Rabada and Bavuma leading the mood swing in SA cricket

Kagiso Rabada has admitted that the “turmoil” that engulfed South African cricket over the last few years took away his enjoyment of the sport. 

“Personally, I did my best but it was incredibly tense and I didn’t enjoy it,” the superstar fast bowler remarked.  

“There was turmoil in the last three years off the field. You just didn’t have that enjoyment and that can completely break a team. When a team is not unified you can’t ever enjoy the game.”

Years of administrative controversy at Cricket SA and the upheaval caused by the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings had taken the spotlight off performances on the field and, for the players, the distraction proved overwhelming. 

However, in the last three months especially, Rabada said, there was a growing feeling of optimism. “I get the sense that has changed.”

Whether it be the galvanising effect of Temba Bavuma’s recent successes with the bat, the Proteas women’s team’s run to the final of the T20 World Cup, or playing in the SA20, Rabada felt the mood around South African cricket was more uplifting and something the players were beginning to revel in and Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) administrators needed to harness.

“Having the right people who will manage all the unique intricacies that SA has to face, if you have the right people to manage that, that is the key. If there are people who can’t manage it, then we are going to fall by the wayside,” said Rabada.

It has been the players who have led the mood change through performances on the field, and for the men’s team in particular, Bavuma’s three centuries in his last seven innings for the Proteas have been inspirational.

“Temba is a good player and what he has gone through has been extremely tough and he has had to be extremely resilient. He is incredibly mentally strong,” said Rabada.

Bavuma’s 172 in the second innings of the second Test against the West Indies not only rescued the Proteas but turned the match — which was in the balance at the time he started batting — in their favour.

“With the criticism he has gone through, I was so relieved for him.”

Rabada pointed to Bavuma’s contributions in the ODI format too — the hundreds against England and last week against the West Indies, which showed what good form he’s been in. He became the third-fastest player to score 1,000 ODI runs for South Africa.

“With a player who has been earmarked as a quota player from the time that he starts to play, there is always going to be a lot of tension around the fact that he is not performing at a certain stage — and then it always gets blown out of proportion.”

Bavuma, Rabada and others in the Proteas set-up have begun to understand that what is said outside of the team environment doesn’t matter at all. “The excess pressure ... it’s almost as if you really shouldn’t be too mindful of it. At the end of the day it is only going to stall you,” said Rabada.

“It is a hard thing to do, but it is liberating. Anyone can say anything, that’s not going to change what needs to happen in the middle, it literally won’t change anything.”

Bavuma’s recent performances have been inspirational, Rabada said.

“The pressures that he has been through and how he has overcome them, it gives belief to other players that they can do the same,” he added.

"With him playing as a leader, he’s a guy who cares about each individual in the team. I know for a fact that if anyone were to reach out, he’d be willing to assist with everything he has got. So, his success does have a galvanising effect.”

It’s a case of baby steps for the Proteas. There have been changes in crucial administrative and team management positions in the last 12 months.

First the appointment of Enoch Nkwe as director of cricket and more recently making Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter Test and One-Day coaches respectively, has provided the opportunity to create a new environment that has led to players freely expressing themselves. 

Cricket workloads these days are ridiculous and guys need to have their mental space and a physical break

—  Rabada

“There’s been an umbrella-like feel to the information that has been passed down. The main word is positive. It’s fresh and exciting, it allows for exuberance and it’s been working,” said Rabada.

He has revelled in it, helping to mentor young players like Gerald Coetzee, who made his Test debut three weeks ago, while the elevation of Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton created depth and crucially allowed someone like him to take a much-needed break. 

“Cricket workloads these days are ridiculous and guys need to have their mental space and a physical break. It is impossible to just keep playing and playing and expect to perform at a world-class level,” said the 27-year-old.

“All the years of playing without a break ... it catches up and you age as well. Things don’t happen as seamlessly as they did in the past. It’s about managing what it looks like, going forward.”

Will that future include a home World Cup in 2027? “I hope to make it to the World Cup in 2027. I think I can.”