South Africa opener Dean Elgar feels the team’s intimidation factor pales in comparison to the side he joined in 2012, pointing to the possibility of bans as a reason why players can’t say “boo to a goose.”

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Elgar said that the South African team in 2012, the year he made his international debut, was full of naturally intimidating players, who didn’t need to indulge in verbal attacks to stamp their authority.

“In 2012, we had big, tall fast bowlers, and guys like Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis who could just puff out their chests and they were intimidating,” he said. “They didn’t need to say too much. Now you can’t really go hard at guys, and you don’t want to be in a situation where you do something and then are banned, because you are letting the team down.”

When Elgar joined the senior side, South Africa were in the midst of a stellar run to the top of the ICC Test rankings, a position they occupied in two separate phases until the start of 2016. Since then, the team has encountered a steady dip in form and fortunes, and are currently No.6 in the rankings.

“A few summers ago, we were under a different coach, and we were chasing results, so we had different pitches. It was almost like you want to win before you have played the full five days. And then you neglect one side of your game to bring out your advantage in the other. There was a desperation.”

The current set up, Elgar feels, is more cautious in its approach, not able to express itself the way it used to before. Elgar cited the example of teammate Kagiso Rabada, who was banned for a Test in January this year after giving Joe Root a pumped-up send-off in Port Elizabeth.

“We have seen that with KG [Kagiso Rabada] recently, and that’s just pure emotion. It shouldn’t be taken out of the game. In 2012, we had big, imposing guys; now you can’t say boo to a goose. You need to be more cautious.”