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TimesLIVE
13 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Proteas won public back and put demons to bed: Rassie van der Dussen
Proteas batter Rassie van der Dussen believes that winning the World Test Championship (WTC) at Lord's last week will inspire the South African public to take the Proteas seriously again. He believes the victory will go a long way healing scars for former stars like Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers, who were among many who suffered disappointments in 27 years of near-misses for the national team at major tournaments after South Africa's readmission to international sports in the early 1990s. Cricket in the country also endured a steep downfall in the recent past due to a host of factors, mostly the serious governance issues that plagued Cricket South Africa (CSA) in the early 2020s. The Proteas went from having big sponsors to none, as potential investors sought to distance themselves from the troubled sport. Like the sponsors, interest from the public dwindled. A 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 for South African sport 🥳🇿🇦 #SSCricket | #WTC25 — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 14, 2025 In the last two to three years, administration at CSA, after changes in personnel, has improved. Van der Dussen — who was given a hybrid rather than full-time contract for 2025-26 to spend more time in global T20 competitions and has accepted losing his red-ball place to emerging players — believes the team won the hearts of the public again with their superb victory in a glorious WTC final. South Africa came back from the dead for a five-wicket victory against Australia at Lord's. 'I think it will make people take Proteas cricket seriously again. In the last few years, even though we [the Proteas] have got to [World Cup] semifinals, people always compare cricket and rugby,' Van der Dussen said. 'It's like a cricket is good, but rugby wins World Cups type of thing. "𝐎𝐇𝐇𝐇 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐕𝐔𝐌𝐀!" 🥳🎶 #SSCricket | #WTC25 — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 14, 2025 'After all the stuff the CSA board went through in the early 2020s and all that political drama, it's almost like people weren't taking CSA, and the Proteas by extension, seriously. They were like, if you win, it's a bonus. 'Even the narrative leading up to this final, was like, 'Yeah, the Proteas only played the lesser teams and snuck into the final'. It's like, what do you have to do to get the credit you deserve? 'I think this win now is going to do that.' Van der Dussen believes CSA's turnaround has been integral in supporting the work of coach Shukri Conrad getting the Proteas flourishing again. 'They're actually doing some good things at CSA and the Proteas are actually doing some good things. I think it's a culmination of years of, I want to say graft, and years of being honest and getting the right people in the right places; years of good guys putting their head down and putting in the work and keeping believing.' "They always know better than the coaches anyway." 🤣❤️ There's something special about this @ProteasMenCSA outfit 🙌 #SSCricket | #WTC25 — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 14, 2025 After Kyle Verreynne hit the winning runs to secure the Test mace, former players, including Steyn and De Villiers, made emotional appearances around Lord's. Van der Dussen believes that the Proteas winning the WTC is an achievement that not only belongs to the 15 players who were in the squad in London, but also to the likes of Steyn and De Villiers, who helped pave the way for this success. 'This is a feat that goes hand in hand with the song that the Proteas sing: 'The fire stays burning, to those before us, and those to come, we play together as one'. 'The song started in the times when the Proteas fire started with [2003 to 2014 captain] Graeme [Smith] and AB and Dale — that batch. I think it's actually AB who was the main driver behind it. Kagiso Rabada gets by with a little help from his Proteas friends 'We haven't even been playing with each other for a long time and we produce this — I don't think that's normal.' Sport 8 hours ago 'So I want to say it started in 2010, somewhere there. It was really just a song acknowledging, as the words say, the guys who had been there and to the guys who are going to come. 'And just an acknowledgment of that, if you get to sing that song, you're a cog in this engine that keeps going, and it's not yours to keep. It's making the most of it while the sun is shining on you and trying to better the environment and the team and leave the team in a better space. 'But acknowledging there's going to be someone after you too, who's going to pick up the mantle.' 'There were 15 guys there [in the squad at Lord's] but I think it's come such a long way in putting to bed a lot of things the guys have been dealing with and carrying on themselves.' 'Through all those ICC events and all knockout matches we lost, there are guys who feel responsible and this puts to bed that.'
