Exclusive: Proteas' Rise Fuelled by Young Stars, says Neil McKenzie

South Africa was transitioning in the inaugural cycle of the World Test Championship in 2019-21. The Proteas finished sixth. There were sparks of improvement in the next two-year season as they won eight out of 15 Tests to settle for the third spot.

A victory in one of the two Tests against Pakistan, starting December 26 at Centurion, will assure them of a spot in the WTC final in the 2023-25 cycle as they stand at a PCT of 63.33, ahead of Australia (58.89) and India (55.89). Their gradual improvement in the red-ball format has centered around the batting department. After the retirements of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, and Dean Elgar in the last five years, the Proteas have finally built an empire around newcomers Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, and Kyle Verreynne, alongside captain Temba Bavuma and senior batter Aiden Markram.

Competition for spots the biggest change

Former international batter Neil McKenzie, one of the sought-after batting coaches around, felt the competition for spots in the top order strengthened the side in the ongoing Test cycle. "South Africa has a proper top order with six or seven batters. A couple of years ago, the competition for places wasn't as great. A younger team was trying to establish themselves. It is good to see young batters coming up through the system like Rickelton and Stubbs. Bavuma's consistency has been good. He is not getting big hundreds, but he is scoring runs.

"When you have competition for places, it tends to push the standard up quite high, and that's the biggest change. Rickelton was a spare batter in the first Test against Sri Lanka. He got an opportunity in the second and scored a hundred. Zorzi and Verreynne got Test hundreds against Bangladesh away from home. They all have had their moments. The guys coming through are quality and are vying for spots, creating pressure [in a good way] for other batters. They all want to play Test cricket for South Africa," he told Sportsboom.com. 

McKenzie played 58 Tests alongside all-rounders Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, and Jacques Kallis. He observed how Marco Jansen and Wian Mulder have shown precision with their seam bowling and batting abilities among the current players. "Finding all-rounders in Jansen and Mulder has given the team a nice balance. Mulder got a Test hundred in Bangladesh. Having quality all-rounders makes it easier to select. It is harder to get into the South African team now compared to two years ago," added the 49-year-old.

Rabada 'unbelievable'

The fast bowling department has been shaky in recent times. Anrich Nortje took a break from Tests, while Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, and Gerald Coetzee are out due to injuries. Kagiso Rabada stepped up and single-handedly demolished Bangladesh with 14 wickets in two Tests.

He kept things tight against Sri Lanka at home with six wickets. "Rabada has been unbelievable as usual. He is world-class and deserves to be on top of the bowling rankings. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is a seasoned professional. It is a nice group with coach Shukri Conrad. The players know they will get a good run when they have their chance," said McKenzie.

Lack of seniors in domestic system

McKenzie believed the presence of more senior players in the domestic system could have polished the youngsters faster. "They only had coaches for guidance as many senior players were not around. The seniors either retired early to play in T20 leagues or signed the Kolpak deal. When I was growing up, I had seniors like Daryll Cullinan. I learned more about batting while I batted with Kallis and having conversations in the middle. 

"He could do more for me with those moments than what he could have possibly done as a coach. I gained a lot from watching him prepare for a match. The talent in South Africa is immense, and it is all about how you can develop an 18-year-old into an international batter," he said.