Will these cricketers bring South Africa back to its glory days, or become another pale stain on its history?

The selection of a less experienced team to face the Black Caps in a two-test series is indicative of the unusual circumstances currently surrounding international cricket. However, despite the apparent disparity on paper, newcomer captain Neil Brand assures that his team will not surrender easily.

South African cricket coach Shukri Conrad labelled it as a scheduling mishap, while a prominent columnist called it a fiasco. Australian legend Steve Waugh went as far as to describe it as a defining moment in the decline of test cricket. Prior to the commencement of the match at Bay Oval, a multitude of unfavourable remarks of different degrees have been directed towards the South African team. There has been widespread discontent within the cricket community regarding the absence of prominent players who have chosen to participate in their country's T20 tournament, the Betway SA20. 

"Enormous sense of pride," retorts stand-in captain Neil Brand, in an interview with The Spinoff a few days prior to his test debut - a pride that remains strong, he asserts, regardless of the team's selection process. Whenever you don that Proteas jersey, it carries a specific obligation and a considerable level of stress. We are aware of this information, and we are fully committed to giving our utmost effort to challenge the Black Caps for as much time as we can.

It's a response that suggests the magnitude of the obstacle for Brand's team. "It's an incongruity," says South African sportswriter Daniel Gallan when discussing the upcoming series, where crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points are up for grabs. "It's not exactly a battle of David versus Goliath, but it's certainly not too far from it."

It's quite peculiar, considering the history between these two teams, that the Black Caps are associated with that formidable figure from the Bible. Throughout the 17 times they have faced off, New Zealand has never managed to secure a test series victory against the South Africans. However, the current state of international cricket is quite unusual, as domestic T20 franchise leagues are placing more and more pressure on the limited resources of the cricket calendar. In this particular case, the tour is diverting the top South African players into the SA20 league, which is taking away from what would typically be a highly anticipated series, especially from a New Zealand point of view. Out of the 14 members of the touring squad, only seven have prior experience playing test cricket. The most seasoned player, Duanne Olivier, last participated in a test match almost two years ago, accumulating a total of 15 tests under his belt. 

Gallan offers additional background information. According to the individual, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has been dealing with persistent issues of "maladministration" for quite some time. In 2020, the former CEO Thabang Moroe was dismissed due to "serious misconduct." Additionally, the organization's financial situation took a hit with the arrival of Covid and its subsequent complications. CSA was financially struggling, and in response, funds from the Indian Premier League were injected into the organisation. The franchise owners of the IPL played a significant role in shaping the foundation of the SA20. According to Gallan, there was a condition attached to the teams: they would be owned by Indian franchises, named after Indian franchises, and most importantly, South Africa's centrally contracted players would be eligible to participate. 

According to CSA, the New Zealand tour was planned before the SA20 window had been finalised. When it became evident that a conflict was imminent, New Zealand Cricket declined requests to reschedule the series. This decision was influenced by the upcoming Australian tour and the impending start of this year's IPL in March, which would have resulted in the absence of players from both teams. What Gallan refers to as "a C team" is composed of players such as Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, and Keshav Maharaj, among others, who are not included in the lineup. "If I were a Kiwi cricket fan, I would feel extremely frustrated," Gallan expresses. "I might feel quite disrespected, to be honest." 

This situation exemplifies a striking instance of the economic challenges faced by most nations that participate in test cricket. The longer format of the game consistently operates at a financial loss, and without the substantial broadcasting revenues from T20 matches to offset this deficit, test cricket would face significant difficulties, particularly for nations outside of the influential trio of England, Australia, and India. (The latter, fueled by the IPL and the substantial revenue generated from its vast domestic market, is increasingly becoming The Big One.) According to a statement from Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand coach and current director of cricket for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, Test cricket owes its survival and popularity to the existence of T20 cricket. Hesson believes that the revenue generated from T20 cricket has played a crucial role in promoting Test cricket, especially in non-major cricketing nations. Gallan emphasises that the SA20 is crucial for sustaining cricket in South Africa, a sentiment echoed by Brand who states that the SA20 is essential for the survival of the sport.

Within the team, he mentions that there has been minimal discussion regarding the concerns expressed by those outside the team. His team is feeling extremely positive after spending a fortnight in the country. A significant portion of the team competed alongside Brand as captain during the recent South Africa A versus West Indies A series, which the Africans triumphed in with a 2-1 victory. Brand affirms that the players are further developing the culture that the core group had already established. Brand has consistently emphasised to his team the importance of maintaining their current strategies and playing style. It needs to be satisfactory at this point. It was enough to defeat West Indies A - and a lot of those West Indian players later became key players in the recent test series against Australia. In that series, the West Indies team, which was also missing some of its top players due to T20 commitments, managed to defeat the Australian WTC champions at the Gabba, a ground that has historically been a stronghold for Australia. It was an outcome that caught almost everyone by surprise.

Gallan anticipates that this South African squad will be motivated by the external distractions and acknowledges that a few of these athletes may approach the game with a sense of urgency, recognising that these two tests could be their only opportunity to represent their nation. There will be an abundance of pride and determination. However, the real test, according to him, will arise when the pressure intensifies: when belief erodes in the presence of a fluent century by Kane Williamson, for instance, or amidst a relentless onslaught of bouncers from Kyle Jamieson, causing doubts to flourish in the mind. It can be challenging to shake off the persistent feeling that we are not on par with the other teams and don't quite fit in.

However, as Gallan points out, this team consists of resilient and skilled cricketers. The recent success of the West Indies team has demonstrated that underdogs can prevail, not just in religious texts. Secure the coin toss, claim a few rapid dismissals, and the possibilities become endless.