Spirit of optimism grips Proteas despite T20 World Cup final heartbreak

GROS ISLET, SAINT LUCIA - JUNE 21: Keshav Maharaj of South Africa celebrates the wicket of Jos Buttler of England during the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 Super Eight match between England and South Africa at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on June 21, 2024 in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

By Yanga Sibembe

4 Jul 2024

The wounds from a narrow defeat in the T20 World Cup final still sting the Proteas. Within that, however, there is optimism that a firm foundation for World Cup success has finally been laid down.

South Africa’s senior men’s cricket side is still feeling the psychological effects of their recent bittersweet T20 World Cup campaign in the West Indies and the US. Nevertheless, the Proteas are optimistic that reaching a World Cup final for the first time will benefit them in future international tournaments.

The Proteas fought valiantly to reach their maiden World Cup final, notching up an eight-match winning streak on their way to setting up a nail-biting final with India.

They succumbed to a potent Indian side hungry for success after their last triumph at an International Cricket Council competition was in 2011 when they won the 50-over World Cup.

Rob Walter, head coach of South Africa, talks to media during a press conference as part of the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 at Brian Lara Cricket Academy on 25 June 2024 in Tarouba, Trinidad & Tobago. (Photo: Matthew Lewis-ICC / ICC via Getty Images)

“We were all happy to be part of a great spectacle in terms of the final. The level of skill was awesome throughout,” the Proteas’ white-ball coach, Rob Walter, told journalists at Cricket South Africa’s headquarters in Johannesburg on Thursday.

“To lose like that [by seven runs] always hurts. When margins are small, you’re always reflecting on what might have been.

“But with that said, it was no disgrace to lose it because of some great skill [by players such as Virat Kohli] and particularly from Jasprit Bumrah. He was incredible at the back end of the game. But it’s a small consolation.”

Keshav Maharaj of South Africa celebrates the wicket of Jos Buttler of England during the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 Super Eight match between England and South Africa at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on 21 June 2024 in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. (Photo: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images)

An interesting journey

Walter, who was appointed as head coach last year, earned the job through his meticulous and methodical approach to the game.

Before the appointment, he was the Proteas’ strength and conditioning coach from 2009 and 2013, after which he was employed by the Titans. He then moved to New Zealand, where he coached domestically from 2016 until March 2023, when he took charge of his first match as the Proteas’ limited-overs mentor.

“Whilst it’s been 17 months, it feels like four months. As a team, we have achieved great things in a short space of time. But that’s not only down to me. That’s down to all the work that happened before and since I’ve started and [all that] my management staff has invested tirelessly into the team,” Walter said.

“We’ve progressed. There’s no doubt about that. This World Cup showed it, with the team winning through small moments. In the past, those matches might have not gone our way.

“So, there was huge resilience shown … a large skill set [under varying conditions]. The team is ever-growing. The game is progressing quickly and we need to progress with it. So yes, we’ve made strides, but we’re by no means a finished article,” said Walter.

“I’m hoping the progression continues. From semifinalists to finalists, to winners — that would be ideal. Hopefully, we continue to grow as a side and keep putting ourselves in a position where we can compete.”

‘Hurt will fuel us’

Walter’s sense of optimism was shared by spinner Keshav Maharaj, who took 11 wickets during South Africa’s best World Cup campaign to date.

“I’m very optimistic on what the future has in store for us. It is painful to come so close. It does take a lot out of you. Especially considering that for eight weeks, we gave it everything out there. It showed in our performances. There’s a renewed belief, compared to what we had before,” Maharaj told journalists.

“To create history and make a final is a step in the right direction… The hurt will fuel people in the right direction. There’s a lot of optimism in the squad. A lot of hope and belief that were going to turn that corner.

“It does not have to look pretty. It just has to be effective,” he said of a campaign which included narrow escapes against the likes of Bangladesh and Nepal on the way to the team’s final heartbreak.

With the men following the Proteas women in reaching a maiden international tournament final, the future looks bright for South African cricket. DM

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An interesting journey

‘Hurt will fuel us’