Although South Africa have flattered to deceive in each of their
four World Cup tournaments, recent form suggests they will again be
major contenders in the West Indies next month.
But first they have to play world champions Australia in
Basseterre, St Kitts on March 24 in a group match which will decide
which team takes two points through to the second round.
"They have one crucial match in the group stages, and that's the
game against Australia," Kepler Wessels, who played for Australia
before captaining his native South Africa, told Reuters.
"They're going to have to try and peak in that match, and from
there it's a case of consistency, consistency, consistency.
"But that game will sum up how far South Africa go in the
tournament."
South Africans have suffered dramatic exits in most of their World
Cup appearances, which started in 1992 after the end of the
country's isolation from international sport because of their
apartheid (racial separation) policy.
That year, South Africa reached the semi-finals against England in
Sydney only to be thwarted by controversial rain rules that called
for them to score 21 runs off one ball.
Four years later in Karachi, South Africa were eliminated in the
quarter-finals by a West Indies side who were powered to an upset
victory by Brian Lara's brilliant 111.
In 1999 in Birmingham, Lance Klusener and Allan Donald contrived
one of the most memorable runouts in cricket history to tie the
match and end South Africa's semi-final hopes against
Australia.
Ignominy followed on home soil in 2003, when the South Africans
failed to read their Duckworth-Lewis target correctly in a
first-round match against Sri Lanka.
The result was another tie, which resulted in South Africa's
elimination.
"In 1992, I think we were dead unlucky," said Wessels, who
captained South Africa in that tournament. "In '96 South Africa
were definitely the best team at the tournament, but they made
tactical errors. The '99 thing was just a moment of madness."
Wessels said he was confident that South Africa were a good bet to
reach the final in Bridgetown, Barbados on April 28.
"I think we have a real chance this time," Wessels said. "If
conditions are even slightly seamer-friendly we won't be
beaten."
However, Wessels felt the South Africans were over-reliant on
veteran bowler Shaun Pollock and also that they were
predictable.
"It's easy to plan to play against them, but they're not easy to
beat," he said.
Wessels also felt much depended on the form of captain and opening
batsman Graeme Smith.
"If Smith fires and plays well with (fellow opener) AB de Villiers,
South Africa will be difficult to stop," Wessels said.
"The fact that they bat all the way down to Andrew Hall at number
eight will also be an important factor."
Squad: Graeme Smith, Loots Bosman, Mark
Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques
Kallis, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini,
Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Roger
Telemachus.
World Cup record:
1992 - semi-finalists
1996 - quarter-finalists
1999 - semi-finalists
2003 - first round
Overall playing record: Played: 371, Won: 228,
Lost: 127, Tied: 5, No result: 11.
Highest innings total: 438-9 v Australia, Johannesburg, 2006.
Lowest innings total: 69 v Australia, Sydney, 1993.
Most appearances: 268 - Shaun Pollock.
Highest individual score: 188� - Gary Kirsten.
Leading run-scorer: 8,491 - Jacques Kallis.
Best bowling: 6-22 - Makhaya Ntini v Australia, 2006.
Leading wicket-taker: 367 - Shaun Pollock.
Highest partnership: 235 (1st) - Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten
v India, Kochi, 2000.
Most catches by a fieldsman: 105 - Jonty Rhodes.
Most dismissals: 345 - Mark Boucher.
