South Africa Team analysis for World Cup 2015: Fight the own demons

South Africa Team analysis for World Cup 2015: Fight the own demons: In our series of analyzing teams for the upcoming Cricket World cup, today we will talk about the No. 1 ranked team in Tests and ODIs. South Africans did not participate in first 4 world cups and started participating from 1992 only. Barring 2003 World cup South Africa has always reached the quarters stage along with 3 semifinal finishes from the 6 participations. Let’s deep dive into South Africa’s 15 members squad and assess their chances in 2015 World Cup.

Batting

Led by AB de Villiers South Africa has Hashim Amla, Jean Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Rilee Rossouw and Farhaan Behardien. In all probability South Africa will open with Amla and young de Kock, followed by Du Plessis, De Villiers, Duminy and Miller. For me South Africa has the all basis covered in their batting line up. They have players who can grind on a tuff surface, who can shift gears quickly and take the game away from the opposition. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla are in supreme form with a good support from the other batsmen. For me this batting line up is best batting line up in this World Cup and each batsman in this unit could be a match winner on his day.

Bowling

Led by steamy Dale Steyn South Africa have Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Kyle Abbott and Imran Tahir. Steyn, Morkel and Philander make the South African pace attack a threatening attack. With Steyn getting the ball to swing in all conditions and Morkel extracting the bounce makes it a difficult story for the batsman. But I find this bowling unit lacking in one area i.e. Spin department. Imran Tahir has been in the squad for quite sometime now and also has the ability to bowl wicket taking deliveries. But he lacks the consistency to bowl 6 good bowls in an over. Every now and then he throws boundary balls which make it easier for the batsmen to accumulate runs. If Tahir is able to bowl with more control it will strengthen the South African bowling unit.

X-Factor

South African captain AB de Villiers is the X-factor in this team. AB’s capability to adapt his game as per the match situation is his biggest strength. He can play a gritty knock in case of a top order failure and he even hit a 20 ball 40 to push the score from a moderate to a match winning total.  The kind of angles AB uses in death overs makes it very difficult even for the best bowlers in the world to bowl.

Best Result

Semi-finalists (1992), Semi-finalists (1999), Semi-finalists (2007)

Overall

If we talk of ability of this South African team they are definitely one of the best. But, somehow they find out a way which keeps them away from the coveted title. Be it 1992 and 1999 Semi-final loss or the D/L miss calculation in 2003 South Africa find out strange ways to get out of the competition. It can’t be just a co incidence of such repeated events; it must be a mental block which makes them to choke on crucial moments. If they able to clear this mental block they are a definite contenders for the title.