Proteas fans dare to dream — but not yet

Can South African cricket fans dare to start dreaming about eventually winning a World Cup? Perhaps not just yet, as we are only approaching the business end of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. But we can marvel at the performance Aiden Markram’s team delivered in thrashing India by 76 runs in their first match of the Super 8 stage.

It was the host nation’s biggest defeat by runs in T20 World Cups and their second largest in all T20 internationals. But more than that, it was the way in which the Proteas went about their business that impressed. This Proteas set-up under the leadership of coach Shukri Conrad and captains Markram and Temba Bavuma (red ball) displays no fear.

It’s most refreshing to see how they recover from precarious situations and play themselves into positions of strength. Yes, there was that crazy pool game against Afghanistan where no side appeared as if they wanted to win it before SA snuck in. Proteas sides of days gone by have wilted under intense pressure, causing much disappointment for their expectant and hopeful fans.

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They have an ICC Test Championship mace to prove it and an unbeaten streak going in this tournament. Sceptics will remind us that they came desperately close to beating India in the last T20 World Cup final in the US in 2024 before agonisingly letting it slip.

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