CSA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe insists the Proteas can learn from their latest World Cup heartbreak as they build towards the 2027 ODI showpiece on home soil.
South Africa’s hopes of lifting the T20 World Cup ended in Kolkata when they were crushed by New Zealand in the semi-finals – the latest chapter in a long history of knockout disappointments in ICC white-ball tournaments.
But Nkwe believes the team already has a blueprint for handling pressure, pointing to last year’s World Test Championship final as proof that the Proteas can deliver on the big stage.
“We should look at the WTC and ask ourselves: ‘What did we do right?’ There was extreme pressure, the wicket was not easy, but [Aiden] Markram got a hundred, Temba [Bavuma] pulled through with fifty, KG [Rabada] performed well, Lungi [Ngidi] bounced back,” Nkwe told the Sunday Times.
“We need to zone in on what triggers those players to perform well in those moments.”
Nkwe acknowledged the disappointment but insisted the defeat will not derail preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup.
“We didn’t achieve our objective in this tournament, but it doesn’t push us off course for 2027,” he said.
“We won’t allow this [disappointment] to hold us back. Of course, we will dive deeply into what could impact us negatively in the next 20 months. We will have to look at that. There are certain situations that maybe we can do better.”
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According to Nkwe, the Proteas’ struggles in key moments are not about ability but mentality.
“It’s not a skill factor. It comes back to our mindset in key moments. We have been working hard at that within our system,” he said.
“We may need upskilling in certain areas, and this winter presents us with an opportunity to address some of the issues. Once we’ve had the debrief on this tournament, we can then actually look at issues individually and collectively going into next summer.
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“There are lessons out of this T20 World Cup [for 2027], even though it is a different format.
“The manner in which we lost the [semi-final] is something we need to revisit and ask: ‘How do we ensure we don’t make the same mistakes, if we find ourselves in a similar situation?’
“We are continuing to unpack that and look at a potentially new approach, especially mentally to ensure we give ourselves the best chance to overcome what has been a hurdle before.”
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