The growth of Cricket was majorly augmented due to colonial construction and the power of Britain. Cricket was a dominant sport during British rule. West Indies, India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, etc. under British colonial rule, were greatly influenced by colonial imposition in terms of culture, language, and sports.
Interesting Facts about South Africa Cricket team
Era of 1808 – When did Cricket come to South Africa? It is said that Cricket came to South Africa during the Napoleonic Wars and with the British forces occupying South Africa. The oldest cricket club in South Africa in Port Elizabeth Cricket Club. It was founded in 1843. The first recorded match was in 1808 in Cape Town between two service teams with a prize amount of one thousand rix-dollars.
Banned – In 1970, the ICC voted to suspend South Africa from international Cricket for an indefinite period due to its government policies of apartheid which was an overtly racist policy. This policy allowed them to play only against white nations like England, Australia, and New Zealand.
Popularity – Cricket has gained immense popularity over time. This sport is quite popular in white British diaspora and Indian South African communities. However, now it is being played by all races in the country. South Africa also hosted the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2007 ICC World Twenty20.
South Africa is one of the few countries in the world which has participated in the world cup of three major sports, i.n. Cricket, football, and rugby. Some other popular sports are athletics, basketball, boxing, golf, netball, swimming, surfing, and tennis.
Position of South African cricket team – The International Cricket Council has ranked the cricket teams based on their performances. If we go through the rank team points, then South Africa holds 3rd position with a ranking of 2606, whereas Australia holds the first position with a rank of 2439, followed by India (3318) and the 4th position is secured by England till september 2022. With the help of the rankings, we cannot deny that Cricket holds an exact position in the heart of the mighty South Africans.
Earning of Cricketers – If we talk about the earnings of a South African Cricketer, it differs at various levels. It varies with amateur, Provincial and international cricket playing levels, and according to this, the salaries go from lower to higher. If we think of making money from Cricket in South Africa, then names like George Linde and Dwaine Pretorius are perfect examples.
They earn a handsome amount of salary. They are at the lower end of the professional cricketer salary tires in the country, and according to data for 2020-21, they retained a sum of ₹1 million each. After all, they are breaking into the team in three formats and perhaps the permanent fixture in Test, ODI, and T20I XIs.
Some other highest paid cricketers in South Africa are Quinton de Kock, David Miller, and Kagiso Rabada. Mostly these cricketers earn a considerable amount of money from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Don’t forget Chris Morris, who was sold for 32.5 million in the IPL auction.
Abbas : Well, his nick is quite enough to know his versatility. He is one of the greatest players of all time, the only Abraham Benjamin DE Villiers. AB played all three formats for South Africa from 2004 to 2018. It is extensively known for this deadly, creative, and consistent batting. Perhaps this combination made him the man who holds a distinct position in the history of Cricket, or he added new pages to the book of Cricket.
He made his international debut against England in a test match in 2004, and in 2005 he made his presence felt in an ODI against the Mighty English Side. He is the sole player who can take responsibility for the team every time his team goes to the ground. That’s why every team wants to have him in franchise Cricket. He is the only player in the history of Cricket to score a century and affect ten dismissals in a test match.
He notched 20014 runs in 420 international matches, which made him the second highest by a South African after Jacques Khalis. He was also first. South African Cricketer who scored a double century against India. Apart from his deadly, creative, and consistent batting skills, he is well known for his down-to-earth attitude.
Despite being an extraordinary cricketer with an mesmerizing personality, Mr. Three hundred sixty never had the fortune to hold any ICC trophies in his entire career. Every die-hard fan of Cricket misses the Jersey number 17.
The worst record – It is well known that a cricket team gains test status and then struggles for a period before finding any stride. It takes different colors altogether if a team continues to lose and struggles to put up any fight. This can hardly be expected from a team like South Africa.
The teams of India and Pakistan also struggled massively in the early years to draw the games, but in the case of South Africa, everything was so different. They played in the first 11 Test matches, out of which they lost ten and managed to draw one, which is considered the worst record among major playing nations.
Scotsman – Cricket is usually established by the administrators of the cricket board of a country. But it is pretty different in the case of South Africa. It is exciting to know that the country’s first-class tournament was established through the efforts of only one man (who is not even a South African). So, South African Cricket exists due to the efforts of a Scottish man named Sir Donald Curie. He was known as one of the founders of Cricket in South Africa.
Cricket in South Africa began in 1795 after the British took possession of the Cape Colony from the Dutch. Very soon after this, Cricket became a prevalent pastime in Cape Town. In 1795, an expedition was led by General Sir James Craig, which contained an officer named Charles Anguish, who was a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club and had also played 32 first-class matches.
Many inter-military matches were organized upon his arrival in Cape. With the “Champion’s Bat” competition in 1876 between the towns in the colony, the foundation of domestic Cricket in South Africa started. During the decades that followed, the game of Cricket flourished and gained popularity until South Africa’s apartheid policies forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to impose a ban on all international Cricket involving South African teams. Apartheid was abandoned in 1991, and the ban was lifted.
South Africa is regarded as one of the leading Cricket playing nations in the world and one of the twelve countries sanctioned to play test cricket. After the readmission into International Cricket, Proteas has contributed to the game’s development by bringing innovations in coaching and training. After all, it is the home of some of the greatest players.
Also Read This = Facts About Indian Cricket Team
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are some of the great players of the South Africa team?
Since then, South Africa has emerged as a leading team amongst the Cricket playing nations. South Africa has produced many legendary players like Jaques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, etc.
How many ICC trophies has South Africa won?
South Africa has only managed to win one ICC Champions Trophy in the year 1998 and also a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in the same year. There is no doubt that South Africa is an excellent team, but it has failed to impress in the prominent ICC tournaments.
How Cricket Started in South Africa?
In 1888, he sponsored the first-class tournament in the country and donated a trophy for the champions. It was known as the ‘Curie Cup,’ which was first awarded to Kimberley at the end of the 1889-90 season. After that, first-class Cricket gradually emerged into the more familiar province-based competition in a championship format from the 1892-93 season.