CWC 2019, SWOT Analysis – South Africa
Perhaps for the first time in their storied history, South Africa head into the World Cup with the pressure firmly off their shoulders. Despite having some world-class performers in their ranks, the Proteas are not being counted as one of the favourites heading into the tournament in England.
South Africa has a long history of underperforming at international cricket’s marquee tournament, leading to them being tagged with the title of ‘chokers’. This will perhaps egg them on during the current edition to punch above their weight and surprise a few people.
The Proteas are still reeling from the retirement of AB de Villiers while questions still remain over the fitness of three of their key pacers. The batting department is also not the most flamboyant, which has led to their name largely flying under the radar when contenders for the crown are being discussed.
Here we do a complete SWOT analysis of the 15-man South African squad:
Squad: Faf du Plessis (c), JP Duminy, David Miller, Dale Steyn, Andile Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Quinton de Kock (wk), Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Hashim Amla, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Strengths –
The South African bowling unit is still a fiery prospect for the opposition. The pacers if fit and firing are all strike bowlers and can destroy the opposition batting order if they get any help from the conditions. Dale Steyn, one of the greatest pacers in the history of the game, will be spearheading the attack in what is likely to be his final World Cup. He will have his prodigious successor Kagiso Rabada, who has recently emerged as one of the best bowlers alongside him, in what is a lethal opening combination. The pair will be backed by the likes of Lungi Ngidi, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo, all capable seamers in their own right. For a change, South Africa also has a decent spin bowling line-up, with Imran Tahir in blistering form on the back of his exploits in the IPL. In case of an injury, he will be replaced by Tabraiz Shamsi, who can also prove to be deadly with his subtle variations. Besides, South Africa are also a brilliant fielding unit who will back up their bowlers.
Weaknesses –
The batting department is susceptible and there will be a lot of pressure on the trio of Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla and skipper Faf du Plessis to pile on the runs. The South Africans also lack genuine quality when it comes to finishing the innings. JP Duminy and David Miller tasked with the finishing job, are not the same players which they were a couple of years ago. They have struggled with consistency throughout their career and it will be a big task for the batting unit to put scores of over 32o on the board. There also remains a perceived weakness in the South African ranks against quality wrist spinners and they will face a plethora of those throughout the duration of the tournament. Compared to the other contenders, the current South African batting unit simply does not match-up in terms of quality. There also lies the question mark on the fitness on three of their key pacers – Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.
Opportunities –
With virtually no expectations of winning the tournament on their shoulders, this is the perfect opportunity for the Proteas to defy the odd and surprise a few people. This may also be the final opportunity for many of the pillars of South African cricket like Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Dale Steyn to win a World Cup. They will be highly motivated as it will be their final shot at glory. Another edition, another opportunity for the South Africans to once and for all erase the chokers tag which has been brandished upon them over the years.
Threats –
Despite having a few world-class performers in their ranks, the team falls short on quality when compared to England, India and Australia. They will also have the mental blockage of banishing the ghosts of the past. Many members of the squad carry the baggage from the previous editions and conquering all these hurdles could well prove to be an impossible task for the Proteas.
