South Africa national cricket team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
South Africa

South Africa Cricket's coat of arms
Nickname(s)	Proteas
Association	Cricket South Africa
Personnel
Test captain	Temba Bavuma
One Day captain	Temba Bavuma
T20I captain	Aiden Markram
Test coach	Shukri Conrad
History
Hong Kong Sixes wins	5
International Cricket Council
ICC status	Full member (1909)
ICC region	Africa Cricket Association
ICC Rankings Current Best-ever Test 4th 1st (1 January 1969) ODI 3rd 1st (1 May 1996) T20I 5th 1st (8 August 2012)
Tests
First Test	v  England at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, 12–13 March 1889
Last Test	v  Bangladesh at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong; 29–31 October 2024
Tests Played Won/Lost Total 468 181/161 (126 draws) This year 7 3/3 (1 draw)
World Test Championship appearances	2 (first in 2021)
Best result	Third place (2023)
One Day Internationals
First ODI	v  India at Eden Gardens, Kolkata; 10 November 1991
Last ODI	v  Ireland at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; 7 October 2024
ODIs Played Won/Lost Total 678 413/238 (6 ties, 21 no results) This year 6 3/3 (0 ties, 0 no results)
World Cup appearances	8 (first in 1992)
Best result	Semi-Finals (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2023)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20I	v  New Zealand at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg; 21 October 2005
Last T20I	v  India at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg; 15 November 2024
T20Is Played Won/Lost Total 194 106/84 (1 ties, 3 no results) This year 21 10/11 (0 ties, 0 no results)
T20 World Cup appearances	9 (first in 2007)
Best result	Runners-up (2024)
Official website	https://cricket.co.za/
Test kit ODI kit T20I kit
As of 15 November 2024

The South Africa men's national cricket team, also known as the Proteas, plays for South Africa in men's international cricket. The team is managed by Cricket South Africa (CSA). South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Their nickname, "Proteas," comes from South Africa's national flower, the Protea cynaroides, also called the "King Protea."

South Africa started playing first-class and international cricket in 1888–89. They hosted an England cricket team that season. At first, the team wasn't as strong as Australia or England. But with more practice, they became a strong team by the early 1900s. The team played regularly against Australia, England, and New Zealand until the 1960s.

Around that time, many people were against South Africa's apartheid policy. This policy meant that people were separated by race. Because of this, the ICC banned the South African team from international cricket. When the ban happened, South Africa's team was one of the best in the world.

The ban lasted until 1991. After that, South Africa played against teams like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies for the first time. The team has been very strong since they returned to international cricket. They have often been ranked number one in the world. South Africa is also very successful in One-Day International (ODI) cricket, winning over 61% of their matches. However, they have only won one major ICC tournament: the 1998 Champions Trophy. They also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

As of June 2024, the Proteas are ranked 3rd in ODIs, 5th in T20Is, and 4th in Tests.

History of the Proteas

How Cricket Started in South Africa

Jimmy Sinclair, known for hitting the ball very fast in Test cricket.

Cricket came to South Africa with British settlers. The first recorded cricket match there was in 1808 in Cape Town. It was played between two army teams.

The oldest cricket club in South Africa is the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, started in 1843. By the late 1840s, cricket had spread to other parts of the country. In 1876, Port Elizabeth started a competition called the "Champion Bat" for different towns.

In 1888, Sir Donald Currie helped an English team tour South Africa. This tour was important because it marked the start of both first-class cricket and Test cricket in South Africa. Sir Donald Currie also gave a trophy called the Currie Cup. This cup became the prize for a national championship between South African provincial teams.

Early Test Matches

In 1889, South Africa became the third country to play Test cricket. They played against England in Port Elizabeth. The team was led by Owen Robert Dunell. These early matches were not officially called "Tests" until 1906.

The English team that toured was not very strong. Even so, South Africa's team was very new and weak. They lost both of their first two Test matches easily to England. However, Albert Rose-Innes made history by being the first South African bowler to take five wickets in a Test match.

South Africa's early Test record was tough. They lost ten of their first eleven Tests, with only one draw. It took them 17 years to win their first Test match, which happened in 1906 against England.

Becoming a Strong International Team

Aubrey Faulkner, one of South Africa's first great all-rounders. He played from 1906 to 1924.

Reggie Schwarz, who helped bring the "googly" bowling style to South Africa.

In the early 1900s, South Africa's first truly world-class cricket team appeared. It included talented players like Jimmy Sinclair, Charlie Llewellyn, Dave Nourse, and Aubrey Faulkner. These players could challenge any international team.

South Africa also developed a special bowling attack using a type of spin bowling called the "googly." Reggie Schwarz was a pioneer of this style. He taught it to other players like Faulkner and Bert Vogler. Together, they made South Africa a very strong team. Faulkner was also known as one of the best all-rounders (players good at both batting and bowling) in the world before World War I.

In 1906, England toured South Africa for a 5-match Test series. South Africa surprised everyone by winning the first Test by just one wicket. They went on to dominate the series, winning 4–1. This series showed that South Africa was now a major force in international cricket.

South Africa toured Australia for the first time in 1910–11. Australia was considered the best team then. South Africa lost the series 4–1, but they made history by winning their first-ever overseas Test match in Adelaide.

A special tournament was held in England in 1912. It included England, Australia, and South Africa. South Africa finished last, but it was important because Herbie Taylor made his debut. He became one of the best batsmen of his time.

Herbie Taylor, a key batsman for South Africa for 20 years. He was the first South African to score 2,500 Test runs.

In 1913–14, Herbie Taylor became captain when England toured South Africa. South Africa lost the series, but Taylor showed how good he was. He scored an amazing 508 runs against a very strong English bowler named Sydney Barnes.

Between the World Wars

After World War I, international cricket slowly returned. Australia toured South Africa in 1921–22. South Africa's captain, Herbie Taylor, scored many runs. In one match, he scored 176 runs, which was the highest by a South African against England at that time.

Bruce Mitchell, who held the national record for Test runs.

Dudley Nourse, a great batsman who scored 2960 Test runs.

In the 1930s, a new group of talented South African players emerged. These included batsmen like Bruce Mitchell, Dudley Nourse, and Eric Rowan. Dudley Nourse was especially famous for his great hand-eye coordination and excellent fielding. This team was also different because it included players of Dutch and Greek backgrounds, not just British.

After World War II and the Ban

South Africa continued to play regularly against England, Australia, and New Zealand until 1970. However, because of South Africa's apartheid laws, which separated people by race, no non-white player could play Test cricket for South Africa.

The anti-apartheid movement led the ICC to ban tours to South Africa in 1970. This ban meant that many great South African players, like Graeme Pollock and Barry Richards, could not play international Test cricket for most of their careers. Some future stars, like Allan Lamb and Robin Smith, even left South Africa to play for England.

A New Beginning: The Rainbow Nation

The ICC allowed South Africa back into Test cricket in 1991. The team played its first international match since 1970 against India on November 10, 1991. This was also their first-ever One-Day International.

Since coming back, South Africa has had mixed results. They hosted the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup in 2003. Teams with players like Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten, and Jacques Kallis were very strong. However, they gained a reputation as "chokers" because they often reached the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup but failed to reach the finals. For example, in the 1990s, they had a very high winning percentage in ODIs. But they were knocked out of the 1996 World Cup in the quarter-finals. In 1999, they tied their semi-final against Australia but were eliminated because Australia had finished higher in the group stage.

Their biggest international win was the first Champions Trophy in 1998. They also won a gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

The Proteas in the 21st Century

The South African team at The Oval in August 2008.

In the 2003 World Cup, South Africa was a favorite. But they were knocked out in the group stages by just one run. This happened because they miscounted how many runs they needed in a rain-affected game.

After Allan Donald retired and Hansie Cronje was banned (and later died), the team changed. Graeme Smith became captain. Later, Ashwell Prince became the first non-white man to captain the South African Test team in 2006. In 2016, a new rule was made. It said that the team must have an average of at least six Black players in matches over the season.

With new talented players like AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, the team improved its rankings. In 2012, South Africa toured England and won the series 2–0. This made them the world's number one team in Test cricket. Eight days later, they became the first team to be ranked number one in all three types of cricket (Test, ODI, and T20I).

Even though they were strong in Test matches, their performance in ODIs and T20Is was not always consistent. They continued to struggle in major tournaments. This added to their reputation as "chokers." After Smith retired, Hashim Amla became the Test captain.

Tournament History

South Africa has a history of not winning World Cups, which is often talked about. In the 1992 Cricket World Cup, they needed 22 runs from 13 balls in a semi-final when rain stopped play. After the rain, they were left needing 22 runs from just one ball, which was impossible. In 1996, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals. In 1999, they lost to Australia in the semi-final. The match was a tie, but Australia went to the final because they had finished higher in the group stage.

South Africa hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup but did not get past the group stage. This was due to a mistake in calculating runs needed in a rain-affected match. After this, Shaun Pollock stepped down as captain. Graeme Smith took over.

In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, they had some big wins but also tough losses. They were knocked out in the semi-finals by Australia, scoring their lowest-ever total in a World Cup.

In the 2011 Cricket World Cup, South Africa topped their group. But in the quarter-final, they lost to New Zealand after their batting collapsed.

Their biggest heartbreak came in the 2015 Cricket World Cup semi-final. They lost to New Zealand in a rain-affected game. South Africa scored 281 runs, and New Zealand needed 298 runs to win. New Zealand won on the second-to-last ball.

At the 2019 Cricket World Cup, South Africa struggled. They lost many early matches and did not qualify for the next stage.

In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, South Africa reached the semi-final but lost to Australia.

In the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, South Africa reached their first-ever ICC final without losing a match. They beat Afghanistan easily in the semi-final. However, they lost to India in the final by 7 runs.

South Africa also holds the record for the highest successful run chase in One-Day Internationals. They scored 438 runs to win against Australia in 2006. This game is often called the greatest One-Day International ever played.

ICC World Test Championship

ICC World Test Championship record
Year	League stage										Final Host	Final	Final Position
	Pos	Matches					Ded	PC	Pts	PCT
		P	W	L	D	T
2019–21	5/9	13	5	8	0	0	6	600	264	44	Rose Bowl, England	DNQ	5th
2021–23	3/9	15	8	6	1	0	0	180	100	55.6	The Oval, England	DNQ	3rd

Cricket World Cup

I round	II round	Semi-finals	Final	SA Coach	SA Captain
1992 Cricket World Cup
SA		ENG		Mike Procter	Kepler Wessels
1996 Cricket World Cup
SA	WI			Bob Woolmer	Hansie Cronje
1999 Cricket World Cup
SA	SA	AUS		Bob Woolmer	Hansie Cronje
2003 Cricket World Cup
SA				Eric Simons	Shaun Pollock
2007 Cricket World Cup
SA	SA	AUS		Mickey Arthur	Graeme Smith
2011 Cricket World Cup
SA	NZ			Corrie van Zyl	Graeme Smith
2015 Cricket World Cup
SA	SA	NZ		Russell Domingo	AB de Villiers
2019 Cricket World Cup
SA				Ottis Gibson	Faf du Plessis
2023 Cricket World Cup
SA		AUS		Rob Walter	Temba Bavuma

† For World Cups from 1975 to 1987 inclusive, South Africa was not an ICC member, and therefore ineligible to compete in the tournament.

ICC T20 World Cup

Super 8/10/12	Semi-finals	Final	SA Coach	SA Captain
2007 World T20
SA			Mickey Arthur	Graeme Smith
2009 World T20
SA	Pakistan		Mickey Arthur	Graeme Smith
2010 World T20
SA			Corrie van Zyl	Graeme Smith
2012 World T20
SA			Gary Kirsten	AB de Villiers
2014 World T20
SA	India		Russell Domingo	Faf du Plessis
2016 World T20
SA			Russell Domingo	Faf du Plessis
2021 T20 World Cup
SA			Mark Boucher	Temba Bavuma
2022 T20 World Cup
SA			Mark Boucher	Temba Bavuma
2024 T20 World Cup
SA	SA	India	Rob Walter	Aiden Markram

ICC Champions Trophy

Group stages	Semi-finals	Final	SA Coach	SA Captain
1998 Champions Trophy
SA	SA	SA	Bob Woolmer	Hansie Cronje
2000 Champions Trophy
SA	IND		Graham Ford	Shaun Pollock
2002 Champions Trophy
SA	IND		Eric Simons	Shaun Pollock
2004 Champions Trophy
SA			Eric Simons	Graeme Smith
2006 Champions Trophy
SA	WIN		Mickey Arthur	Graeme Smith
2009 Champions Trophy
SA			Mickey Arthur	Graeme Smith
2013 Champions Trophy
SA	ENG		Gary Kirsten	AB de Villiers
2017 Champions Trophy
SA			Russell Domingo	AB de Villiers

Commonwealth Games

Group stages	Semi-finals	Gold Medal	SA Coach	SA Captain
1998
SA	SA	SA	Bob Woolmer	Shaun Pollock

Honours and Achievements

ICC Tournaments

• World Test Championship:
  • Third Place (1): 2021-2023
• T20 World Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2024
• Champions Trophy:
  • Champions (1): 1998

Other Competitions

• Commonwealth Games:
  • Gold medal (1): 1998

Team Colours and Kits

South Africa's cricket uniforms are made by Lotto. When playing Test cricket, the team wears white uniforms. These have the king protea badge (South Africa's national flower) and the South African flag on the shirt. Players can wear a green cap or a white sun hat.

For One-Day Internationals (ODIs), the team wears a green shirt with yellow details and green trousers. For Twenty20 (T20) matches, they wear a green shirt with a yellow fade and green trousers. In both uniforms, the cap or sunhat is green with the king protea badge.

Sometimes, since 2016, South Africa has played matches in an all-pink uniform. This is done to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

Current Team Squad

Cricket South Africa gives contracts to a group of players each year. These players form the main part of the Test, One-Day, and Twenty20 International teams. Other players can also be chosen if they play well.

Coaching Staff

The South African cricket team has different coaches for different types of cricket.

• The Director of Cricket is Enoch Nkwe.

Test Match Coaches

• Head coach: Shukri Conrad
• Batting coach: Ashwell Prince
• Bowling coach: Piet Botha
• Fielding coach: Kruger van Wyk

Limited Overs Coaches (ODI and T20I)

• Head coach: Rob Walter
• Batting coach: JP Duminy
• Bowling coach: Eric Simons
• Fielding coach: Wandile Gwavu

International Cricket Grounds

See also

In Spanish: Selección de críquet de Sudáfrica para niños

• Cricket in South Africa
• South Africa women's national cricket team
• History of Test cricket from 1884 to 1889
• History of Test cricket from 1890 to 1900
• International cricket in South Africa from 1971 to 1981