You've heard of five-year plans and ten-year timelines to live your best life, but Faf du Plessis will have to make do with less. Having often spoken of the 2019 World Cup as a logical end-point for him, du Plessis' may be a three-year tryst with the South African captaincy, which is approaching its most important period now.

The middle season of du Plessis' leadership sees South Africa embark on their busiest home summer in history. They host four teams - Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, India and Australia - and will play 10 Tests, (pending the ICC's approval of the four-day, day-night match against Zimbabwe as a Test) nine ODIs, and five T20Is, against the backdrop of distraction their domestic T20 league will bring.

The inaugural Global T20 promises to add glamour and gravitas to the South African calendar and du Plessis, who is part of it as captain of the Stellenbosch Kings, will have to make sure his men stay focused on the national cause despite the excitement of the new event.

Luckily for South Africa, in his first year in charge, du Plessis showed he could demand focus. South Africa won four out of five Test series to climb from No.7 on the rankings to No.2 and achieved their first-ever 5-0 ODI whitewash of Australia. They did all that while dealing with uncertainty on several fronts: from the future of the coach, Russell Domingo, to the commitment of the former captain AB de Villiers.

As speculation sprouted on both subjects, du Plessis was the one person who could be counted on to be honest. He was steadfast in his support for Domingo and said both he and the team wanted Domingo to stay on. When they didn't get that, du Plessis immediately sought information on the new man, Ottis Gibson, from the England changeroom and began to build a relationship with him.

Faf du Plessis with Russell Domingo Getty Images

At the same time, du Plessis was the one revealing de Villiers' difficulties in managing his time playing both international cricket and in T20 leagues while also trying to prioritise his young family, Du Plessis did not expect de Villiers to avail himself to the Test side again; he probably also didn't expect de Villiers to step down as one-day captain and hand him the full set of captaincies.

It is now du Plessis' job to lead South Africa in all three formats and he knows that means it his job to win the World Cup. Though still 21 months away, it will be talked about incessantly and annoyingly, the way a child talks about Christmas toy in January. It will be analysed until all there is left to analyse is the analysis itself. And it will be coveted, because until South Africa get their hands on the trophy, they will desire it with everything they have. If there is one man who understands how much of a toll that will take, it's du Plessis.

In the aftermath of South Africa's failed Champions Trophy campaign, du Plessis was as much at a loss as anyone else but he was also the only person who accepted personal responsibility - he was involved in two run-outs in the must-win game against India. South Africans appreciated that. As angry as they were in the team's inability to exorcise the ghosts of tournaments past, they could see genuine disappointment and hear an admission of guilt from du Plessis. They couldn't fight with that. All they could do was hurt with him.

In essence, that's what allowed du Plessis to win friends and influence people in the year he has been captain. He is just plain likeable.

Faf du Plessis waits to lead South Africa out Getty Images

He has the backing of the change room - like during the ball-tampering allegations in Australia - and of the country. While Graeme Smith had faced the wrath of nation when he missed the homecoming press conference after the 2011 World Cup because he travelled to propose to his girlfriend, du Plessis found himself wrapped in support when he opted out of the Lord's Test to spend a few extra days with his wife following the difficult birth of their first child. Sure, South Africans have grown up a little and come to see their sportsmen as people; but the sportsmen have grown up too, and see themselves as part of the people, not above them.

This is also true of the way du Plessis interacts with opposition. He is well-respected across the cricket world, from Australia where Steven Smith backed him over ball-tampering, to Pakistan, where du Plessis was picked to captain the World XI earlier this month. Du Plessis is trusted for his maturity, which he will need as South Africa embark on the second year of his leadership.

Foremost in du Plessis' mind will be adapting the team to the style of the new coach, Gibson, and integrating the Barbadian into their values. But beyond the philosophical, there is also the real stuff. Du Plessis will have to play a role in managing players over the course of the next six months, particularly bowlers, of whom South Africa are already carrying four wounded ones. He will want to plough into the talent pool to find some of the missing pieces for all the international sides - batsmen, especially batsmen of colour, for the Test XI, death-bowlers in limited-overs cricket and players with big-match temperaments.

Against Bangladesh, du Plessis may have a relatively gentle easing in, but things will get tougher as the summer unfolds. Against India, South Africa have a point to prove. It was only two years ago that South Africa were humbled on Indian dust-bowls, and with talk of green mambas ready to bite, the series should be filled with fireworks that a calm captain will have to have a careful watch over. After that, when fatigue may be setting in, South Africa host Australia, a side they have not had a home Test series win over since readmission.

Faf du Plessis tries to nail his targets Getty Images

Importantly, du Plessis is not in this alone. His successor is being groomed under his nose and that's no bad thing. South Africa have learnt from the mistake they made when they settled so deep into a comfort zone under Graeme Smith that they barely gave a thought to who would be next. That complacency cost them because it took more than three years after Smith stepped down in March 2014 to find out.

Aiden Markram, the 2014 under-19 World Cup winning captain who was put in charge of the Titans franchise last week, iswidely expected to become the next national leader and he will have a decent apprenticeship. Markram's international career will start in two days' time, when he opens the batting for Test team against Bangladesh. If all goes well, Markram will have ten Tests to bed in and may even find himself in a limited-overs' side as the season develops.

All of that should be encouraged because the more Markram can learn from du Plessis, the better. The more Markram can become part of the du Plessis era, the easier the transition will be.

For now, its du Plessis' team to mould and make a success of. Though he has already had some, du Plessis' has most recently dealt with disappointment. The England tour, especially the Tests, were blighted by injuries and absentees but South Africa's return home with nothing was a cause for concern. It suggested there is a need for a more serious introspection than the one South Africa had last winter, just before du Plessis took over, when they outlined goals. Now, they need clear plans and they need to find a way to stay competitive while dealing with myriad challenges - from a packed calendar to Kolpak. They need calm heads. They need to remember to have some fun too.

They need du Plessis' three-year plan to take shape.