SYDNEY, Feb 9: South Africa’s cricketers fly out of Sydney Sunday with their confidence fully restored after their victory in the triangular one-day series with Australia and New Zealand.

The South Africans crossed the Indian Ocean more than two months ago with high hopes of toppling Steve Waugh’s Australians as the world’s best team in both Tests and one-dayers, but things quickly turned sour.

They crashed to a 3-0 series loss in the Tests then made a slow start to the limited-overs tournament, shattering the team’s morale and self-belief.

But things suddenly turned around for them in the last fortnight.

Despite losing three of their four preliminary round matches against Australia, Shaun Pollock’s Proteas finished on top of the standings after the round-robin phase of the triangular series.

Australia’s failure to make the finals allowed South Africa to easily win the best-of-three finals series against New Zealand to finish the tour on a high note.

“I think it was awesome for the guys to turn things around they way they did after the Tests,” Pollock said.

“It’s all about how you deal with adversity and we showed plenty of character by the way we fought back.”

Pollock said his young team had learnt a lot from taking on the battle-hardened Australians and the experience would put them in good stead when they host Steve Waugh’s world champions in a return series starting later this month.

“There’s no doubt that we’ve taken some points from this tour and we’ll try to implement them back home,” Pollock said.

“It’s easy when things are going well but it’s not as easy when things aren’t going so great.”

Pollock, whose leadership skills were criticised during the Tests, also said he believed his captaincy had improved as a result of being placed under pressure.

“I’ve learnt a hell of a lot on this tour, about my team, about myself, about how to compete against the strongest side in world cricket,” he said.

“I’ve learned many things off and on the field — if you don’t make the same mistakes again then you’re moving forward.

“I’ve now got to use that information to improve the team and to improve as captain.”

The Proteas will host Australia in three Tests as well as seven one-day matches.

Meanwhile, Daryll Cullinan’s possible return to international cricket moved a step closer Friday when he was named in a South Africa ‘A’ team to play Australia.

The right-handed batsman, a veteran of 70 Test matches and until this season a fixture in South Africa’s top six, was named in the side to play Australia in the opening first-class fixture of their tour in Potchefstroom from Feb 17 to 19.

The team, to be captained by Dale Benkenstein, features more Test experience in left-arm spinner Claude Henderson and fast bowler Andre Nel.

South Africa A (to play Australia in Potchefstroom from Feb 17 to 19): Graeme Smith, Jacques Rudolph, Ashwell Prince, Daryll Cullinan, Dale Benkenstein (captain), Andrew Hall, Gulam Bodi, Thami Tsolekile, Claude Henderson, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel.—Reuters