WHEN India welcomed South Africa back into the international cricketing fold after 27 years of isolation in Kolkata back in 1991, it provided hope and inspiration to a whole new generation of cricketers that the Proteas could one day be crowned world champions.
That dream will now finally have the opportunity of being realised when these teams meet in the Proteas first appearance in the ICC Mens T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
The significance of this venerable venue cannot be understated either, for it is here the former playground of the legendary three Ws (Walcott, Weekes and Worrell) and arguably the greatest cricketer of all-time in Sir Garfield Sobers that the Proteas also played their first Test after unification.
While this may seem like nostalgic indulgence, the importance of the Proteas date with destiny today cannot be fully appreciated without the full comprehension of the journey that has gone before, particularly related to previous semi-final nightmares.
There has been a lot of support back home. They are the guys that have inspired us when we were younger. To have their support means a lot to the team, Proteas captain Aiden Markram said.
