Champions Trophy preview: South Africa

The squad: AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, David Miller, Chris Morris,  Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Farhaan Behardien, Morne Morkel

The fixtures: June 3 v Sri Lanka, The Oval; June 7 v Pakistan, Edgbaston; June 11 v India, The Oval

Best result: Winners – 1998 (ICC KnockOut)

The talking point: It’s the same question that circulates the Proteas when they enter any global tournament – can they shake the ‘chokers’ tag and win? While South Africa prevailed in the 1998 ICC Knockout, they only had to win three games in a competition that lasted a week. In the big tournaments – World Cups and Champions Trophys – South Africa have, somewhat ironically, won only one knockout fixture - a quarter-final victory over Sri Lanka in the 2015 World Cup. Heartbreaking defeats have become the norm for the Proteas, but skipper AB de Villiers is hell-bent on eradicating that unwanted tag and winning a major trophy for his country before his international days are over.

The one to watch: There’s a long list to choose from, but it’s going to be fascinating to see how spearhead Kagiso Rabada performs. The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting young fast bowlers in the world and has already built an impressive international resume. Blessed with pace, bounce and the ability to swing the ball, Rabada is the ultimate fast-bowling package. Having debuted in July 2015, the Champions Trophy will be Rabada’s first global one-day tournament and a chance to shine with the whole world watching.

The pressure is on: South African batsmen not named ‘de Villiers’. While the Proteas boast star performers like Amla, du Plessis, de Kock, Miller and Morris, for too long has de Villiers carried the hopes of his nation on his blade. In the 2015 World Cup, de Villiers batted low down the order and deep into the innings to make sure his side had a decent score, but now it’s time for him to shed that responsibility, for his teammates to stand up and for him to bat with the destructive freedom that knows no parallel. 

Mike Hussey’s verdict: South Africa are a very good team. Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla – they’re all quality, quality cricketers. Kagiso Rabada is a serious player. He’s a gun. Chris Morris, he’s another one who’s a very, very good cricketer. You’ve got to expect them to be up there at the business end.  

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

Squads: Every Champions Trophy squad named so far

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh.

Group B: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

Schedule

Warm-up matches

26 May – Australia v Sri Lanka, The Oval

27 May – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Edgbaston

28 May – India v New Zealand, The Oval

29 May – Australia v Pakistan, Edgbaston

30 May – New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Edgbaston

30 May – Bangladesh vs India, The Oval

Tournament

1 June – England v Bangladesh, The Oval (Day)

2 June – Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (D)

3 June – Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (D)

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)