South Africa national cricket team
South Africa cricket crest | ||||||||||
Test status acquired | 1889 | |||||||||
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Captain | AB de Villiers | |||||||||
Coach | Russell Domingo | |||||||||
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Test Matches | ||||||||||
First Test | v England at Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth, 12–13 March 1889 | |||||||||
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Last Test | v Australia at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide; 24–27 November 2016 | |||||||||
One-Day Internationals | ||||||||||
First ODI | v India at Eden Gardens, Calcutta; 10 November 1991 | |||||||||
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Last ODI | v Australia at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town; 12 October 2016 | |||||||||
World Cup Appearances | 6 (first in 1992) | |||||||||
Best result | Semi-final | |||||||||
T20 Internationals | ||||||||||
First T20I | v New Zealand at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg; 21 October 2005 | |||||||||
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Last T20I | v Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi; 28 March 2016 | |||||||||
World Twenty20 Appearances | 6 (first in 2007) | |||||||||
Best result | Semi-final | |||||||||
As of 27 November 2016 |
The South African national cricket team, nicknamed the Proteas (after South Africa's national flower, the king protea), represents South Africa in international cricket. It is administered by Cricket South Africa. South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test and One Day International (ODI) status.
As of 27 November 2016, South Africa has played 405 Test matches, winning 148 and losing 135.[8] The team has played 564 ODIs, winning 348, losing 194 and tying six, with 16 no-results.[9] Finally, it has played 91 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), winning 54 and losing 36, with one no-result.[10]
On 20 August 2012, South Africa became the top ranked team in test cricket for the first time. 8 days later, on 28 August 2012, it became the first team to top the rankings in all three formats of the game.[11]
South Africa is currently ranked fifth in Tests, second in ODIs and third in T20Is by the ICC.[12]
History
The South African cricket team toured England in 1947. At Trent Bridge, Captain Alan Melville and vice-captain, Dudley Nourse achieved a Test match record for a third wicket partnership of 319. The following year Nourse, 38-year-old captain of Natal, was appointed Captain for the 1948 MCC Test matches in South Africa.[13]
In 1970, the ICC voted to suspend South Africa from international cricket indefinitely because of its government's policy of apartheid, a policy which led them to play only against the white nations (England, Australia, New Zealand), and field only white players. This decision excluded players such as Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards and Mike Procter from partaking in international Test Cricket. It would also cause the emigration of future stars like, Basil D'Oliveira, Allan Lamb and Robin Smith, who both played for England, and Kepler Wessels, who initially played for Australia, before returning to South Africa. World class cricketers of their day like Clive Rice, Vintcent van der Bijl also never played Test Cricket despite their first class records.
The ICC reinstated South Africa as a Test nation in 1991 after the deconstruction of apartheid, and the team played its first sanctioned match since 1970 (and its first ever One-Day International) against India in Calcutta on 10 November 1991. South Africa's first test match after re-admission was against the West Indies in April 1992. The match was played in Bridgetown, Barbados and South Africa lost by 52 runs.
Since South Africa have been reinstated they have achieved mixed success, and hosted the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup in 2003. However, it is widely believed[14] the sides containing the likes of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten and Hansie Cronje grossly underachieved, gaining a reputation as "chokers", due to them reaching the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup four times, but failing to progress into the finals. In the second part of the 1990s, South Africa had the highest winning percentage in ODIs of any team, but they were knocked out of the 1996 World Cup in the quarter-finals, and then were eliminated on countback after tying their semi-final against Australia in 1999. In 2003, South Africa were one of the favourites but were eliminated by one run in the group stages after they had mistakenly counted the number of runs they needed.
They have also had bad press for failing in vital matches in global tournaments including the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.[15]
With Donald retiring, Cronje banned for match-fixing and later killed in a plane crash, and Pollock also retiring from international cricket, the team once again changed shape. Graeme Smith was made captain, although following injuries to Smith and Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince deputised as Test captain on 12 July 2006. At the age of 29, he became the first non-white man to captain the once all-white South African cricket team. Due to a racial quota policy, the side was once required to contain black players, unlike the past. However, that policy was rescinded in 2007.[16]
With the addition of class players such as AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, the South African Cricket team started rising in the ICC rankings. After many of the major players in the Australian side that had dominated the early 2000s had retired, the number one place in the ICC Test Championship was a wide open race, with India and England having short stints as the number one side. South Africa toured England in 2012 for a three Test series with the winner assured of being the world No. 1. South Africa went on to take the series comfortably 2–0 and claim the top spot in the rankings, a position they have held onto for over a full calendar year.[17]
In February 2014 South Africa took on Australia in a Test series, with the winner being ranked No. 1 team in the world. Australia won the series 2-1.[18] South Africa later in the year would regain the No. 1 ranking. As of 20th of March 2016 South Africa are ranked 3rd in Test Cricket.[19]
During this time of dominance in the Test arena, the ODI and T20I performances were far less consistent, as South Africa search for a winning formula ahead of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. A notable ODI series loss to New Zealand at home in January 2013, and a further loss in Sri Lanka highlighted South Africa's recent difficulties. Exits from the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy only served to improve South Africa's reputation as 'chokers' in major tournaments. In the latter years of Smith's career, South Africa split the captaincy in the shorter forms of the game, with the ODI side being led by AB de Villiers and the T20I side by Faf du Plessis. After Smith's retirement, Hashim Amla was appointed captain of the test side, leading his side to victory in his first test in charge, in Galle in Sri Lanka.
