South Africa Cricket

The South Africa cricket team is the sole representative of the Republic of South Africa in all the events organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) such as the ICC World Test Championship, ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, and the ICC T20 World Cup. The South African cricket team is nicknamed the Proteas and is governed by the Cricket South Africa (CSA) cricketing board.

The team also represents the Republic of South Africa in all the international bilateral and multilateral series which ICC recognises from time to time. The South African cricket team was banned from international cricket in 1970 for social causes going on in the country. The ban was lifted in 1991, and the South African team emerged as one of the finest cricket teams after the ban.

South African squad and support staff

As of January 2025, Temba Bavuma is the captain of the South African Test and ODI team.

In T20Is, Aiden Markram is the captain of the Proteas, as of January 2025.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

South African squad - Test

As of January 2025, middle-order batter Temba Bavuma is the captain of the South African Test team.

The South African Test team consists of 29 players including 10 batters, 9 bowlers, 6 all-rounders, and 4 wicketkeeper-batters.

According to the ICC’s official website, former South African captain Dean Elgar announced his retirement from international cricket at the start of January 2024.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

South African squad - ODI

As of January 2025, Temba Bavuma is the captain of the South African ODI team.

A total of 24 players comprise the Proteas ODI squad including 8 batters, 9 bowlers, 4 all-rounders, and 3 wicketkeeper-batters.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

South African squad - T20I

As of January 2025, top-order batter Aiden Markram is the skipper of the South African T20I team.

The team has 31 players including 7 batters, 13 bowlers, 8 all-rounders, and 3 wicketkeeper-batters.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

South Africa’s supporting staff

As of January 2025, Rob Walter is the head coach of the South African white-ball team.

JP Duminy is the batting coach while Eric Simons is the bowling coach of the South African white-ball team.

As of January 2025, Shukri Conrad is the head coach of the South African unit in Tests.

Ashwell Prince is the batting coach and Piet Botha is the bowling coach of the South African Test team. According to Cricket South Africa’s official website, Wandile Gwavu was appointed as the fielding coach of the South African white-ball team.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

South Africa’s records and honors

The South African cricket team played their first international match in 1889. The Proteas played their first ODI in 1991 and T20I in 2005. As of December 2024, The Proteas have won the ICC Champions Trophy, but are yet to win the ICC Cricket World Cup, the ICC T20 World Cup, and the ICC World Test Championship.

South Africa’s records

South Africa played their first Test match against the English cricket team on March 12, 1889, under the captaincy of Owen Dunell at the Crusaders Ground, St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth. The South African team started off with their One Day International cricket on 10 November 1991, when they played against India at Kolkata. It was a three-match series that resulted in an Indian victory by a 2-1 margin.

The T20 International cricket came to South Africa in 2005, when the New Zealand cricket team came as the opponent of South Africa at Johannesburg on 21 October, 2005, and defeated the new entrant by a 5-wicket margin.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

As of December 2024, the South African cricket team has played 471 Test matches and won 184 Tests. Out of the 681 ODIs played since 1991, the Proteas have won 413 games. In T20Is, they have won 109 games in 196 matches.

*Last updated in Dec 2024

South Africa’s honors

South Africa won just a solitary ICC trophy in 1998, when they won the inaugural edition of the Wills International Cup 1998 (now ICC Champions Trophy). On November 1, 1998, in Bangabandhu National Stadium, South Africa defeated the West Indies in the finals under the leadership of Hansie Cronje.

However, the Proteas won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in the same year (1998) before winning the Wills International Cup in 1998. Under the captaincy of Shaun Pollock, the Proteas defeated Australia by a margin of 4 wickets on September 19, 1998, in Kuala Lumpur.

In 2024, they entered the final of the ICC T20 World Cup for the first time and finished the tournament as runners-up. According to the official website of the ICC, South Africa has become the first team to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship 2025 final.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

South Africa’s governing body

The supreme body recognized by the International Cricket Council for Cricket in South Africa (CSA) is Cricket South Africa, which has its headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was established as the United Cricket Cricket Board of South Africa on 29 June, 1991, and was later renamed as Cricket South Africa. According to the official website of Cricket South Africa, the Chief Executive officer of the organization is Pholetsi Moseki, as of December 2024.

Cricket South Africa is the organizer of the domestic tournaments of South Africa, such as the Sunfoil Series, Momentum One Day Cup, and the T20 Domestic Cup. The newly established Mzansi Super League is the T20 league organized by Cricket South Africa.

South Africa’s Board of directors

According to Cricket South Africa’s official website, the CSA is headed by a Board of Directors including independent directors, non-independent directors, executive directors, and members.

Independent directors

According to Cricket South Africa’s official website, the Board of Directors of the CSA is headed by independent directors including Chairperson Pearl Maphoshe, Lead Independent Director Ncumisa Mayosi, John Burke, Andrew Hudson, Palesa Kadi, Vuyani Jarana, Mark Rayner, and Muditambi Ravele, as of December 2024.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

Non-independent directors

As of January 2025, the non-independent directors of the Board include Thato Moagi, Tebog Siko, Michael Eksteen, Yunus Bobat, and Graig Nel, according to CSA’s official website.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

Executive directors

As of January 2025, Pholetsi Moseki and Tjaart VD Walt are the executive directors of the Board, as per CSA’s official website.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

South Africa’s Members’ council

According to CSA’s official website, the members’ council of the CSA is headed by President Rihan Richards, Vice-president Donovan May, Johannes Adams (Western Province Cricket Association), Yunus Bobat (KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Cricket), Michael Eksteen (South Western District Cricket), Leon Coetzee (Eastern Province Cricket), Thto Moagi (Easterns Cricket Union), John Magodi (Limpopo Impala Cricket), Gibson Molale (Northern Cape Cricket), Dr, Mohammed Moosajee (Central Gauteng Lions), Tebogo Motlhabane (North West Cricket), Simphiwe Ndzundzu (Border Cricket), Craig Nel (Mpumalanga Cricket), Tebogo Siko (Northerns Titans Cricket), Xander Snyders (Free State Cricket), Shaun van der Byl (KwaZulu-Natal Inland Cricket), and Godwin Von Willingh (Boland Cricket), as of December 2024.

*Last updated in Jan 2025

The South African team jersey

The South African team plays Test Cricket in Flannels, like the other teams.

However, it has a green jersey for limited-overs cricket, with yellow patches on the shirt and trousers as Yellow is their secondary color. Also, the emblem of the South Africa Sports Commission, known as the King Protea badge appears on the left of the shirt.

According to Cricket South Africa’s official website, Dafabet has been announced as the official associate sponsor. The logo will feature on the kits of the South African cricketers.

The shirt for One Day Internationals is light green, whereas for the T20 internationals, it is yellow with the stripes of the national flag’s colors on the sleeve and the trousers remain green in all the limited-overs matches of South Africa, according to the CSA’s official handle on X.

For ICC tournaments, the jersey is modified and the logo of the tournament appears on the right side of the shirt. The logos of the Sponsor and kit manufacturer are placed on the sleeves and “South Africa” is printed across the front of the shirt.

The South Africa Cricket team also plays in an all-pink color jersey as a means to raise awareness for breast cancer. This jersey was launched in 2016, and South Africa uses it time and again to bring lucky charms as well because it is a fact that South Africa has never lost a match when playing in the pink jersey.

South Africa’s international grounds

The South African cricket team represents the country of South Africa from the African continent. As of January 2025, the country has 11 international stadiums.

South Africa has also hosted the ICC World Cup 2003, the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, and the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. According to the BBC, South Africa will co-host the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia.

*Last updated in Jan 2025