MELBOURNE (Reuters) - South African cricket was in crisis following their 3-0 series loss to Australia, the Australian media has widely reported.

"Players from past and present eras have insisted that South Africa were as good as, if not better than, the great enemy," the Herald Sun newspaper said. "It is difficult to see that happening again after this series. The past month has represented this team's heaviest defeats (by 246 runs, nine wickets and 10 wickets). Most of the players have never been beaten so badly, never mind three times in a row.

"The result is a level of humility they have never experienced before, a modesty that will serve them well in the future and will almost certainly change their approach to future contests against Australia," the Herald Sun said. And South Africa did not compare well to Stephen Fleming's New Zealand side who drew a three-Test series in Australia 0-0 in November and December, The Age newspaper reported. "If the Kiwis surprised on the upside, as analysts put it, the Proteas fell well below expectations," The Age said. "Experience has a lot to do with it. Stephen Fleming is an astute captain of a seasoned team; Shaun Pollock an uncertain leader of a side including players over the hill and in the early stages of their ascent. Clearly South Africa's successful team of the nineties has broken up. "There is no escaping the fact this South African team was seriously under-resourced and inexpertly managed," The Australian said. "There was no-one, on or off the ground, who was demonstrably in charge. It is difficult to see how the South Africans can regroup in advance of the first Test with Australia at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, which is just over six weeks away."

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