Tournaments
South Africa has a record of failing to win major tournaments and is much-maligned because of this. The 1992 Cricket World Cup, for example, featured a rain-affected semi-final played before the introduction of the Duckworth-Lewis rain rule. South Africa needed 22 runs from 13 balls when rain intervened. After the delay they were left in the situation of requiring 22 runs from one ball to progress. In 1996 they were eliminated in the quarter-finals despite being one of the fancied teams and having qualified first in their group.
South Africa hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup, but failed to progress beyond the group stage due to a misunderstanding of how many runs they needed to score in a rain-affected run chase. As a result of this, Shaun Pollock resigned as captain and was replaced by young batsman Graeme Smith, although Pollock continued to play for the team. Under Smith's leadership, South Africa has achieved some success, although they have been hampered by the retirements of many star players, including fast bowler Allan Donald and one-day specialist Jonty Rhodes. As a result, they had a poor 2004, only winning against the West Indies.
In the 2007 World Cup they had a rollercoaster ride that included dominant wins over England, the West Indies, Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland, and a narrow win over Sri Lanka, but devastating losses to Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh that cost them the No. 1 ranking. Then they bowed out in the semi-finals with their lowest ever score in a World Cup as Australia bowled them out for 149 and won by 7 wickets.
In the 2011 World Cup, South Africa topped Group B with the distinction of bowling out every side they played within the 50 over limit. In the quarter final they were beaten by New Zealand after suffering a dramatic collapse and losing eight wickets for 68 runs. They also hold the record of the highest successful run chase and made the highest total (the latter record has been surpassed) in One-Day Internationals (438–9 in 49.5 overs), in an iconic match against Australia on 12 March 2006. This game is considered by many to be the greatest One-Day International ever played.
South Africa beat Netherlands by 231 runs in Mohali in Group matches in ICC World Cup 2011, The 231-run win is the fourth largest margin of victory for any team in World Cups and the largest for South Africa in World Cups. It is also the second largest margin of victory for South Africa in ODIs on 3 March 2011.[20] The 87-run stand between JP Duminy and Colin Ingram is the highest for the sixth wicket for South Africa in World Cups. The highest sixth-wicket stand for South Africa in ODIs is the 137 between Hansie Cronje and Shaun Pollock against Zimbabwe in 1997. The triumph is South Africa's seventh by a fringe of hundred or more runs in World Cups.[21]
International grounds
Tournament history
Commonwealth Games
- 1998: Gold medal
Squad
This is a list of every player to have played for South Africa in the last year, and the forms of the game in which they have played. Alviro Petersen has played for the national side in that period, but has since retired from international cricket.
For the 2015–16 season Cricket South Africa awarded 17 players contracts to the national side from which selectors choose the core of the Test, One-Day and Twenty20 International teams.[22] Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Ryan McLaren were included on this list, despite not playing for the national side since March and November 2014 respectively. 12 players were awarded High Performance contracts, given to those on the fringes of the national side who have potential to develop. Beuran Hendricks who has not played for the national side since April 2014 respectively, and the uncapped Mangaliso Mosehle, Mthokozisi Shezi and Khaya Zondo were included on the list. Non-contracted players remain eligible for selection and can be upgraded to a Cricket South Africa contract if they gain regular selection. The players contracted are shown in bold.
