Cricket South Africa: How does the future look?

South Africa is undoubtedly the best team in Africa, if not the world. Although they lost against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, it is certain that they are the better team. But what makes them one of the best? I certainly think that even in the future, definitely inside the next 5-10 years, they will assert their dominance in the world of cricket. They have an abundance of youngsters at all positions, and although no one can guarantee that they would perform well and be able to replace the likes of Kallis, Amla, and Steyn, one can go as far as saying that they are definitely be one of the top powers in cricket today.

The youngsters that appeal to the eye the most are Colin Ingram, David Miller, and Imran Tahir. All of them have made a reputation for themselves in international cricket, and it is more than likely they will rise to be world class stars. Others like Richard Levi, Wayne Parnell, and Marchant de Lange also have a reputation in domestic cricket in South Africa. The current South Africa squad is very young, with the exceptions of maybe Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, and Jacques Kallis. All the other players in the squad have at least five more years in them. And that is something I value immensely, imagine five years from now, South Africa having nearly the exact same squad. You still have all the playmakers, match winners, etc. True, the loss of Kallis and Smith and Boucher is unmeasurable, the strength of the remaining eight and the three who will replace them make up for it.

Now predicting a team’s future is really hard. But here’s the fact. In their squad, only Kallis, Smith, Boucher, Prince, Peterson, Albie Morkel, and Morne van Wyk are above the age of 30. That speaks volumes about their future. The average cricketer can play decent cricket until he’s in his late 30s. This tells us that South Africa’s lineup after the next five years will most probably have a majority of the players that play for them today. Being young is one of the best traits you can have, and in five years, the players will definitely have more experience, and increased skill levels. It just makes it easier for them to win (possibly even a World Cup).

In the batting department, there is plenty of firepower, with my favorite being AB de Villiers. He can adapt to pretty much any situation, which very few players can do. Miller, Ingram, and Levi are also fantastic, with Levi holding the record for the fastest T20 century. In the bowling department, Imran Tahir is an amazing prospect who played really well at the World Cup, and not to forget Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Philander, and Steyn all being at the peak of their career. They are not too old, and they will wreck havoc in the future.

So, in conclusion, I think I have justified that South Africa’s future in cricket is very bright. Other teams will not have the same core lineup after five years. If I wasnt lazy enough to get the stats up, I can almost guarantee that the average age of the starters for South Africa is the least compared to other cricketing nations. Again, its nothing Im sure about, but with the majority of the squad in their 20s, I would accept that bet any day.