant force in the game’s economy.
Enoch Nkwe, the head of National Teams and High Performance, deserves special recognition for building the frameworks that have allowed the current success to flourish, but it has required time and faith in themselves and those in charge to get back up. They’ve done so, and now they’re enjoying themselves while running on the most difficult routes.