South Africa embarked on their World Cup campaign on the back of a comprehensive 4-1 drubbing of the West Indies. Shortly before the start of the tournament de Villiers was asked about the South Africa’s chances of lifting the coveted World Cup Trophy. “I think our chances are good,” he stated. “we are in a good space as a team which always bodes well for a side.” The Proteas had yet to settle on the perfect starting XI, still wrestling with the idea of seven batsmen and making up the fifth bowler with part-timers or six batsmen and five front line bowlers. Although the Proteas were stuck with quite the conundrum, pressure was always going to be their Achilles heel.

Cricket World Cup Review: South Africa

Group Stage

Zimbabwe

The battle of the African neighbours was expected to be a one-sided contest. However, it was anything but that.  South Africa were put into bat by the opposition and found themselves in a precarious position at 21-2. JP Duminy and David Miller were both in a belligerent mood, posting what appeared to be an insurmountable total.

Zimbabwe put in a spirited performance and if it had not been for key strikes by Imran Tahir then an upset was very much on the cards.

India

South Africa went into the match against India as slight favourites, but it was India that came out on top, handing the Proteas their worst defeat in World Cup history.

Close to 90,000 spectators packed the MCG on that day with the vast majority being fanatical Indian supporters. A majestic innings by Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan put South Africa on the back foot right from the start.  Dhawan was given a lifeline while on 53 when Amla dropped him at backward point off the bowling of left-arm seamer, Wayne Parnell. He went on to add a further two runs before JP Duminy missed what seemed to be a simple run out opportunity. After what was a lacklustre fielding display, the Proteas were equally uninspiring with the bat.  India produced a disciplined bowling display, giving away nothing from the start. The Proteas inevitably succumbed to the pressure, losing wickets at regular intervals. In the post-match press conference de Villiers described the loss as ‘almost embarrassing’. This was South Africa’s first real pressure test and they failed miserably.

West Indies

I don’t think anyone gave the West Indies a realistic chance of beating the Proteas, but stranger things have happened in cricket. AB de Villiers’ record-breaking 162* knocked the stuffing out of the West Indies and Imran Tahir’s 5-wicket haul ensured an emphatic victory for the men from the rainbow nation.

Ireland

The Proteas became the first side in One Day International history to score more than 400 runs in two successive matches. Often hailed as the ‘giant killers’ of world cricket, a team that had already claimed the scalp of the West Indies and one that certainly deserves a place among cricket’s elite nations, seemed to be a fast bowler short of being a complete side. South Africa cruised to another resounding victory.

Pakistan

South Africa performed exceedingly well with the ball, especially towards the back end of the innings, restricting Pakistan to a moderate total. Their fielding was breathtaking at times, epitomised by Dale Steyn when he dived full length to take an absolute blinder which was arguably the catch of the tournament. Opening batsman Quinton de Kock’s miserable run of form continued when he edged the second ball of the innings, giving Pakistan their first wicket. One felt South Africa were always in the game, but a combination of superb bowling and poor shot selection left South Africa with more questions than answers at the end of the game.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE bowlers bowled well at the start but were unable to sustain that throughout the innings. Another sublime innings from captain de Villiers saw the associate nation requiring well over 300 for an improbable victory.

A win for the Proteas was never in doubt. It was just a question of the winning margin.

Quarter-final—South Africa vs Sri Lanka

“All I can say is we’re not going to choke tomorrow.” AB de Villiers was in a bullish mood ahead of their knockout match against Sri Lanka. Bowling first, South Africa were phenomenal upfront with Dale Steyn back to his fiery best and Kyle Abbott getting some swing. The ever-impressive Imran Tahir continued to bamboozle opposition batsmen with his variations and JP Duminy successfully tied down the left-handers, finishing off his spell with a hat-trick. His fantastic performance with the ball added weight to the argument of those in favour of the seven batsmen, four bowlers combination.

South Africa was set a miserly total of just 134 to advance to the semi-final. Out of form de Kock stepped up and produced an innings that matched his potential.

Semi-Final—South Africa vs New Zealand

Without a doubt the game of the tournament, the perfect advert for the 50 over format. A game of ifs and buts, ebbs and flows, drama, tears and most importantly sportsmanship. From a South African point of view, one could claim that the rain was the deciding factor but there is often a fine line between winning and losing and the Proteas botched a number of chances throughout the game.

Despite the devastating loss, he support for the Proteas seems stronger than ever. The majority of the South African public showed true empathy and rallied behind their beloved team.

Really didn't expect that kind of support arriving at OR Tambo! Thank you South Africa. It is good to be home! #ProteaFire

— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) March 27, 2015

Point of Controversy

Vernon Philander pulled up during the match against India and was later diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring strain. He subsequently missed the matches against the West Indies and Ireland. Kyle Abbott was then selected in place of the injured Philander and the two matches that followed, Abbott took six wickets at an economy rate of 3.63. In the quarter-final, Abbott took the early wicket of Kusal Perera. He bowled with decent pace, control and got the ball to swing. He seemed a shoo-in for the semi-final against New Zealand.  However, it was Philander who got the nod though and although he bowled adequately under the circumstances, he failed to strike. The question remains: why replace a man in form with a man still working his way back from injury?

Player Performance Comparison

Player	Matches	Wickets	Economy Rate	Average(runs per wicket)
Kyle Abbott	4	9	4.19	14.44
Vernon Philander	4	4	4.73	33.75

 

Some feel the decision to select Philander was an issue of race, although this was vehemently denied by the South African Sports Minister, who stated the accusations were made by a “dying breed of political dinosaurs.”

The Way Forward for the Proteas

The core of the South African outfit performed well during the tournament with de Villiers, Tahir and Morkel being the stand out performers throughout the tournament. No drastic changes to the side need to be made in the immediate future. However, the Proteas need to find a way to handle heightened pressure on a more consistent basis and more importantly, when it matters most.

Politics and sport is like oil and water: they just do not mix. This latest controversy has shifted the focus from what was, for the most part, a successful World Cup campaign to something that leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth.