South African cricket is not far from being in crisis mode. The Proteas have had a dismal run of form, suffering a shock home Test series defeat against Sri Lanka, a pitiful World Cup and a humiliating Test series loss in India.

Cricket South Africa congratulated the Springboks on their triumph in the Rugby World Cup final, with chief executive Thabang Moroe noting it was "a victory that has a significance that goes far beyond the winning of a rugby match".

Moroe went on to quote Nelson Mandela on sport's "ability to inspire and unite people in a way that little else does".

Moroe did not draw any parallels between rugby and cricket. It might have been an appropriate time to do so, because cricket finds itself in a situation similar to that of rugby some 18 months ago, before Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi began the climb that culminated in Saturday's emotional and emphatic triumph in Yokohama.

The Springboks appeared to be rudderless when Allister Coetzee was fired as coach in February 2018. Erasmus, director of rugby at the SA Rugby Union, took over as coach. One of his first moves was to make Kolisi captain, which has proved...