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We're not going to choke: de Villiers

Proteas captain says his side is refreshed and relaxed ahead of their quarter-final clash against Sri Lanka

South African captain AB de Villiers is adamant his team won't produce another Cricket World Cup choke in Wednesday's quarter-final against Sri Lanka.

The Proteas go into the SCG encounter never having won any of their five knockout matches at previous World Cups, a sorry statistic which led to them being tagged chokers on the biggest stage.

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"I haven't thought about that very often, all I can say is we're not going to choke," de Villiers said at his pre-match media conference at the SCG on Wednesday.

"We're just going to play a good game of cricket tomorrow and come out on top."

The world's no.1 ranked ODI batsman, de Villiers leads his side against a Sri Lankan team featuring red-hot Kumar Sangakarra, who has risen to world No.2 ahead of the Proteas' Hashim Amla after scoring a record four successive World Cup centuries.

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AB has been a one-man wrecking crew this World Cup // Getty Images

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De Villiers had no interest in pumping up the idea of a head-to-head contest between the Sri Lankan superstar and himself, even though it has been a major topic of pre-match conversation.

"I couldn't care less about him or me, I just want to win the game of cricket tomorrow," de Villiers said.

"If our number 11 batsman tomorrow wins us the game, so be it.

"I just want to find a way to win."

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De Villiers reported no injury worries for the Proteas, who opted against training on Tuesday.

"I'm very comfortable with where the team is at, with the form that everyone is showing," de Villiers said.

"I just felt it was important not to focus too much on cricket today, keep the brain switched off a little bit before the big clash tomorrow.

"It's important for us to be fresh.

"I believe we play really good cricket when we feel fresh and we are mentally fresh and we just play the pressure situations so much better, that was the thinking behind today."

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South Africa's World Cup chokes 

1996 - QUARTER-FINAL LOSS TO THE WINDIES

It wasn't so much a choke as a poor selection decision but conventional wisdom says if Allan Donald is available, you play him. The selectors instead went with twin spinners Paul Adams (2-45 from 8) and Pat Symcox (2-64 from 10) who were hammered around the ground by Brian Lara. South Africa didn't lose a pool match prior to this battle, while the Windies were beaten in the semi-final by Australia.

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1999 - SUPER SIX LOSS TO AUSTRALIA

Whether it was `you've just dropped the World Cup' or `you realise you just cost South Africa the match', Steve Waugh's words hit the mark on Herschelle Gibbs' dropped catch. When the gun South Africa fieldsman went for his trademark flick up upon catching the ball, the Protea turfed it. Waugh, on 56 at the time, ended up making an unbeaten 120 and steered Australia to a famous victory as they made the required 272 with two balls remaining.

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1999 - SEMI-FINAL AGAINST AUSTRALIA

Allan Donald was a great bowler, but he was an uninspiring bat - this was his darkest hour.

Lance Klusener was on strike to start the final over, to be bowled by Damien Fleming, with South Africa needing nine runs with one wicket in hand.

Klusener hit two fours off the first two balls which prompted Aussie skipper Steve Waugh to bring his field in - the next ball was a dot and Donald, backing up too far was nearly run out by Darren Lehmann.

The next ball Klusener hit it to Mark Waugh and embarked on a panic run. With Donald ball-watching, Waugh threw it to Fleming, who rolled it to Adam Gilchrist at the other end as the Aussies ran out Donald, who forlornly ran without a bat and without hope.

The match was tied, with Australia advancing to the final having finished higher on the Super Six table.

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2003 - GROUP STAGE LOSS TO SRI LANKA

Effectively a knockout game with the winner through to the Super Sixes - Mark Boucher had South Africa home with a six early in the final over, or so he thought - but captain Shaun Pollock had mucked up the maths. South Africa needed 229 to tie, not win and as Boucher stood still after pushing the final ball away to a squarish mid-wicket, rather than taking a single, their World Cup dreams once again ended.

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2007 - SEMI-FINAL LOSS TO AUSTRALIA

Having lost to Australia in the group stage the Proteas lined up against them in the semis and never looked in the contest.

Shaun Tait (4-39) and Glenn McGrath (3-18) were the chief destroyers bowling South Africa out for 149. Australia chased the runs in the 32nd over.

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2011 - QUARTER-FINAL LOSS TO NEW ZEALAND

Once again the Proteas dominated the group stage, winning five of their six matches, a loss to England their only blemish - then came the finals.

New Zealand had scraped in with losses to Australia and Sri Lanka to finish fourth in their group.

The Black Caps made a meagre 221 from their 50 overs and were saved by an 83 from Jesse Ryder as Morne Morkel (3-46) and Dale Steyn (2-42) wreaked havoc.

Simple chase right? Wrong.

At 3-108 the Proteas were cruising, but not long after they were 7-132 and when AB de Villiers was run out by Martin Guptill the choke was on. They failed to recover and were bundled out yet again.

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