South Africa - Number one due to many reasons - Part 2 - Opinion
Continued from Part 1...
Resurrection of a crippled side since the 2003 state of ‘free fall’ is not the only thing that goes to South Africa’s credit. The truth is that the Proteas have had to revamp the entire complexion of their side, where inclusions of an array of players were integral in boosting their chances of winning on a more consistent basis and out of nowhere. The wealth of players and the talent that has come up in the shape of packages such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Neil-Killeen-c79132 instinct had deserted the Proteas since their inception in world cricket.
The spin department, which was previously barren and historically ignored by South Africa, was given a huge boost in the recent series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RJ-Peterson-c2332 performing exceptionally for their side was an encouraging sign for a team that had been known for their monotonous and one dimensional approach towards the game. These developments have ensured that a side that has historically banked upon playing with discipline instead of innovation, had truly learnt from previous experiences and failings. For a side that has witnessed brain-washes in the past, this was indeed, a welcome boundary.
On factor which goes to the credit of South Africa, is their overseas record, especially in the subcontinent. The record is impressive and speaks about a side which plays with ruthlessness, no matter where they play. The statistics and trends are similar to the Australian legacy of being the number one team, where the Aussies would win series in Asia and beat some of the most formidable oppositions in their own den. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, where the excessive humidity, compounded with the scorching heat, has led to dehydration amongst the players. Yet despite all these petty shortcomings, South Africa differs greatly in comparison to England, who have an appalling record in the subcontinent. Thus for teams, who aim to become the best in the world, it is incumbent upon them to perform well at home and overseas.
The only real Test for this team is to ensure that they maintain the number one rank in Test cricket and prevent the crown from being dislodged. Sides such as England and India have struggled to cling onto the number one rank after confronting conditions which have been unfamiliar to them.
One primary example was when India toured England in 2011, and faltered in seaming conditions. Similarly England, who were billed as the best Test team since http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033 to great effect. England lost comprehensively, and like India, had to settle for defeats which were uncharacteristic for ‘champion’ outfits.
For South Africa, they can stand pretty with the claim that they are the best in the world. Few would dispute that a team with such class should be denied their number one status. Yet the challenge for South Africa would be to maintain their streak of consistency, something that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 and England had failed to do.
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