ICC World Cup 2023: Temba Bavuma embraces the tag, can SA unleash the force?

Mention South Africa and the World Cup together and the cup invariably feels half empty rather than half full. England were seen as the team-in-waiting-forever until they settled the debate by winning the 2019 World Cup at Lord’s.

The Proteas, though, have continued to field the barbs, before and after each tournament, be it the T20 or ODI World Cup. One set of generational talent after another has stopped short. A fresh campaign starts at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground against Sri Lanka on Saturday, and the “choker” question was unsurprisingly part of the pre-match media conference.

Before the 2007 World Cup, where eventual champions and their biggest Cup tormentors Australia eliminated them in the semi-finals – the Proteas have been knocked out in the semis of 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2015 – skipper Graeme Smith was asked the question at the pre-World Cup media interaction. “In our country, we only choke on spare ribs,” Smith retorted. The crushing defeat at St Lucia, where he charged out to Glenn McGrath to get out early, reflected the oppression the team felt because of that word.

Temba Bavuma is so unlike Smith, and on Friday, he gave a nuanced reply. "I've used it a couple of times, but you don't really hear it coming about within the team," he said. “There are guys who believe that it applies to this team, there are guys who don't believe that it applies to this team.

“The belief amongst the team, that’s the most important bit I bring up to just make sure that we're not kind of skirting around the issue that it’s something that is there. It’s something that we will always have to deal with.”

It hasn’t always been about nerves for South Africa, and Bavuma would be happy about a few things as he walked into the nets under a harsh afternoon sun. For one, an unusual Kotla pitch that looked firm with a sprinkling of grass from outside the boundary. Two, his own form at the top of the order in a side brimming with talent has been excellent. He leads South Africa’s ODI charts this year (10 matches, 637 runs, 3x100s, 2x50s, Avg 79.62, HS 144).

South Africa have been undone by things other than their brittle nerves in the last two editions. In 2015, official intervention forced in-form pacer Kyle Abbott to be dropped for the semifinals and a half-fit Vernon Philander to be included to fulfil the racial quota for the team. The result? Defeat to co-hosts New Zealand with South Africa-born Grant Elliott emerging the batting hero. AB de Villiers’ absence then didn’t help skipper Faf du Plessis one bit in 2019. The 1992 tale of woe is about the weather.

How South Africa batters deal with spin may well determine the progress of a team that India 2011 Cup-winning pacer picked as his favourite and Sri Lanka, though not talked up due to form and team strength, may still test them. Especially if the 1996 champions get to bowl first in the nicely prepared Arun Jaitley Stadium.

But it is familiar territory for South Africa’s Indian Premier League stars. Their power batters, especially Heinrich Klaasen after his 83-ball 174 at Centurion to lay Australia low, as well as their fast bowlers will ask questions to any opposition.

And as the winds of T20 leagues continue to buffet South Africa, raising questions about ODI cricket’s survival, perhaps, it can act as extra motivation to go all the way.