The Proteas will need to focus on a more attacking playing style as much as fresh personnel if they are to have any prospect of winning the home Cricket World Cup in 2027.
“We have to figure out what is stopping us,” Cricket SA’s director of national teams, Enoch Nkwe, wondered after returning from Pakistan along with the team on Friday.
Nkwe and CSA’s senior leadership, including CEO Pholetsi Moseki, have made it clear that winning the 2027 World Cup was imperative.
Internally, some CSA officials and members council representatives remain sceptical about Rob Walter staying on as coach, but Nkwe has stated that he will continue. The limited-overs side’s mentor has his full backing and he wants to provide better support for Walter over the next two years. “We have to empower him. Top of the list is ensuring we get a full-time batting coach and a full-time bowling coach,” said Nkwe.
Anton Roux has been acting as a consultant for the white ball teams and Imraan Khan was only seconded from his position in the High Performance structure to oversee the batting in Pakistan.
Besides sorting through the national contracts, which will be announced by the end of the month, the most pressing issue for Nkwe will be “zoning in” on why the Proteas style hasn’t been successful in playoff matches.
He agreed that the same pattern had emerged in the defeats South Africa suffered in the playoffs of the last three ICC events — most notably the ineffectiveness of the Proteas’ top players, while the opposition’s best players have stepped up and impacted the outcome.
South Africa’s overall intensity, aggression with the bat and poor “death” bowling have marked their defeats in the last three ICC limited overs tournaments. “Of course, that must start with the individuals, and we will talk to them about that, but it’s also the management and even the system in its entirety,” said Nkwe.
Individuals like Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas’ star players, will have to provide solutions because the scrutiny on them is only going to intensify at a home World Cup.
Building up to that tournament, South Africa will be taking the One-Day format a lot more seriously than was the case in the 15 months leading up to the Champions Trophy. The focus for many of the players was on last year’s T20 World Cup and then qualifying for the World Test Championship.
From Walter and Nkwe’s perspective, widening the depth of personnel available for the future to ensure the Proteas could be competitive in all three formats, was also crucial.
We have to empower [Walter]. Top of the list is ensuring we get a full-time batting coach and a full-time bowling coach
— Enoch Nkwe, Cricket SA director of national teams
The outcomes from that exercise have been largely positive, said Nkwe, but in the 30 months leading up to the next World Cup, the style and strategy of South Africa’s play will be aligned with building experience for the likes of Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs. “In terms of the next 24 to 30 months we will be zoning in on creating more stability and providing clarity to those players who will be strong candidates for selection in 2027.”
An essential part of that will be improving South Africa’s record in bilateral series. While the Proteas have lost just four of the 13 matches in the two 50-overs competitions Walter’s overseen, he has a 50% winning record in 24 ODIs in bilateral series.
Nkwe understands the public’s and some CSA administrators’ frustration with that record. “But it is not the time to drastically change course. We have always been clear regarding what the last two years were about,” he said.
“Over the next 12 months, there will be some great opportunities to test players against strong opponents, including India, Australia and England. We want to use between 20 and 25 players in the lead-up before selecting a final World Cup squad.”
Unlike the period before the Champions Trophy, Nkwe said Walter would have the senior players available for ODIs more regularly.
He expects as many as four different faces to be part of the 2027 squad, and is keen for skipper Temba Bavuma to be part of the team. “With Temba it’s year by year. He is very important for the transition and plays a crucial role for the young players. We don’t want to lose that, and want to focus on building a better support structure for him, on and off the field.”
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