Telegraph
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
India's grip on cricket means Australia face wasted trip to Dubai
Australia travelled thousands of miles from Lahore to Dubai on Saturday, in the knowledge that they face making the return journey on Monday, without playing a game in between. The extraordinary arrangements were forced upon the Champions Trophy tournament organisers because of India being unable to travel to Pakistan, and being based in Dubai throughout the tournament. As such, the two semi-finalists from group B – Australia and almost certainly South Africa – will travel to Dubai after the pool stage in the knowledge that one of them will have to return to Pakistan for their semi-final. In International Cricket Council events, the venues for teams qualifying for the semi-finals are traditionally determined by their position in the group stages. For instance, with the winner of group A meeting the runner-up in group B during the first semi-final. But India's refusal to play in Pakistan has forced standard procedures to be abandoned for the Champions Trophy. Regardless of whether they win their final pool match against New Zealand or lose, in a game that will determine who comes top of group A and who comes second, India are guaranteed to play the first Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday. But, with the semi-finals pitting the winner of group A and runner-up in group B against each other and vice versa, the sides in group B will not know who meets India until after the conclusion of group A. As such, either the winners or runners-up in group B will have to face India on Tuesday. To avoid teams travelling to Dubai on Monday, ahead of a semi-final on Tuesday, the sides qualifying from group B instead made the journey to Dubai early, in the knowledge that the trip would be in vain for one. While Australia travelled from Lahore to Dubai during the day on Saturday – a three-hour flight – South Africa were set to fly to Dubai immediately after their match with England in Karachi on Saturday. India have been based in Dubai throughout the competition, meaning that they are the only country who will not have to travel or switch hotels during the competition. South Africa's batsman Rassie van der Dussen is among those who have criticised the arrangements for favouring India. 'It's definitely an advantage,' Van der Dussen said before the clash against England in Karachi. 'I saw that Pakistan was commenting about it, but it's definitely an advantage. If you can stay in one place, stay in one hotel, practice in the same facilities, play in the same stadium, on the same pitches every time, it's definitely an advantage. 'I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to know that. The onus would be on them to use that advantage. In a sense, it puts more pressure on them because whoever is going to play them in the semi or potentially the final is going to go there and the conditions are going to be foreign, but they [India] are going to be used to it. The pressure would be on them to get it right because they have all that knowledge.' On Monday, the day after the conclusion of India's game with New Zealand, both New Zealand and the side they will then meet in the semi-final will travel to Lahore, which hosts the second semi-final on Wednesday. If they end up playing their semi-final in Lahore after all, Australia's trip to Dubai would have been futile. In the Champions Trophy, while all other nations have had to prepare a squad on the basis of playing both in Pakistan and potentially the United Arab Emirates, India have been the lone nation guaranteed to play all their games in the same venue, and have picked their squad accordingly. India picked five spinners in their squad, in anticipation of turning wickets in Dubai. The unusual arrangements for the Champions Trophy semi-finals follow last year's T20 World Cup. During that competition, India were guaranteed to play their semi-final in Guyana, regardless of where they finished in the preceding stage. While every other country had to prepare to play semi-finals at two potential venues, India could focus all their energy on planning for Guyana's spinning conditions. They duly thrashed England in the semi-final.
Express Tribune
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
SA coach Walter wary of wounded England
South Africa's players attend a practice session on the eve of the crucial ICC Champions Trophy match against England at National Stadium in Karachi on Friday. PHOTO: AFP South Africa coach Rob Walter said his team will be wary of an under-performing England who have the ability to beat anyone on their day when they meet in a key Champions Trophy match on Saturday. The sides face off in Karachi with South Africa still in contention to reach the semi-finals of the 50-over tournament, while England are already out. A win will take the Proteas to the last four but defeat would leave them relying on the results of other teams and net run-rate. South Africa hammered Afghanistan in their opener but their second match against Australia was washed out without a ball being bowled. They now take on a wounded England whose captain Jos Buttler is under pressure to relinquish the leadership of the white-ball team. "League cricket around the world, they do well, which should suggest that they're adaptable," Walter told reporters. "If you look at the names on the sheet, I think there's some quality players there, there's no doubt about that. "Cricket can be fickle and sometimes that results in you losing. "To ask if I'm surprised (by England's performance), as I said I think there's good cricketers that could turn out tomorrow and deliver an international standard performance," he added. Buttler has been unable to replicate England's success as ODI and T20 captain since he led them to a T20 World Cup title in 2022. England won only three of their nine matches as defending champions at the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023. They faltered in the semi-final of last year's T20 World Cup and recently suffered a 3-0 ODI whitewash in India before the Champions Trophy. Pressed further on what needs to be done to stem England's rot, Walter said: "What I've learnt in times, you can never judge what's happening with a team unless you're actually walking in the shoes of the people that are on the ground with the team." "I think there's good people there who have done good things in cricket, working with good players, and I would suggest it's only a matter of time before they find success." Walter said Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen is set to return to the team after missing the opener due to an elbow injury. "He's a super player, isn't he?," said Walter. "And I think that you probably notice his strength also based on who the guys are around him that allow him to play that way." Van der Dussen weighs in on India's advantage in Dubai South African top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen has shared his thoughts on India playing all their matches at the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 at one venue in Dubai, calling it an advantage. Van der Dussen agreed with these views, adding that the opportunity to train and play at the same venue without having to travel between cities or countries gives India an edge. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that the ability to train and play in one place, coupled with the absence of any inter-city or inter-country travel, gives India an edge that they will be under pressure to fully exploit," he said. The 36-year-old South African batter also noted the benefit of being familiar with the same stadium and pitches throughout the tournament. "If you can stay in one place, stay in one hotel, practice in the same facilities, play in the same stadium, on the same pitches every time, it's definitely an advantage," he said. However, van der Dussen pointed out that this advantage could also put pressure on India. He explained that while India will be accustomed to the conditions, teams playing against them in the semi-finals or finals might find the conditions unfamiliar. afp