Name | Age | Batting style | Bowling style | Domestic team | Forms | S/N | Contract | Notes |
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Batsmen | ||||||||
Hashim Amla | 33 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Cape Cobras | Test, ODI, T20I | 1 | National | |
Faf du Plessis | 32 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | Titans | Test, ODI, T20I | 18 | National | T20I Captain |
Temba Bavuma | 26 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Lions | Test | – | High Performance | |
Dean Elgar | 29 | Left-handed | Left arm orthodox | Knights | Test, ODI | – | National | |
Reeza Hendricks | 27 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Cape Cobras | T20I | High Performance | ||
David Miller | 27 | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | Dolphins | ODI, T20I | 10 | National | |
Justin Ontong | 36 | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | Cape Cobras | T20I | |||
Rilee Rossouw | 27 | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | Knights | ODI, T20I | 27 | High Performance | |
Stiaan van Zyl | 29 | Left-handed | Right-arm medium | Knights | Test | – | High Performance | |
Wicket-keepers | ||||||||
AB de Villiers | 32 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Titans | Test, ODI, T20I | 17 | National | ODI & Test Captain |
Quinton de Kock | 23 | Left-handed | Lions | Test, ODI, T20I | 12 | National | ||
Morné van Wyk | 37 | Right-handed | Dolphins | T20I | ||||
Dane Vilas | 31 | Right-handed | Cape Cobras | Test | – | |||
All rounders | ||||||||
Farhaan Behardien | 33 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Titans | ODI, T20I | 28 | High Performance | |
JP Duminy | 32 | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | Cape Cobras | Test, ODI, T20I | 21 | National | |
Albie Morkel | 35 | Left-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | Titans | T20I | 81 | ||
David Wiese | 31 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | Titans | ODI, T20I | 96 | ||
Pace Bowlers | ||||||||
Kyle Abbott | 29 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast–medium | Dolphins | Test, ODI, T20I | 87 | National | |
Marchant de Lange | 26 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Titans | ODI, T20I | |||
Morné Morkel | 32 | Left-handed | Right-arm fast | Titans | Test, ODI, T20I | 65 | National | |
Chris Morris | 29 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | Titans | Test, ODI, T20I | 2 | ||
Wayne Parnell | 27 | Left-handed | Left-arm medium-fast | Warriors | ODI, T20I | 7 | National | |
Vernon Philander | 31 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast–medium | Cape Cobras | Test, ODI | 24 | National | |
Kagiso Rabada | 21 | Left-handed | Right-arm fast | Lions | Test, ODI, T20I | 25 | National | |
Dale Steyn | 33 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Cape Cobras | Test, ODI | 8 | National | |
Spin Bowlers | ||||||||
Simon Harmer | 27 | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | Warriors | Test | – | High Performance | |
Eddie Leie | 30 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | Lions | T20I | High Performance | ||
Dane Piedt | 26 | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | Cape Cobras | Test | – | High Performance | |
Aaron Phangiso | 32 | Right-handed | Left arm orthodox | Lions | ODI, T20I | 69 | National | |
Imran Tahir | 37 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | Lions | Test, ODI, T20I | 99 | National |
Former and current players
National captains
Coaching staff
- Head Coach: Russell Domingo
- Assistant coach: Adrian Birrell
- Batting coach: Neil McKenzie[23]
- Bowling Coach: Charl Langeveldt
- Spin Bowling Coach: Claude Henderson
- Mental Conditioning Coach: Paddy Upton
- Performance analyst : Prasanna Raman
See also
- Cricket in South Africa
- History of Test cricket from 1884 to 1889
- History of Test cricket from 1890 to 1900
- International cricket in South Africa from 1971 to 1981
Notes
- ↑ "ICC Rankings". icc-cricket.com.
- ↑ "Test matches - Team records". ESPNcricinfo.com.
- ↑ "Test matches - 2016 Team records". ESPNcricinfo.com.
- ↑ "ODI matches - Team records". ESPNcricinfo.com.
- ↑ "ODI matches - 2016 Team records". ESPNcricinfo.com.
- ↑ "T20I matches - Team records". ESPNcricinfo.com.
- ↑ "T20I matches - 2016 Team records". ESPNcricinfo.com.
- ↑ "Records / South Africa / Test matches / Result summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ↑ "Records / South Africa / One-Day Internationals / Result summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ↑ "Records / South Africa / Twenty20 Internationals / Result summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ↑ McGlashan, Andrew (28 August 2012). "Amla ton leads SA to third No. 1 spot". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ↑ "ICC rankings – ICC Test, ODI and Twenty20 rankings". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ↑ The Times, 27 October 1948, Cricket South Africa's Captain
- ↑ Champions Trophy 2013: England (underachievers) v South Africa (chokers) battle to lose tags
- ↑ South Africa choke on their lines again Hugh Chevallier in Durban 20 September 2007 Cricinfo
- ↑ South Africa Remove Racial Quotas 7 November 2007 BBC Sport
- ↑ ICC Rankings 17 October 2013 ESPN Cricinfo
- ↑ "Results | South Africa v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ↑ "ICC Test Match Team Rankings International Cricket Council". http://www.icc-cricket.com. Retrieved 2016-03-20. External link in
|website=
(help) - ↑ "Netherlands vs South Africa, ICC World Cup 2011".
- ↑ "South Africa vs Ireland, ICC World Cup 2011".
- ↑ "CSA awards three new national contracts and three new High Performance contracts". Retrieved 2 November 2015.
- ↑ "South Africa call on England's nemesis". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2016-01-01.