Kagiso Rabada will spearhead a depleted Proteas bowling line-up at the ICC Men's Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan.
Image: Asif Hassan / AFP
Kagiso Rabada would have set himself a few goals for what is set to be a massive 2025 for the Proteas’ premier fast bowler.
The biggest one this year is probably the ICC World Test Championship final, which will be played against Australia at Lord’s in June. That is easily going to be the biggest match in South African cricket history.
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But the first of those goals would have been winning the SA20 with MI Cape Town after a couple of disappointing seasons with the franchise. And that box was emphatically ticked when he took 4/25 in the final to help Robin Peterson’s team get over the line.
The next goal must be to win the Champions Trophy with South Africa after so many near misses in ICC tournaments over the last two years.
Despite Rabada’s best efforts, the Proteas were knocked out of the 50-over Cricket World Cup in the semi-finals by eventual winners Australia in India in 2023. The Proteas’ premier bowler was also on fire at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, where the Proteas lost in the final to India.
Going into the tournament in Pakistan, Rabada will again have to take a lot of the responsibility on his shoulders as he leads a decimated Proteas pace attack into battle in the first match against Afghanistan on Friday.
South Africa has been hit hard by injuries ahead of the tournament, with key fast bowlers such as Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, and Lizaad Williams sidelined due to injury. Of the other speedsters in the squad, Lungi Ngidi is struggling for form after a long injury layoff, while Corbin Bosch will be playing in his first big ICC tournament.
Left-arm seamer Marco Jansen is also in good form after a very good summer with the ball in the Test arena and in the SA20. His ability to swing the new ball and pick up wickets in the powerplay is going to be key for the Proteas.
However, it’s Rabada that will need to fire if the Proteas are going to challenge on the flat, flat pitches in Pakistan.
If the warm-up matches, and indeed the opening match between the hosts and New Zealand, are anything to go by, then we are going to see bowlers being flayed to all parts and lots of runs scored over the next month.
The Proteas have conceded over 300 runs in all of their matches thus far, team bowlers even failing to defend 350 against Pakistan, who chased their target with an over to spare.
Rabada is the one Proteas bowler who can adapt and dominate in all conditions due to his exceptional skill set and experience. His ability to generate pace on docile wickets, combined with pin-point accuracy and subtle variations, makes him a threat in all phases during an ODI.
He can swing the new ball to dismantle the top order line-ups, bowl hostile spells in the middle overs to break partnerships and deliver precise yorkers at the death. This versatility is crucial in Pakistani conditions, where matches can hinge on a bowler’s adaptability to different situations and conditions.
Striking with the new ball is going to be key, and Rabada and Jansen will have to set the tone upfront for the spinners and to apply pressure in the middle overs. It’s the only way to contain teams from getting massive scores in the region of 400.
It’s again a case of cometh the hour, cometh Kagiso Rabada for the Proteas. And, hopefully, he can tick another box at the start of this blockbuster year.
JohnGoliath82