South Africa Team Preview ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

South Africa is probably the most frustrating team to watch in the mega events. They seem to have all of their basis covered, but somehow they always find a way to fall short of lifting the trophy and therefore have been labeled as ‘chokers’ on more than one occasion. 

The cricketing giants from the continent of Africa will once again enter the competition looking relatively solid in all areas and will be hoping that the luck factor will finally turn their way and they can find the ultimate glory. In their previous 50-over assignment, the Proteas thrashed Sri Lanka 5-0 in the five-match series, therefore, the team will feel relatively confident going into the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup. 

The 15-man squad selected by Cricket South Africa can give any team a run for their money. The side led by Faf du Plessis will need to be consistent with the bat and ball in order to go the distance in this competition.

In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain Faf du Plessis, veteran opener Hashim Amla, wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, explosive David Miller and experienced middle-order batsman JP Duminy to put a decent total on the board. 

Middle-order batsman Rassie van der Dussen quickly established himself in the one-day squad after a string of good performances against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He earned his maiden call-up to the national side after JP Duminy was ruled out due to injury. David Miller and JP Duminy will need to be more consistent in order for South Africa to challenge top teams like England and India.

On the bowling front, the team will have the services of veteran pacer Dale Steyn, exciting Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Dwaine Pretorius, whereas the spin attack will consist of veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir and left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. Dale Steyn suffered from shoulder inflammation during the Indian Premier League and will be looking to make an impact in his last World Cup. He might miss the first few games of the competition as South Africa will not want him to rush into a high-pressure situation.

To provide balance in the playing eleven, the team will have the services of genuine all-rounders like Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo and Duminy, who can contribute with both bat and the ball. Chris Morris, who replaced Anrich Nortje, will be looking to make an impact with the bat and ball in this year’s World Cup.

South Africa World Cup Squad

Captain- Faf du Plessis

Batsmen- Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Aiden Markam, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen and Faf du Plessis

Captain Faf du Plessis will be expected to top the batting charts for Pakistan in this year's World Cup. He has shown produced excellent numbers for the side in limited-overs cricket and has consistently produced runs for South Africa in all conditions.

All-rounders- JP Duminy, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris

All-rounder JP Duminy will need to contribute with bat and ball in order for South Africa go all the way in this competition.

Bowlers- Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi

Pace bowler Kagiso Rabada has proven to be a match-winner for South Africa in all sorts of conditions. He will certainly get something out of the new-ball in English conditions.

Rabada has had a fabulous Indian Premier League (IPL) with his franchise Delhi Capitals where he was the second-highest wicket taker in the competition with 25 scalps in just 12 matches at an outstanding strike-rate of 11.2. Those numbers just highlight why the Johannesburg-born pacer is so highly-rated by the team management who will be hoping that their young star will continue to shine in the mega event.

South Africa History in the tournament

South Africa’s record in the ICC World Cups are pretty impressive, however, they are yet to qualify for the final of the tournament. 

Their best performances came in 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2015 editions where the team did manage to qualify for the semi-finals. 

In the tournament’s previous edition, AB de Villiers-led unit suffered a heart-breaking defeat to eventual runners-up New Zealand in semis, courtesy poor fielding and some unbelievable batting performance from Grant Elliott. 

This time around, Proteas will play their first match against the home side England in the tournament opener on May 30 at Kennington Oval, whereas their final round-robin match will be against Australia in Manchester on July 6.

Here is South Africa's performance throughout the previous cricket world cup tournaments and the respective champions:

• 1992 Semi-finals Pakistan
• 1996 Quarter-finals Sri Lanka
• 1999 Semifinals Australia
• 2003 Group stage Australia
• 2007 Semi-finals Australia
• 2011 Quarter-finals India
• 2015 Semi-finals Australia

Latest News

• All-rounder Chris Morris was a last-minute replacement for pace bowler Anarchy Nortje, who was ruled out of World Cup due to a fractured thumb.
• Middle-order Rassie van der Dussen performed exceedingly well in the one-day series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He earned his maiden call-up to the national side in place of JP Duminy, who was sidelined due to injury.

South Africa World Cup Schedule

South Cricket Team will start their campaign when they take on favorites England in their opening fixture at Sophia Gardens in London on 30th of May. 

• 30 May London South Africa vs England 03:00 PM
• 02 June Nottingham South Africa vs Bangladesh 03:00 PM
• 05 June Southampton South Africa vs India 03:00 PM
• 10 June Southampton South Africa vs West Indie 03:00 PM
• 15 June Cardiff South Africa vs Afghanistan 05:00 PM
• 19 June Birmingham South Africa vs New Zealand 03:00 PM
• 23 June Lords South Africa vs Pakistan 03:00 PM
• 28 June Durham South Africa vs Sri Lanka 03:00 PM
• 05 July Manchester South Africa vs Australia 05:00 PM

South Africa Cricket World Cup Prediction

At Betrally, South Africa is placed at the fifth place to win 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and outright odds are 11.00. Host England are placed firm favorites to win the maiden World Cup in their home conditions with odds at 3.00

For South Africa, Captain Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, and Hashim Amla are placed in the Top 20 batsmen that might score most runs in the competition. The outright odds in the Top Batsman for Quinton de Kock are 15.00.

For the first time in a big competition, South Africa has not been placed at favorites for this year’s World Cup. But certainly, cricket pundits believe that they lack a genuine all-rounder in their playing XI, who can change the complexion of the game with the bat and ball.

Faf du Plessis-led unit is expected to beat teams like Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The side will need to raise their overall game in order to upstage top sides like England, India and New Zealand.

Cricket World Cup Betting Tips and Predictions

For all the news and updates related to the South Africa cricket team, you can check circbettingbuzz.com. Cricket Punters, who will be supporting South Africa in this year’s World Cup, can place their bets on their favorite with our selected list of premium cricket betting sites. Also, you can check our cricket prediction articles for the 2019 Cricket World Cup to get more information on your favorite team and their scheduled games in the competition.