South Africa have been the perennial chokers in ICC competitions over the last two decades, with the Proteas unable to win a single T20 World Cup trophy despite boasting some of the most talented squads in world cricket. In 2022, Temba Bavuma’s side have a glorious shot at ending their drought on the global stage in a World Cup with no outright favourite to lift the trophy.
The Proteas are the third-highest team in ICC’s T20I rankings and have had some promising performances off late, beating England in England while also drawing against India away from home in 2022.
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There are not many pace attacks that can compete with the South African trio of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi at the T20 World Cup. Rabada is the leader of the pace attack and can bowl in all three phases, while Nortje can clock speeds above 150kph and is one of the best death bowlers in the world. Ngidi is slightly on the expensive side in T20I cricket with an economy of nearly nine, but the pacer has a tremendous strike rate of 12.8 in T20I cricket.
South Africa also have an incredibly dynamic middle order with plenty of hard-hitting, fast starters in Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs that will thrive in the bouncy, flat batting conditions in Australia.
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South Africa’s biggest problem heading into the T20 World Cup is the form of their captain Temba Bavuma. The opener scored just one run in three innings in the series against team India and has a T20I strike rate of 116. Bavuma opening the innings holds the team back due to his lack of power and hitting range, forcing others around him, such as Quinton de Kock and Markram to take more risks.
With Dwaine Pretorius injured, South Africa also have a weakness at the number seven spot, as neither Marco Jansen nor Wayne Parnell possess the batting ability to be considered as out-and-out all-rounders for a title-winning side.
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With Temba Bavuma’s slow strike rate a concern, Quinton de Kock will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting for South Africa at the top of the order to ensure that the Proteas maximise the powerplay. Although the opener has a strike rate of just 134 in T20I cricket, he is one of the most fearsome players of pace bowling at the top of the order in the world. South Africa will need de Kock to make full use of the fielding restrictions in the first six overs, giving the power-packed middle order the platform to set up South Africa’s batting innings.
1. Temba Bavuma
2. Quinton de Kock
3. Rilee Rossouw
4. Aiden Markram
5. David Miller
6. Tristan Stubbs
7. Wayne Parnell
8. Kagiso Rabada
9. Anrich Nortje
10. Tabraiz Shamsi
11. Lungi Ngidi
1st in Group 2
T20 World Cup Runners up
[Featured Image Credit: ANI]
Shivaan Shah