Proteas benefited from SA20's greater exposure and pressure

It was a question that popped up on social media in the aftermath of the Proteas finally conquering the semifinal hurdle at an ICC event. ‘Has the SA20 already impacted how Proteas players manage pressure in big games?’

The semifinal wasn’t the right time to pose that question given that the Proteas were so dominant against Afghanistan.

However, looking at the tournament as a whole up to that point, there were certainly examples that would lead to the answer to the question being ‘yes’.

The two matches in New York against the Netherlands and Bangladesh, where South Africa fought back and hung on to win showed resilience.

The one-run victory over Nepal, the two gritty performances against England and the West Indies in the Super Eights and, yes, even that dramatic and ultimately gut-wrenching outcome in the final, saw the Proteas manage tension better than previous generations had.

“Players are exposed to high-pressure and competitive cricket and this experience stood them in good stead in the US and Caribbean,” the commissioner of the SA20, Graeme Smith, said on Wednesday. 

In the two years of that competition, players, particularly those who had not played regularly or not been picked for the national side, were exposed to a more demanding and professional environment than is the case at provincial level. 

The majority of domestic cricket is played in front of a handful of family and friends, and rarely are there TV cameras around these days. There is less media exposure for provincial cricket than was the case 20 years ago and certainly prematch warm-ups don’t take place in the presence of AB de Villiers, Stuart Broad, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock, as is the case at the SA20. 

Those matches are made to feel like big occasions and along with larger audiences in the stadiums and on TV, and the money involved — whether prize money or salaries earned through the auction — the players deal with expectation that otherwise doesn’t occur when they are playing for their provinces. 

Tristan Stubbs, speaking to espncricinfo.com, highlighted how he was burdened by his R9.2m auction figure in the first SA20. “The first year I struggled with it, but this year I didn't let it worry me too much,” he said. “I went with the approach of: I'm just going to enjoy it and not let it weigh me down. That's when I play my best.”

There were expectations of Stubbs, something he wouldn’t have had to deal with at Eastern Province, where it would be ‘just’ his talent that would have people demanding more from him. 

Hopefully we have played a role in benefiting South African cricket through the SA20.

—  Graeme Smith

In that respect, Dewald Brevis is still learning to handle the expectations his talent and output as a junior placed on him, but the SA20 will help accelerate that process. 

“From the outset, the League, alongside Cricket South Africa, has wanted to provide South African cricketers with the opportunity to be exposed to a higher level of domestic cricket where the players are able to rub shoulders and learn from some of the best the game has to offer,” said Smith.

“There is now a bridge that joins provincial and international cricket.”

It has helped expose some ‘new’ players too, including Jordan Hermann, Donovan Ferreira and most notably Ottneil Baartman, who was always highly regarded at provincial level, but without exposure on a more elevated platform, might not have been so speedily included at a World Cup. 

“Despite playing in his very first T20 World Cup, (Baartman) backed his skills under immense pressure. The four wickets against the Netherlands and the last over against Nepal definitely stands out.”

So while it’s distinctly still early days for the League, its impact is noticeable. An argument could be made that more players need exposure, but on the flipside, it could be said that qualifying to play for one of the six franchises should be difficult.

“Hopefully we have played a role in benefiting South African cricket through the SA20. It has been encouraging to hear players’ positive comments about the League throughout the T20 World Cup, with players crediting the opportunity it has created to contribute to South Africa's cricketing talent,” said Smith.