The final team to get their T20 World Cup campaign underway are the perennial underachievers in South Africa. A side with the world class talent they have produced down the years should have done much better than they have in this tournament. Not to have made the final is criminal really.
Form
Things were looking good for South Africa on the form front when they beat England in a two match series last month but their confidence took a bit of a dent when Australia turned them over in a best of three series earlier this month.
Whenever South Africa play in a global tournament the choke word comes up. This set of players will be determined to prove they’ve got the minerals to go all the way but until they make a final that tag will forever haunt them. Man for man they match up to everyone and better many.
Key men
AB de Villiers has the potential to light up any match, series or tournament and South Africa will be hoping he chooses to do that in this event. South Africa have toyed with AB at the top of the order which has to be his spot in the side long term. If he opens look out for some serious carnage.
Imran Tahir is a massive player in these conditions and it would be a surprise if he didn’t have a good tournament and excel for South Africa. Batsmen still can’t pick his variations and attack him with any certainty in this format of the game. South Africa won’t go well without Tahir bowling well.
Fixtures
Fri Mar 18 – Super 10 Group 1: England vs South Africa (Mumbai)
Sun Mar 20 – Super 10 Group 1: Afghanistan vs South Africa (Mumbai)
Fri Mar 25 – Super 10 Group 1: South Africa vs West Indies (Nagpur)
Mon Mar 28 – Super 10 Group 1: South Africa vs Sri Lanka (Delhi)
Stats
Overall T20I record: P87 W52 L34 NR1
Last 10 results (most recent last): WWLWWWWWLL
Record vs group opponents:
Vs Afghanistan: P1 W1 L0
Vs England: P11 W7 L3 NR1
Vs Sri Lanka: P5 W3 L2
Vs West Indies: P9 W6 L3
Record batting first: P48 W28 L19 NR1
Record batting second: P39 W24 L15
Odds
Tournament odds: 9/2 (Bet365)
Group 1 winner: 13/8 (Paddy Power)
Team bets
The top three in the betting for the batsmen all look much of a muchness. If I was convinced AB de Villiers would play and open in every match I would take him but I have it in my mind that when push comes to shove they won’t leave out either Quinton de Kock or Hashim Amla so that puts me off.
With that in mind I will head to the bowler markets where admittedly it is a risk to take on Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada but in these conditions there looks to be an obvious stand out chance and it is he that I’ll take.
That is of course Imran Tahir who even at 9/4 has got the potential to lead South Africa’s bowling in this tournament. I don’t see the seamers getting much joy on these wickets whereas Tahir will and even if he doesn’t he has all the variations to bamboozle the batsmen. He’s the stand out spinner in this side and over four or more matches I’d be surprised if he doesn’t have the most wickets for SA in the tournament.
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