With concern over the fitness of leading all-rounder Jacques Kallis and with a relatively inexperienced squad, South Africa won’t object to going into a Cricket World Cup as underdogs for a change.
A subdued build-up may suit the Proteas this time after a series of dramatic failures in previous tournaments when tipped for overall victory.
South Africa have lost three semifinals in five World Cup appearances, leaving the country with the unwanted reputation as the most consistent underachiever in the 50-over showpiece.
Kallis’s recovery from a niggling right-side injury is the biggest question mark over South Africa’s bid for its first major one-day international (ODI) title.
The Proteas also have a largely untested middle order; a spinner who has only just become naturalised and has never played international cricket; a fast bowler-dominated attack that could be pegged back by the slow subcontinent pitches; and an apparent mental block when it comes to big events.
Kallis, who has been to three World Cups, captain Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and Robin Peterson are the survivors from 2007 — where the then-top-ranked South Africa lost to eventual winners Australia in yet another semifinal.
The team management says Kallis, South Africa’s leading run scorer and fourth-highest wicket taker in ODIs, will be ready to play “a full role with both bat and ball from the start of the tournament”. But others are concerned. Without the world’s leading all-rounder in top form, South Africa’s batting and bowling suffers.
New breed of players
The exclusion of experienced wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, seamer Charl Langeveldt and big-hitting all-rounder Albie Morkel also means South Africa have put their faith in a new breed of players that they hope will be unaffected by previous World Cup misery.
“The young guys bring something fresh and new and we can work with that,” skipper Smith said. “They have got a lot of good energy and if we can put that attacking mindset together and be a little bit street smart, we have a really good chance.”
South Africa are more comfortable with a good chance, rather than the overwhelming favourites tag that has weighed them down before.
Newcomers Colin Ingram and Faf du Plessis, young all-rounder Wayne Parnell and improving left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe are set to play important roles.
They will be backed by the experienced Smith and Kallis and in-form players Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. Opener Amla, the top-ranked ODI batsman, scored more ODI runs than any other player in 2010. Steyn and Morkel are arguably the world’s leading fast bowling combination.
And the selection of the well-travelled 31-year-old Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir as one of three specialist spinners has attracted plenty of attention.
The Proteas already have spinning options with Peterson and Johan Botha but in Tahir, who only qualified for his adopted country on the last day of 2010, they have an attacking spin bowler who is capable of match-winning performances — something South Africa has never had at a World Cup.
Tahir is yet to make his international debut but he could provide a crucial, final piece of the puzzle for the Proteas on the spin-friendly pitches.
“We think he’s a unique talent,” chief selector Andrew Hudson said, “and it’s not a worry that Tahir has not played an ODI yet. We know exactly what he offers us.”
Smith added it was a “tactical decision” to keep the former Pakistan A representative under wraps.
“He’s someone we want to keep fresh and not allow people the opportunity to see too much,” he said.
Inconsistent
The performances of Tahir, Tsotsobe, Du Plessis, Ingram, Parnell and batsman JP Duminy will likely be key. The team is strong up front in both batting and bowling but its middle order batsmen and back-up bowlers are unproven.
South Africa were inconsistent in their most recent ODI series, at home against India, and rode batting collapses and bowling struggles before a come-from-behind 3-2 series win.
“I think we have learnt some important lessons and it’s nice to learn them now,” Smith said following the series. “Some of the decisions we made at times let us down.
“It’s been hard cricket and we needed to be at our best to win, which is what you want. I really am excited about our opportunity to go to the World Cup and play.”
The victory was well timed as co-hosts India are in South Africa’s group at the World Cup, along with England, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and The Netherlands.
The international betting markets in Britain last week listed India, England and Australia at shorter odds to win the title than South Africa.
For Smith, who will give up the one-day captaincy following the tournament, and the 35-year-old Kallis, two of the country’s best players, it’s likely to be a last chance to prove the doubters wrong and to taste World Cup success. — Sapa-AP
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