South Africa ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Tournament Preview & Guide
Key Facts
Dale Steyn’s big hobby is fishing, and he is passionate about wildlife conservation and the environment.
AB de Villiers is known to play rugby, tennis and golf quite well. His nicknames include AB, Mr. 360 and ABD.
Hashim Amla has a brother, Ahmed Amla who used to play as a batsman for the Dolphins before retiring in 2013.
Morne Morkel belongs to a cricketing family, with father Albert, and brothers Malan and Albie all appearing at different levels. Albie has even taken the field along with Morne for South Africa.
Key Match: South Africa v India, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, February 22
The marquee clash of the group. India is ranked No. 2 in the ICC ODI rankings, while South Africa is right below at No. 3. Both teams possess copious batting might, meaning the contest could be decided by the bowlers, in which case South Africa can be said to be better placed with its pacemen. The winner will give itself a firm foothold in the group, and the result could have far-reaching consequences in terms of who finishes where – something crucial heading into the quarterfinals.
Quotes
“When you’ve got (Dale) Steyn, (Vernon) Philander and (Morne) Morkel, I’m sure they would make an impact. Put on top of that the batting prowess of (Hashim) Amla and (AB) de Villiers – they would be in the top three in the ODI rankings. This would be a chance as good as any.” – Shaun Pollock, former South Africa seamer, to Wisden India.
“I want bowling line-ups to look at our batting lineup and think we are not going to get through there. We are building up confidence in that middle order."– AB De Villiers, South Africa captain
Legend’s Prediction: Scott Styris - South Africa: Semi-Final
“South Africa are another team who plays well on the bouncier pitches that are likely to be a feature of this tournament. They have an impressive unit from 1-11 and can beat anyone on their day. The pace bowling is fearsome and any top order with Amla, AB De Villiers and Du Plessis needs to be respected. The 'choke' term will be thrown around the further the tournament goes and I cant fully back them until they prove they can get over this hurdle.”
**Squad:**AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn.
Fixtures
Feb 15: v Zimbabwe, Seddon Park, Hamilton
Feb 22: v India, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Feb 27: v West Indies, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
March 03: v Ireland, Manuka Oval, Canberra
March 07: v Pakistan, