Ireland, South Africa in second-fiddle struggle
"It's almost like the whole world stops when the Springboks are playing," Temba Bavuma told a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. His compatriots would agree. South Africa's rugby union team really do stop traffic and everything else. People watch them. A lot of people. And for good reason.
"That's because they win, and everyone is really behind the team. The Springboks are the epitome of success, not just in South Africa but across the world. Us, like many other sporting teams, will take a lot of lessons from them, whether on the coaching front or the player front.
"They always seem to find a way when things are not going their way. There's a belief that they will always win irrespective of what situation they find themselves in. If there's anything we could take from them, it would be that."
Bavuma spoke two days after a depleted South Africa team - which did not include him - lost a men's T20I to Ireland for the first time in Abu Dhabi, and 11 days after Afghanistan sealed their first ODI series victory against his team in Sharjah.
And three days after the Boks, who earned a record fourth World Cup title in France in October, claimed the southern hemisphere championship with a resounding 48-7 triumph over Argentina in Mbombela.
It's not hard to see why South Africans love the Boks more than the Proteas, who have yet to win a World Cup and have been to only one final - the T20 version in Barbados in June, when India beat them by seven runs.
The Irish know the feeling of not being their country's favourite team. For the past few years their rugby side have been in a struggle for the No. 1 ranking with the Boks. Currently, Ireland are on top with South Africa in second place. Ireland have won six of the last 10 matches between the sides, a better record than New Zealand's All Blacks - the Boks' main rivals - who have beaten South Africa only four times in their last 10 meetings.
A men's ODI series between Ireland and South Africa in Abu Dhabi is going to struggle to compete with all that. Especially because Bavuma will take a significantly weakened squad into the rubber as Rob Walter continues his quest to gauge the country's depth of talent. But that won't stop Ireland from looking to go one win further than they did to draw the T20I rubber.
They showed resourcefulness and cunning on Sunday to prevail by 10 runs despite South Africa needing only 28 runs off the last 18 balls with six wickets standing and Matthew Breetzke having reached 50 not out.
Wednesday is about a different format and some of the personnel will have changed. But Sunday's drama won't have faded from any memories. And if Ireland win twice from Wednesday to Friday to Monday, expect the whole cricket world to stop.
@B0$: October 2, 4 and 7, 2024; 3.30pm Local Time (1.30pm SAST, 5pm IST)
@B1$: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
@B2$: Totals north of 300 have been made thrice in the 50 ODIs played here, but not since October 2016. But teams have been bowled out only 40 times in those 100 innings. That suggests a surface that demands hard work of batters and bowlers both. And another thing: it will be hot.
@B3$
@B4$
Before he hammered 100 off 58 balls in the second T20I on Sunday as a late replacement for Lorcan Tucker, Ross Adair had little chance of playing in the ODIs. Now, surely, it's impossible to leave him out.
Possible XI: Ross Adair, Paul Stirling (capt), Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Ben White, Craig Young, Gavin Hoey, Graham Hume
@B5$
Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram and Lungi Ngidi are not in the squad, which will further weaken the visitors. That should be mitigated by the return of Rassie van der Dussen.
Possible XI: Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqaba Peter, Nandre Burger
@B6$
"The celebration wasn't hugely jubilant. It was a job well done rather than a huge upset. It was just onto the next game, and hopefully we can take that confidence into this ODI series." - Paul Stirling curbs his enthusiasm about Ireland's first T20I win over South Africa.
"Winning is important. The reason why we train as hard as we do is so we can go out and win. We're a competitive bunch of people." - Temba Bavuma refuses to use South Africa's experimental squad as an excuse for under-performing.