South Africa: Perennial contenders

South Africa's re-entry into world cricket in 1991 had raised hopes of the Proteas dominating the game as they had an abundance of talent but unfortunately they failed to make a mark in global tournaments. Since their debut in the 1991-92 World Cup in Australasia, the South Africans, who have earned the 'Chokers' tag because of their inability to pull off key matches, had failed to make it to summit clash. Their best show was a third place in the 1999 edition of the tournament.

Even though they are perennial favourites in every World Cup, the South Africans don't seem to have luck on their side. Come February, the Proteas will be keen to redeem their honour and beak the jinx as they take guard Down Under. The 2015 squad may not be the best-ever team to leave the African shores to compete in a World Cup, they, however, have two weapons of mass destruction - captain AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn.

The 30-year-old de Villiers, who is the most destructive bats man in all formats of the game, showed that he is in the pink of form as he blasted a century against the West Indies last week. The South African was on a record breaking spree as he struck a 44-ball 149. AB's ability to turn the game on its head in quick time makes him a very dangerous customer.

The South Africans have a couple of other proven performers in the form of Faf du Plessis, big hitting David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw. However, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy will have to play a massive role if the Proteas fancy their chances of winning the maiden Cup. Duminy is the leader in the lower order who has successfully shepherded the batting tail over the years. He has the ability to assess conditions expertly and knows when to start adventurously or to play "test cricket" according to the requirements of the game.

Steyn is a lethal weapon which is wild and untamed. The 31-year-old speedster is a pure delight to watch and a batsman's nightmare. The aggressive Steyn never lets his guard down and therefore the rivals cannot afford to let their guard down.

However, there are one or two question marks hovering over the team. In terms of the lower order, the South Africans have not have contributed as consistently as they would have liked.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=South Africa,Hashim Amla,David Miller,Dale Steyn,AB de Villiers

Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

South Africa: Perennial contenders

Dengan url

http://bijikacang.blogspot.com/2015/01/south-africa-perennial-contenders.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

South Africa: Perennial contenders

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

South Africa: Perennial contenders

sebagai sumbernya