I trust the disappointment of the Champions Trophy exit has worn off? Good, now let?s go into the ODI series against England with an unsullied eye. The Proteas are better than England, man-for-man that is a fact; they are playing at home; and, best of all, this is not a knock-out tournament.

Amongst all the elite cricketing nations, South Africa boasts the best home ODI series record, with only the Australians managing to overturn the Proteas at home (twice) since re-admission.

The captains:

Graeme Smith: The big left-hander continues to lead from the front with his knock against England during the ill-fated Champions Trophy match just another example. He cannot do it all alone, however, and he needs the senior players to lift their games. Tactically he has matured significantly, but the Proteas still have the tendency to stick to a pre-conceived plan, which continues to hurt them. Smith must start to think on his feet to avoid any mishaps in the ODI series.

Andrew Strauss: The England skipper didn?t make many friends when he refused Smith a runner (even if was within his rights to do so) and he will come up against a crowd baying for blood. The English side has certainly enjoyed positive results under his leadership in the Test format, but they remain worryingly inconsistent in the shorter version of the game.

The Key Men:

For South Africa:

AB de Villiers: Undeniably AB has emerged as the lynchpin of the Proteas middle-order. With a shake-up in the Proteas batting line-up underway, De Villiers?s responsibilities with the bat will grow further.

Dale Steyn: The Proteas seamer has been worryingly erratic of late, and he needs to keep away from the soapbox for a while to boot. There is not denying Steyn?s quality, however, and if he is on song the side is better for it.

For England:

Kevin Pietersen: Yes, I know that KP will have the crowds in SA seething with patriotic fervor, but that is not the only reason to keep an eye on him because, whether we like to admit it or not, he?s actually quite good ? and he generally performs against his country of birth.

Stuart Broad:The young all-rounder is widely expected to pick up the mantle of Andrew Flintoff in the England team, and while he has certainly shown promise ? with both bat and ball ? it is debatable whether or not he can deliver on a consistent basis. England will need him to step up to the plate on both counts in SA.

Prediction: South Africa enjoys a formidable record in ODI series at home, while England is incredibly inconsistent. Man-for-man the South Africans are a better team, while they tend to perform better when ?ICC? and ?knockout? are not hanging over their heads. With that in mind, I?m predicting a big win for the Proteas.