Former Proteas all-rounder, Robin Peterson, holds a firm belief in the experience and capabilities of the South African one-day international squad, foreseeing strong performances at the upcoming 50-over World Cup. In today’s cricket landscape, professional players have raised valid concerns regarding the demanding schedule, making it challenging to balance participation in all three formats of the game while also engaging in domestic cricket worldwide.

This issue led to notable players like Ben Stokes, the star of the 2019 World Cup, making the decision to step away from the 50-over format, citing the hectic playing schedule and his desire to prioritize Test cricket. While the downsides of a congested international calendar are evident, there are also positive aspects that South Africa can leverage heading into the World Cup scheduled for October.
In a span of two years, Temba Bavuma has transitioned from having no World Cup experience to captaining the South African team in two T20 World Cups. This implies that the Proteas will have an experienced captain for this year’s ODI World Cup, a scenario that wouldn’t have been possible with a different schedule.

“They have all tasted the World Cup atmosphere through their participation in the T20 World Cup, so they know what to expect,” stated Peterson, who himself competed in the 2011 World Cup held in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

“While the formats may differ, the overall experience is similar. The intensity, media attention, and presence of top teams and players—these elements remain consistent. Every player in this group has gained a taste of it. Sufficient World Cup experience exists.” It is worth noting that both World Cups in which Bavuma was involved turned out to be disappointing episodes in South African cricket history. They were marked by incidents such as the “taking the knee” controversy centered around Quinton de Kock and the team’s elimination from the competition despite losing just one match, followed by an embarrassing defeat against the Netherlands.

Nevertheless, valuable experience has been gained within a short timeframe. Peterson suggests that the best approach now is to approach the World Cup with optimism, leaving the past behind. “The past is behind us, and we always approach the next tournament with optimism,” emphasized Peterson in an interview with IOL Sport.

“In the 2011 World Cup, we displayed strong cricket throughout the tournament, except for the quarter-final loss, which can happen in any series. Similarly, in the 2015 World Cup, the team consistently performed well, reaching the semi-finals. “I understand that it was heartbreaking for the fans, but if we analyze it closely, we can see that we played good cricket in two World Cups.
“In 2019, I’m not entirely sure if we were at our best. As a group, many players were in the latter stages of their careers, and their prime performances were behind them.
“Overall, if we consider our performances in World Cups, we have generally played well; we just haven’t managed to clinch the trophy.”