VINCE VAN DER BIJL: Elgar and team show what courage looks like in resounding win

Pressure makes fools of us all — one of life’s lessons. Globally renowned heroes fall harder though, as Phil Mickelson and Alexander Zverev have recently discovered.

Being a global prodigy brings riches and fame. However, it often isolates those heroes from grounded reality; only the noblest survive unscathed. Even Roger Federer, renowned for his temperament and good sportsmanship, had to be brought  into line by his mother when he was young. Every sportsperson has had a lapse of sportsmanship — pressure and competition does that.

Without grounded confidantes supporting them, those in high places often succumb to the pressure. Sportspeople need to hear other opinions to help evaluate their logic and strategies.

Sporting greats are expected to possess a kind of superpower to become well-rounded, perfect human beings. Deviant behaviour, however, when it emerges, is condemned harshly. Even poor performances are not accepted.

Years ago, my late mom-in-law — a wonderful, gentle woman not given to harsh judgments — and I were watching the TV broadcast of the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia. Alan Donald, as a young fast bowler, was prone to bowl the occasional ball down the leg side. After bowling two magnificent deliveries that pierced the batter’s defence, he bowled a wild ball out of the reach of wicketkeeper David Richardson. As it went for four byes,  I heard my mom-in-law mutter quietly under her breath, “And he calls himself a professional.” It remains a poignant memory.

However, a show of bad sportsmanship or ill-conceived comments leave an indelible mark, as Zverev and Mickelson now know. Bad sportsmanship is never forgotten. These incidents remain retrievable from archives in a flash.

We need to hear the voices of others and accept that simple logic always defeats grandiose strategies.

Get them

Dean Elgar used that simple logic when he batted first in the second Test against the Black Caps in Christchurch, contrary to the views of most commentators. That was the pivotal moment in the Test.

Lungi Ngidi reminded us recently that pressure also produces diamonds. The hard-edged Elgar threw down the gauntlet to the Black Caps with the adage, “We will put runs on the board, and you will have to get them.”

It was a risky decision after the batting collapses in the first Test. Also, the Proteas bowling line-up, depleted without Anrich Nortjé and Ngidi, could well have persuaded Elgar to field first. The conditions on the first day favoured the fast bowlers. Elgar did not flinch. The Protea rookies, Sarel Erwee and Kyle Verreynne, with centuries, rose to the challenge magnificently. The established bowling unit of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj completed the task. It was a resounding victory.

SA has learnt since 1994 that national pride surges when our teams compete. Fans expect them to take on the cloak of their country’s desired ethos and standards. Elgar and the squad did just that and showed SA what courage looks like as opposed to hiding behind convoluted defensive strategies. Another Protea batting collapse would have been disastrous to the team and heads would have rolled. The adage of “always bat first” was applied. This is a team of great character.

It is time the SA cabinet demonstrate this type of courage and character to make the difference in our society. They need to go back to the wisdom of the Freedom Charter and the real ANC ethos — the old wisdom.

Restricting growth

Let us examine one possibility. Now we have 23,500 schools out of 25,000 without after-school activities. Despite this, SA has produced three World Champion rugby teams, numerous Olympic medallists and Protea cricket teams that have risen to the No 1 spot in all formats. These are incredible achievements.

The current ring-fencing of academic education without including after-school pursuits and passions is restricting the growth and opportunities of our children. Only a holistic, broad education can produce positive and confident young adults year after year.

Imagine all schoolchildren being given the opportunity to play sports and learn life’s lessons while developing pride in their school badge and in themselves. Do that and our future will be assured in all walks of life.

There are existing solutions transforming our schools into holistic education centres of excellence. Visit Ukhanyo Primary, Westlake Primary and the Chris Hani High in the Western Cape and Nkondlo Primary in the Eastern Cape to see what is possible.

The sports and life skills programmes supporting the academic system at these underprivileged schools have been achieved at no cost to the government. The government can use their influence and their reach to replicate these models across the country, one or more schools at a time.