CWC23 heralds the strange new world: 'Proteas are a franchise now, not a national team'

Welcome to the 2023 Cricket World Cup, where the traditional definition of what constitutes a national team is close to being abolished.

There's nothing, of course, that prevents the Proteas, who commence their campaign on Saturday against Sri Lanka in Delhi, from still displaying the longstanding values associated with representing your own country.

As head coach Rob Walter said in April, when South Africa was on the verge of qualifying for this tournament: "We've spoken about how we're in a privileged position to inspire our country and unite our country through sport."