Sunrisen Heinrich Klaasen, Hyderabad (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

South Africa will begin preparations for another ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a warm-up match against defending champions India on February 4, with the runners-up in the 2024 edition looking to go one step further. Aiden Markram Will once again lead the Proteas in their second consecutive multi-nation T20 tournament as captain.As South Africa prepares for the upcoming challenge, JioStar’s ‘Expert View’ analyzes their squad composition and prospects, including former England captain Nasser Hussain, former Australia international Mel Jones and former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop. The focus of discussion is the lack of Heinrich Klassenwhile also underlining the growing depth and confidence in South African cricket.

Bishop is particularly optimistic about the Proteas’ trajectory across formats and age groups, pointing to the consistency South Africa has shown in global competitions in recent years. Recalling the moments he shared with Markram after the dramatic defeat in the 2024 final in Barbados, Bishop said: “I was thinking about everything, the women’s, men’s and under-19s going into the semi-finals and the final. That was something I mentioned to Aiden Markram in my speech after the 2024 final when I said his time would come. I don’t know when that will be and whether you’re looking at the World Test Championship as part of that moment, but when you look through their sides you see the talent they have.”While Klassen’s absence remains significant, Bishop stressed that South Africa are not lacking in quality. He emphasized the continued presence of experienced players alongside emerging stars who can shape the future of football. “We have already mentioned Klaasen and what is missing, but Quinton de Kock are still available and there are players like Dewald Brewis who can and probably will take world cricket by storm. You also have Aiden Markram and other experienced players. I don’t know exactly where it came from but I’m still very excited about South African cricket, especially with Kagiso Rabada and others still involved in all formats,” Bishop said.Jones echoed the sentiment and said South Africa’s 2025 ICC World Test Championship final victory had a profound impact on the wider cricketing environment in the country. “The happiness, the joy and the elation of performing for your country and then bottling up all those feelings is important. For those who didn’t play or weren’t part of the World Test Championship win, I know they will have been watching. Everyone in South Africa is watching,” she said, while also warning of the need to keep an eye on the current game.“It’s a challenge for the coaching staff to make sure they don’t repeat this situation again because it’s a different game and you don’t want to alienate players,” Jones added.She also noticed a noticeable change in South Africa’s performance on the field, describing their renewed confidence and edge in the way they compete. “There’s a strong sense of what South Africa stands for as a country and what cricket has done for the country, and you can certainly benefit from that, but you don’t want it to be everything. I watched them play in Australia recently and there’s a sense of swagger in South African cricket at the moment, which is very cool.“Jones likened this growing authority to a bygone era of dominance, while admitting Klassen’s absence has somewhat eased the challenge for opponents. “It reminds me of the West Indies back in the day, when they came up you thought they were going to beat you but you still enjoyed watching them. They brought in all kinds of players, both with the bat and with the ball, and they are the team that everyone is watching now. Bowlers will breathe a sigh of relief when Klassen says he is no longer involved because that suddenly cuts your bowling game in half. Even so, when you look at that team, you can see there’s something brewing there,” she concluded.