Harare, July 19 For the first time in decades, South African cricket finds itself breathing a little easier. The weight of history — and its long absence of silverware — has finally lifted, thanks to the men’s team clinching the World Test Championship earlier this year.
And though Rassie van der Dussen wasn’t part of that win, the veteran batter believes the psychological shift that followed is being felt across formats.
“It feels like there's a difference,” said van der Dussen, captaining South Africa's T20I side in the Zimbabwe tri-series. “Maybe it's boiled over from winning the Test Championship because we won that match when it counts, so it's almost like we can experiment more.”
That freedom to experiment — without fear of judgment or failure — is the hallmark of a new era under head coach Shukri Conrad. Known for his no-frills, localised approach, Conrad is now in charge of the white-ball sides and already making his philosophy clear: play authentically, even if that means falling short.
“We are not trying things for the sake of trying it, or guys being chosen for the sake of being chosen,” van der Dussen said. “It's about trying things with the understanding that it's okay if you get it wrong, but you can only get to the other side if you try it properly and authentically.”
With key names like Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Kagiso Rabada rested, van der Dussen leads a squad full of fringe players looking to break into the first team. And he welcomes the competition.
“Lhuan-dre [Pretorius], with what he has done domestically and at the SA20, you could just see that this guy needs to play at this level. And Brevis, through performance over the last six months, is putting guys under pressure,” he said. “You want someone breathing down your neck, because that's fair. That keeps you on your toes.”
Despite some shaky top-order performances — including being 38 for 3 against Zimbabwe and 62 for 5 against New Zealand — van der Dussen is focused on process over panic. “What we want to see is progress in terms of how we want to play. We’ve been together for a week now, and we are getting a better understanding between the guys.”
While a place in the final looks likely for South Africa, van der Dussen is clear: winning is important, but the journey matters more. “We want to win every match,” he said, “but we are also encouraged to be our best version… If we fall short, that's okay, we fall short on our terms.”
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