The insect on the Protea that never seems to die..
Posted 25 Jun 2009 at 14:37 by hattrick
Tags chokers, south africa, success
I have had nearly a week to think about the exit of the South African team from the World T20 Championships in England. I have done this deliberately to find an objective answer and not an emotional one which most people would give. Let me from the outset state that I don’t buy the chokers tag but rather actually think it could be quite bigger issue which has been plaguing South African cricket.
What does Kelly Slater, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer (if that Nadal chap is not around...) The Canterbury Crusaders have in common??(I add the Australian Test side of the late nineties in this bracket of elite performers) First of all, they are all the best in their specific discipline.
They play the crucial points/situations well generally and most of the times get their fair share of luck, a crucial element in success in my mind. They are all in the bracket of wanting the ball, racket, club when the heat is on and more importantly they understand what winning is, what it feels like. They have that feeling of success in their DNA through years of practice. Winning is second nature to them and when they do not win the media gets on their cases by asking if the success is over.
Now back to my pain, many will say that I am looking for excuses, maybe I am but I think the problem is that South African cricket does not possess the killer instinct to put their collective knees on the opposition’s chest to make breathing a difficult activity. I think that many things can be attributed to it but I think it just revolves on the fact that a winning culture does not exist and every bit of success is celebrated like a World Cup win. I may be a tad hyper critical here but I think that Cricket South Africa will need to address this as they are far too focused on the Reliance Mobile International ratings than getting the job done properly.
I have 3 more pages of hand written notes about my feelings but I think I am going to start a series on this topic and this bug was the start of it.
I am going to be looking at what the next 12 months hold for the South African team in terms of personnel and in detail look at their ICC record as I think I may be conning myself in believing this hype about them winning in Australia and subsequently getting back to their normal state of affairs.
I leave with words from Graeme Smith “Every time we lose an important game like this the word is going to be thrown around, it's around the team, and it was natural if we didn't win today people were going to raise that comment”.
The Usual suspects..
What does Kelly Slater, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer (if that Nadal chap is not around...) The Canterbury Crusaders have in common??(I add the Australian Test side of the late nineties in this bracket of elite performers) First of all, they are all the best in their specific discipline.
They play the crucial points/situations well generally and most of the times get their fair share of luck, a crucial element in success in my mind. They are all in the bracket of wanting the ball, racket, club when the heat is on and more importantly they understand what winning is, what it feels like. They have that feeling of success in their DNA through years of practice. Winning is second nature to them and when they do not win the media gets on their cases by asking if the success is over.
Now back to my pain, many will say that I am looking for excuses, maybe I am but I think the problem is that South African cricket does not possess the killer instinct to put their collective knees on the opposition’s chest to make breathing a difficult activity. I think that many things can be attributed to it but I think it just revolves on the fact that a winning culture does not exist and every bit of success is celebrated like a World Cup win. I may be a tad hyper critical here but I think that Cricket South Africa will need to address this as they are far too focused on the Reliance Mobile International ratings than getting the job done properly.
I have 3 more pages of hand written notes about my feelings but I think I am going to start a series on this topic and this bug was the start of it.
I am going to be looking at what the next 12 months hold for the South African team in terms of personnel and in detail look at their ICC record as I think I may be conning myself in believing this hype about them winning in Australia and subsequently getting back to their normal state of affairs.
I leave with words from Graeme Smith “Every time we lose an important game like this the word is going to be thrown around, it's around the team, and it was natural if we didn't win today people were going to raise that comment”.
The Usual suspects..
Total Comments 4
Comments
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I wouldn't say that that T20 game was typical of a Saffie choke, as when you shorten any form of the game it brings the teams closer together in skill levels- Scotland almost beat NZ for gods sake.
However, they have been prone to it often in the past. The 1999 World Cup semi final comes to mind!
Posted 25 Jun 2009 at 19:34 by el-capitano
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I am interested to know what your definition of choking is, because "does not possess the killer instinct to put their collective knees on the opposition’s chest to make breathing a difficult activity" seems like a pretty accurate one to me.Posted 26 Jun 2009 at 09:17 by a for effort
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I think there is a big difference in having a killer instinct and being a choker.Posted 29 Jun 2009 at 02:39 by hattrick
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Not sure what the public pressure is like in SA as I've never been there - whether or not that is a burden to heavy to endure perhaps? Expectations would be huge, as there is no doubt the Proteas have put out some awesome teams over time. The all-round talent produced by SA is seemingly endless, and deserving of at least some major titles/trophies.
You're right Hattrick, it comes down to culture, and I have littel doubt that once your team breaks through for a big win, it will precipitate an era of sustained success. They will suddenly know what is required to get over the line and the rest will be history.
For now though, maybe there are deep scars and it may take a completely new generation of players to get over the effects of past underachievements. Maybe not?Posted 29 Jun 2009 at 04:55 by Sober Symonds
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