With South Africa losing the One-Day International (ODI) series to Australia 3-1 with one match to play, the pressure is firmly on the world’s No. 3 ranked ODI side. Shiamak Unwalla feels that South Africa run the risk of losing momentum just before the ICC World Cup 2015.
South Africa are perennial favourites to win most bilateral series they contest, whether ODI, Test, or Twenty20 International (T20I). In Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, and JP Duminy, they have four of the most versatile and gifted batsmen in world cricket. To top it off, they also have a top-class pace attack led by the indomitable Dale Steyn, backed up by Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander.
And yet, come a big tournament, and very few people truly believe in South Africa’s chances. That South Africa have never reached a World Cup final in six attempts despite being strong contenders on at least four of those occasions is well documented. The “C” word has been thrown around a lot, and with good reason.
However, one gets the feeling that the current team is not like the the South African sides of the past. They have some level-headed cricketers who seem more than capable of remaining calm under pressure. A good indication of this could be seen in the ICC World T20 2014 semi-final against India, where the Proteas performed admirably and were undone only by the brilliance of Virat Kohli.
And herein lies the problem: This South African side is a real contender. They have talent, they have potential, and above all they are captained by someone who does not let pressure get to him. Which is why it is surprising to see that results have not gone their way lately. Since South Africa beat Zimbabwe in their bilateral ODI series, they lost once to Australia in the Zimbabwe Triangular Series, beat a sub-par New Zealand at the latter’s yard, and then again lost to Australia. In between, they lost two T20Is to Australia as well.
What this means for South Africa’s morale is anyone’s guess. The fact that they have struggled in Australian conditions so far on this tour does not bode well for them at all given that the ICC World Cup 2015 will be held Down Under. They managed to blank the Kiwis at home, but whatever momentum they gained was lost with this series defeat to Australia.
Barring de Villiers, Amla, and David Miller, none of their batsmen have fired so far. Surprisingly, even their bowlers have failed to remain consistent, with one outstanding performance in which Morkel rocked the boat being sandwiched between mediocre displays. The Proteas need to adapt to Australian conditions quickly. They were lucky enough to get the opportunity to play eight ODIs in Australia and New Zealand, but they must build momentum in order to go on to have a successful World Cup campaign.
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek and cricket fanatic. You can follow him on Twitter @ShiamakUnwalla)
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