Johannesburg – In a year when the Proteas relinquished the number one Test ranking and later regained it, the most significant developments were the retirements of stalwarts Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith.
On the eve of the Boxing Day Test against India in Durban, in which he scored a century in his final innings for the Proteas, Kallis revealed his decision to retire from the longest format of the game.
He did, however, state his clear intention to contend for a place in the Proteas ODI squad for the World Cup next year jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
It was not to be though, as a dismal run of scores in an ODI series against Sri Lanka in July prompted his retirement from all forms of international cricket after eighteen years of loyal service to his country.
Kallis remained the highest run-scorer for South Africa in Tests (13206) and ODIs (11579), ending his career as the third highest run-scorer ever in Test cricket, behind legends Sachin Tendulkar of India (15921) and Ricky Ponting of Australia (13378). His 292 Test wickets and 273 ODI scalps affirm his status among the greatest all-rounders.
Just three months after he bowed out, South African cricket was rocked by the departure of another of its luminaries.
Smith announced his retirement from international cricket during the third Test against the touring Australians in Cape Town in March. At just 33, Smith had led South Africa for over a decade, following the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
Smith captained his country in a world-record 101 matches. He also held the world record for highest number of Test wins as captain, with 50 to his credit.
The 2013/2014 season began in earnest for the senior South African team with a two-Test series against India.
In a fitting send-off to Kallis in his final game, the Proteas beat India in the Boxing Day Test in Durban to claim a 1-0 series win over the visitors.
Next up was the eagerly anticipated three-Test series in which South Africa welcomed its traditional foe, Australia, to local shores.
Much of the talk leading up to the Test was about who had the best bowling attack in Test cricket, and led by Mitchell Johnson, the Aussies reaffirmed their status as the top-ranked team with a 2-1 series victory.
With their first overseas Test series victory in almost two years, Australia displaced South Africa at the top of the rankings.
Johnson's devastating display of genuine pace bowling in the first innings at Centurion was one of the most intense fast-bowling performance seen in some years in this country, if not globally.
Australia romped to a 281-run victory in four days in the first Test with Johnson returning figures of 7/68 in the first innings 5/59 in the second.
South Africa managed to square the series in Port Elizabeth, and it came down to the decider in what would be Smith's final Test, in Cape Town.
South Africans had no answer for the ruthless Australian bowling attack, on this occasion, Ryan Harris (7/95) sharing the limelight with Johnson (7/134) and a captain's knock of 161 not out in the first innings by Michael Clarke.
In the T20 series which followed, the Aussies showed their strength in all formats strolling to a 2-0 series win in the three-match affair.
In March, South Africa endured yet another fruitless campaign in pursuit of an ICC Trophy at the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh. After winning three of their four group games against England, New Zealand and the Netherlands, they were outclassed by India in the semi-finals.
The Proteas responded in typically defiant fashion with their first-ever ODI series win in Sri Lanka in July. The Proteas were at their ruthless best in the series decider, amassing 339 for five batting first with centuries coming from Quinton de Kock (128) and De Villiers (108). The visitors bowled out Sri Lanka for 257, an 82-run win and an historic 2-1 series win.
In the two-Test series, South Africa reclaimed their number one spot in the rankings with a 1-0 series win.
A one-off Test followed against hosts Zimbabwe in Harare in August, and South Africa ran out comfortable victors by nine wickets against much weaker opposition.
The focus then shifted to ODI cricket for most of the remaining year.
As expected, South Africa beat hosts Zimbabwe 3-0 in an unremarkable series.
Australia joined the fray for a triangular series in Harare where 30-year-old Faf Du Plessis' form exploded. He scored 464 runs with three centuries and a knock of 96 in the final, narrowly missing out on becoming the first-ever player to score four ODI hundreds in a single tournament.
South Africa beat Australia by six wickets in the final to win the series.
In October, the Proteas played out their dress rehearsal in Antipodean conditions for next year's World Cup with a three-match ODI series against the Black Caps. South Africa ran out 2-0 victors after the third match was abandoned. The Proteas were never really tested in the series, and they swiftly advanced across the Tasman to take on Australia.
In the three-match T20 affair, Australia won the final game off the penultimate ball of the encounter to claim a 2-1 series win.
It was then on to the highly-anticipated five-match ODI series, where South Africa failed to deliver on raised expectations. Australia outclassed their opponents, taking the series 4-1.
Despite their below-par performance, De Villiers said his side would still be favourites at the World Cup starting in February.
“Playing in their home country they will be one of the favourites, but I still believe we're the better team, and we will be the team to beat at the World Cup,” he said on the team's return.
As the year draws to a close, South Africa welcome West Indies for a three-Test series followed by five ODIs, ending just before the World Cup starts.
Earlier in the year, the South African under-19 side outshone their seniors winning the Under-19 World Cup in Dubai. They beat Pakistan by six wickets, with 47 balls to spare, in the final marking the frst time a South African side had tasted victory in an ICC tournament since the 1998 Champions Trophy.
Captain Aiden Markram led from the front with 370 runs in the tournament, for a batting average of 123, and was the only player to score two centuries during the competition.
However, it was the performances of tearaway quick Kagiso Rabada that took the tournament by storm. In five matches, he claimed 14
wickets at a phenomenal average of 10 runs per wicket. His best performance came in the semi-final against Australia in which he ripped through their batting line-up, taking 6/25.
Rabada earned himself a franchise contract with the Highveld Lions, and later a call-up to both the senior T20 and Test squads. He made his debut for the Proteas in the T20 series against Australia in November. Already part of his nation's preliminary World Cup squad, Rabada could be in line to make the final 15-man squad which will be announced on January 7, less than a year after playing the junior version of the ICC showpiece event. – Sapa