This winter, India will be hosting the grandest party of them all, the biggest Cricket Carnival in the sport, The World Cup. World Cup is a competition which separates the men from the boys. A tournament where legends are born, careers are made, dreams are shattered, memories that last forever and scars which never heal.
There are some games which are etched in the minds of viewers right from teenagers to oldies. South Africa's semi-finals loss to Australia in 1999. A heart break for the ages. There's another game that you'll remember. Introduction of Duckworth Lewis to the whole world when South Africa had to chase 21 in 1 ball as per DL method when the earlier target was 21 off 13 before the rain interval against England in 1992. Everyone was taken by surprise.
In 2003, a miscalculation by Pollock cost them a place in the super 6 stage. Hosts were sent packing out of the tournament because of an error in basic maths. The golden generation of South African cricket which included AB Devilliers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn suffered a devastating loss to New Zealand in the semis of 2015 WC. Irony is a South African born player helped Kiwis knock out the Proteas. Duckworth Lewis played a big part in that game too.
In every incident, there's a team that has ended up on the wrong side of the result. The hopes of the first elusive World Cup Title rested on the shoulders of many great individuals but all of them found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Every 4 years, cricketers from the rainbow nation took their fans through a roller coaster ride of emotions. Wet weather forced an unexpected exit in the semis of 92 but that didn't dampen Proteas spirits. Came back roaring 4 years later winning every game until the quarters just to see their streak broken by Brian Lara's masterclass in the quarters. In 1999, a heart-breaking loss welcomed them at the cusp of glory. A tale of so near yet so far but their resolve for a trophy remains stronger than ever.
South Africa Squad for ICC World Cup 2023: Temba Bavuma (C), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
South Africa, unlike every WC, go into this WC without being tagged as favourites. They have lost their fastest bowler in Anrich Nortje which has reduced their potency with respect to the fire that they possessed in the pace department. Their batsmen are in fine form and will look to continue their dream run when they gear up to win another World Cup. Temba Bavuma has been a major talking point, but he has shut his critics up with performances in ODI cricket. His captaincy has been magnificent. A street-smart captain which they lacked since late Hansie Cronje. Can he help South Africa win their first World Cup or will he crumble under the weights of expectations?
Strengths:
They are back of a great series win against Australia. Heinrich Klaasen took the Aussies apart and has had a dream run in the last 18 months in white ball cricket. He would be looking to emulate the same in the WC. David Miller is another such cricketer who has a lot of experience playing in India. South Africa will bank on him to finish off the innings in a way only Killer-Miller can.
The records of these 2 finishers have been fantastic in the last 3 years.
David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen in ODIs since the start of 2020:
David Miller:
Innings: 27
Runs: 1,032
Average: 60.70
SR: 114.15
50s: 11
In the same period his average against:
Australia - 61.20 (inn 8)
England - 76.33 (inn 6)
India - 79.00 (inn 5)
Pakistan - 100 (inn 2)
Heinrich Klaasen:
Innings : 25
Runs : 1072
Average : 51
Strike rate : 115
Hundreds & Fifties : 3 & 4
This must be the most brutal no.5 & no.6 for any team in the World Cup.
Weakness:
Their bowling stocks are not so good this year with Anrich Nortje missing out, Rabada is one of the deadliest bowlers going around but does he have anyone to support him the way Nortje did? Marco Jansen has turned up in big moments, but it is too early to predict if he can win you a game in India with his bowling. Maharaj and Shamsi complement each other very well but will that be enough to tame the star-studded batting line up of top teams? Only time will tell.
Kagiso Rabada in Asia since 2020-
5 matches
5 innings
7 wickets
31.75 average
5.43 economy
35.1 strike rate
Keshav Maharaj in Asia since 2020-
5 matches
5 innings
7 wickets
24 avg
3.90 eco
36.8 strike rate
Tabraiz Shamsi in Asia since 2020-
4 matches
4 innings
9 wickets
24.88 avg
6.28 eco
23.7 strike rate
Player to watch out for:
Aiden Markram:
If South Africa have any chance to win the WC, this man must play a pivotal role in all the 3 departments. He has made that no.4 position his own now. His off spin will be very vital in Indian conditions and the slow and sluggish wickets at the back end of the tournament. He can bowl in the powerplay and contain batsmen in the middle overs. He is a perfect accumulator of churning out singles and doubles in the middle overs which is needed in the sub-continent when the boundaries are hard to come by. His power game is very underrated, he can smash sixes at will. His pickup shot over mid-wicket and drive over extra cover is a sight to behold which will be mighty effective on Indian pitches where you have to adjust according to the bounce of the surface. This World Cup will be the one which will stamp his authority on the world stage. He has what it takes to be crowned the king of the world.
(Amazing offer from Amazon, grab it before it ends!!!)
South Africa's likely 11:
Quinton De Kock (WK)
Temba Bavuma (C)
Rassie Van Der Dussen
Aiden Markram
Heinrich Klassen
David Miller
Marco Jansen
Kagiso Rabada
Keshav Maharaj
Tabraiz Shamsi
Lungi Ngidi
South Africans always had a great side but just couldn’t finish off the things as they were expected to. Every time they found a new way of choking at the most important stage of the tournament. They can say they have not failed but have found 1000 ways that won’t work which might just help them this time around. As they say you will never be remembered for the weeks you were at the top, but you will be remembered for the trophies that you have won. With the schedule that they have, they need to prepare very well too. When we say preparation, it is not just about batting bowling and fielding drills. They’ll have to bear in mind a lot of things. Travelling across states, the weather forecast, the heat at different places, the electric atmosphere in the stadium, flood lights and the scoreboard pressure. If South Africans are well drilled this time around, they can be a surprise package to win the tournament.
