Every great moment in sport has a face associated with its defining moment.
In some cases there are even three faces, like in the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa - the image engraved in my head is that of Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar lifting the trophy.
If you’d ask me for a single face to remember that tournament by, it’d be Jonah Lomu.
But from the oval ball to the red and round ball. I was watching a movie called 83 on Netflix the other night. Based on that year’s Cricket World Cup, which was pre-Duidelike Dudley - I celebrated India’s success like it was 1983.
What a story. The face of that particular story is Kapil Dev and it revolves around him leading his country to glory.
Here is a team whose only win at a World Cup was against East Africa - someone in the India camp mentioned that it’s not only a real company. Their tickets back to India were booked after the knockouts, they were given no chance of even thinking about making the finals.
But they had a man called Kapil Dev, whose mother never said good luck when was going to play a game, but who told him to go win.
And in the words of his character in 83: “Taste success once, tongue wants more…”
I’m not here to give away spoilers or to do a movie review, but as a sports fan it’s definitely worth a watch.
So why am I telling you about a movie and India’s success story? Simply because it reminded me about a little cricket team called Bangladesh.
For years the minnows of the big teams in world cricket, it’s no longer possible to ignore coach Russell Domingo and his Tigers.
Yet, people think it’s a walkover and expect to beat them every time they cross swords. Our Proteas found out the hard way that this is not the case in limited overs cricket, losing the series 2-1 last week.
This week they have an opportunity to get revenge for that ODI defeat when the Test series starts at Kingsmead today.
But die koel is deur die kerk and Bangladesh just cemented their spot at the top of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers log.
Here’s the thing, I reckon Domingo is busy with something big and he could turn out to be the face of an India-like success story here.
Now in Bangladesh this story might have a different face, but here in South Africa I want to single out one of our own.
What Domingo has done to get Bangladesh to be really competitive is rope in help from all over. He most recently brought in fellow South African Allan Donald as fast bowling coach, while Rangana Herath is in charge of the spinners.
He also had Ottis Gibson in his coaching team, former Cape Cobras coach Ashwell Prince, one of the Flowers from Zimbabwe en so kan ons aangaan.
But, for me, that’s the key to their success.
It tells me Domingo is humble enough to realise that he is not a know-it-all and that he needs expert help in the various departments. I am a firm believer that experts in the game - manne who can execute the skills - make the best one-on-one coaches. I don’t want to learn carpentry from a guy who studied it on Youtube and then wants to tell me what to do. I’d much rather have him show me.
Anyway, experts in their fields - very important.
What does this, is not only show to the players that you have to play to your strengths, but it equips them with knowledge from a broad base. Die dinge wat former West Indies fast bowler Gibson couldn’t teach you, SA’s White Lightening Donald can.
I’m getting carried away.
As we enter the first Test, I’m going to say it: ‘I don’t expect much from Bangladesh in the five-day format’.
But I’m not going to be like David Frith, who had to literally wash down his words with a glass of red win after India had won the 1983 World Cup, to write them off completely - especially given the fact that South Africa will be playing with a second string.
However, I come here with a serious warning to world cricket - watch out for the Tigers, there’s something brewing in that camp.