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The Roar

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Don't write off the Proteas

Roar Rookie
26th May, 2017
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Morne Morkel has announced his retirement. (AFP PHOTO/Tony ASHBY)
Roar Rookie
26th May, 2017
19

It’s time for me contribute my customary pre-tournament prediction. And yes, England are my pick to win the ICC Champions Trophy.

Who wouldn’t pick the Poms? Best short-form side over the last two years. Best balance of youth and experience. Best preparation out of any team.

Best adaptability to the conditions. For the first time since January 5, 1971, England are the best team leading into a one-day tournament.

But I can’t write off South Africa just yet. Irrespective of their performances against England this week, playing against the best team is perfect preparation leading into a knockout tournament.

Look at New Zealand – they comfortably lost 2-0 against the Proteas in October 2014. But five months later, they conquered them in a thrilling semi-final at Eden Park. Obviously there’s more to it than that – Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui isn’t nearly as intimidating as Auckland’s Eden Park. And Eden Park played host to a World Cup semi-final.

So do South Africa choke in semi-finals? Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. They’ve often left their worst performance for knockout games, but they’ve often versed irresistible opposition in the process.

I could go and measure the physics of momentum and key moments in games. Or I could analyse the psychological pressures associated with South Africa’s ‘choker’ tagline. Or I could study the probability of losing X amount of knock-out games, compared to winning Y amount of normal games.

See what I’m doing here? I’m overthinking the nuances of a sport that fundamentally just has a winner and a loser. Past coaches and players may have been shackled by this mindset. But the Proteas broke these shackles at Eden Park. Aside from a few errors in the field, they were defeated by rain, a controversial selection and a formidable Blackcaps batting line-up.

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South African bowler Morne Morkel

(AFP PHOTO/Tony ASHBY)

I believe South Africa will not be intimidated by this tournament. Their personnel are battle-hardened and in full playing mode. A long home summer split by tours to Australia and New Zealand, a longer IPL campaign for several of their players, and an even longer tour to England will allow the Proteas to approach the Champions Trophy as ‘yet another campaign’. This is heightened by a lacklustre build-up to a tournament increasingly losing its relevance.

Now to the playing personnel. In an ever-batting friendly tournament, South Africa have three of the game’s top ten ODI batsmen: AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock. Add the in-form Hashim Amla and dangerous David Miller to the top six, and South Africa have a line-up brimming with match-winners.

In the bowling department, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir are the key wicket-takers. It will be up to the support bowlers, and South Africa as a fielding unit, to limit the damage in the other thirty overs.

Following the England series, South Africa will enjoy facing weaker opponents in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Their final match in Group B is against India. A lot will ride on India’s performance in the tournament, and more specifically, the output from India’s out-of-form captain.

It is interesting then, how Virat Kohli described the hype from India as “a knife hanging on your neck”.

South Africa’s potential semi-final opponents are Australia, England, New Zealand and Bangladesh. New Zealand and Bangladesh just don’t have the all-round fire-power to pose a serious threat.

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Australia, like India, have the all-round fire-power but face other distractions. Add to this a fairly meagre preparation, along with the memories of a 5-nil whitewash in October, and South Africa may just have the edge over the Australians.

As far as England goes, South Africa will be hoping to not face them in the semi-finals. A raucous home crowd at Edgbaston isn’t ideal for any opposition.

Sophia Gardens in Cardiff isn’t as bad. But as South Africa are well-accustomed to, anything can happen in the game of cricket, especially when it’s a knock-out match.

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