Mindset of modern South African cricketer evolved compared to his era, says Ashwell Prince

As a player, Ashwell Prince toured India for Test duty on two tours. On both occasions (2008 and 2010), South Africa drew level 1-1.

Now the South Africa batting coach, Prince beamed with pride as his side blanked India 2-0 in the recent Test series.

The mindset of the modern South African cricketer is much evolved compared to his era, Prince explained.

“When you come to India, you prepare for a lot of spin bowling, and different conditions. But the mentality that you come with — that’s the most important thing. Maybe in the past, it was foreign to us. These days, we have a lot more players touring India, albeit in shorter formats. There are a lot more of our guys playing cricket under these conditions,” Prince said in Ranchi on Saturday (November 29, 2025).

“It is important for us to not preempt or premeditate how a pitch is going to play. A word that is important in our team is ‘adaptability’,” Prince said.

Given the dew factor, batting second is the preferred option at this venue, Prince added.