Cricket World Cup: South Africa team profile & player to watch

Not quite the bridesmaids and certainly never the bride, four-time semi-finalists South Africa have never enjoyed World Cup glory in seven attempts and the Proteas, ranked third in the world, will be aiming to bury the ghosts of former tournaments this summer.

It is hard to believe a nation which has produced Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and many others has failed to win the competition but that is the case with South Africa, who are never far away from World Cup drama.

Scuppered by rain in 1992 and a farcical run-out in 1999, they were hammered by Australia in the 2007 semi-final. The Proteas' latest heartache came in 2015 when hosts New Zealand beat them in the final over of a rain-interrupted clash in Auckland and they are yet to shake off their infamous 'chokers' tag.

However, South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has reasons to be optimistic about the chances of a talented group of players who, in a tournament expected to favour batsmen, are hoping their lethal bowling attack can give them an edge.

As far as runs are concerned, wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock is an exhilarating opener and veterans Du Plessis and Hashim Amla are solid top-order players. Rassie van der Dussen has barely put a foot wrong during his brief international career and he is a man to watch.

David Miller is brilliant in the field and can be destructive with the bat while JP Duminy brings experience and Aiden Markram is waiting in the wings following a fine One-Day Cup campaign for Hampshire.

It is, however, the bowlers who the Proteas are putting their faith in. Kagiso Rabada is the leader of a brilliant attack that, if all are fit and firing, is likely to be comprised of 35-year-old Steyn on his World Cup swansong, rising star Lungi Ngidi, canny veteran spinner Imran Tahir and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo.

All five are ranked in the top 30 of the ICC bowling rankings – no other nation has such rich resources with the ball – and their performance may determine South Africa’s destiny.

Player to watch
Lungi Ngidi
Just ten months younger than Rabada, Ngidi took longer to break into the South Africa squad but his impact has been immediate. The 23-year-old quick was South Africa's leading ODI wicket-taker in 2018 and is ready to make a name for himself on the global stage.

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