By Razeen Gutta
In the midst of a major retirement announcement, the Proteas will look to bounce back from a forgettable T20 series thrashing when the ODI series takes centre stage.
A whitewash in the short form of the game was followed by a retirement call by star player Quinton de Kock.
The plus side is that their opening batter will only be hanging up his ODI boots at the conclusion of the ICC World Cup in India next month.
The downside of the situation, though, is that the discussion on the decision has taken more than just the spotlight off the upcoming series.
Proteas captain Temba Bavuma claimed in his press conference that he was not “in the loop” about his teammate’s decision to call time on his 50-over career.
Meanwhile, opposition captain Mitchell Marsh said it would be “nice” that Australia would not have to bowl to De Kock after the World Cup.
The harsh reality of modern-day cricket, in the midst of the 30-year-old’s decision, is that T20 franchise leagues around the world have garnered more importance than the international game.
That topic is what dominated the discussion in the preview to the one-day series; and is something that could put some unwanted pressure on the Proteas ahead of the one-day games.
“There have been discussions around how we can position ourselves a lot better in terms of contracting players,” Bavuma said on Cricket South Africa’s response to the fast-evolving game.
They should make sure that “we still have access to our best players but also not compromise on players’ financial earning ability outside our own shore.”
“That’s the way cricket is going. Gone are the days when we were inflexible and fighting against that change.”
Marsh, though, had a different opinion — insisting that international cricket will always be at the top of his priorities.
“There’s no doubt that the landscape of cricket is changing, but for me playing for my country has been an unbelievable joy and given me great pride,” he said as he embarked on captaining the 50-over side for the first time.
“I’ll focus on that for as long as I possibly can. Players throughout world cricket will have decisions to make over the next few years, but I think international cricket is still the pinnacle.”
The first of five ODIs takes place in Bloemfontein on Thursday from 1 pm live on SuperSport.
Pictured above: Quinton de Kock
Image source: @proteasmencsa
