Over to you Proteas.
After false starts for Bafana Bafana and the Springboks, could our cricketers give us South African sports fans something to shout about?
Let’s cross every part of our bodies and hope for the best.
With our soccer team off to a poor start from coronavirus lockdown and the world champions Boks deciding to sit this year’s defence of their Rugby Championship out, Wednesday’s news that the Proteas will get a shot at England made my week.
Cricket hasn't been healthy in the last while, following on from last year’s World Cup disaster with off-field sagas and an administrative meltdown of epic proportions.
The racial divide in the game was laid bare after Lungi Ngidi’s support of the Black Lives Matter cause.
Yes, here in South Africa people still don’t understand that people affected by prejudice suffer the most.
And there’s no telling how deep the rabbit hole goes as SA cricket goes through arguably it’s lowest low since readmission from Apartheid sanctions.
But, for now, let’s leave that all in the background as the Proteas prepare to take on world champions England in six limited-overs clashes from the end of next month.
Eoin Morgan’s manne come to Mzansi with series against the West Indies and Pakistan under their belts.
And our manne? Those who aren’t competing in the IPL haven’t faced a ball yet, with the domestic season only launching at the start of next month.
So let’s take a look at what we can expect from the Proteas in the next month.
Fresh blood
Victor Mpitsang’s appointment as the new convenor of selectors has nogal been a big boost to game.
I haven’t seen what Pat Symcox and Boeta Dippenaar think of a black man doing the job, maar nou ja, they can keep their thoughts to themselves.
But former Proteas paceman Mpitsang seems like a good pick for the job.
Since his retirement from the game eight years ago, the Kimberley-born speedster has been become a student of the game.
Working in various levels in SA, he should be in touch with what hidden talent is out there and bring into the national fold.
At 40 years old, he is that age where he is aware of the mistakes of the past, but knows very well what the state of play is in the modern game.
He should be up-to-date with the freshest trends in the game.
Cricket’s three formats each highlight different skillsets in players.
And his job will be to identify the players who are the best at their disciplines and also who performs in the formats.
I’d also like to see him take the sort of risks that the likes of England, India and Australia take in their selections.
There is no rule that says you can’t stick a pinch-hitter in a Test team to change the complexion of a game in 10 overs.
How about bringing young players into the setup rather that wait until half the team goes into retirement at the same team?
Mpitsang comes across as a measured thinker, but I’d also like him to look for solutions outside the box too.
IPL form
Unless the manne in our domestic four-day competition go pedal to the mettle, the
Proteas’ top performers against the Pom are most likely going to be those in IPL action right now.
Ahead of last night’s action Kagiso Rabada was five wickets clear at the top of the charts with 21 scalps after 10 games.
With Anrich Nortje also in the top 10 with 12 wickets, SA have two frontline bowlers who a number of Englishman are seeing close up.
And with Nortje bowling a record speed in the IPL, I can’t wait to see them.
Faf du Plessis was the top run-scoring foreigner and fourth overall in the tournament – his 375 runs in 10 games coming at a strike rate of 141.50.
Limited-overs captain Quinton de Kock is also in the top 10, with 322 from nine games at 146.36.
Will we see AB de Villiers return? His 285 runs in 10 games sees him join England captain Morgan and tourists Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler in the top 20.
But before we look at him, maybe CSA should make a plan to get some of the less-involved manne back home to get them some game time.
After a promising start to the tournament, paceman Ngidi is on the sidelines.
Chris Morris is also impressing and should play a part against England.
Ou man Dale Steyn played just twice, Imran Tahir and speedster Hardus Viljoen have gotten no game, while David Miller didn’t face a ball in the one game he was involved in.