Proteas maintain focus despite England's many problems

England’s poor form and the prospect of a long journey to a playoff match in Dubai won’t be top of mind for the Proteas in their last group match at the Champions Trophy on Saturday. 

South Africa will know what they need to do to qualify for the semis or top the group by the time Temba Bavuma goes out to toss the coin at the National Stadium in Karachi. 

Finishing first would ensure they remain in Pakistan for their semifinal which will be against New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday.

A second-placed finish in the group will mean an inconvenient trip to Dubai to play India, who've been ensconced in the Emirate since the start of the tournament. 

The outcome of Friday’s match between Australia and Afghanistan would provide clarity for the Proteas about their approach against the embattled English. Jos Buttler confirmed on Friday that he would be stepping down as captain after Saturday's clash.  

Proteas coach Rob Walter, who faced increasing levels of criticism in the build-up to the tournament, would not be drawn on England’s troubles.

“You can never judge what is happening with a team unless you can walk in the shoes of the people who are on the ground with the team. There are good people there working with good players and I would suggest it is only a matter of time before they find success,” said Walter.

Before the Champions Trophy, England won just two of the 14 ODIs they played after the 2023 World Cup — where as defending champions they finished seventh after the round-robin phase.

They’ve lost their opening two matches in Pakistan, to Australia and on Wednesday to Afghanistan, eliminating them from the competition and igniting a critique of the team and England’s domestic system. 

Walter’s own side snapped a six-match losing streak when they defeated Afghanistan in their first match in the tournament.

Despite criticism of their record, the coach and players were always content that when the senior corps was reunited they’d be able to deliver as they’d done at the previous two ICC tournaments.

“We’ve been outspoken about developing the breadth of our talent and exposing that talent to international quality experience,” Walter said about South Africa's approach to bilateral series. 

That ploy has not been to the liking of senior administrators at Cricket SA, with pressure building at boardroom level regarding Walter’s future should South Africa not win the Champions Trophy or at least qualify for the final. 

South Africa has given a number of young players their international debuts in the past 18 months as Walter, with the backing of director of national teams Enoch Nkwe, creates sufficient depth to help with preparations for the 2027 World Cup. 

“Building our skill sets in different conditions is important but you only get to do that by exposing those players in different countries against different opponents and in different contexts.

“Trying to do all that while remaining a winning team is a juggling act we potentially haven’t got right leading up to this tournament. But we are chipping away and doing our best to make sure we have a wider group of players,” said Walter.

South Africa should welcome Heinrich Klaasen back into the starting team on Saturday, with Tony de Zorzi the most likely to be benched. 

That will mean skipper Bavuma will revert to his usual position at the top of the order to open the innings with Ryan Rickelton, who made a hundred against Afghanistan in South Africa's first match.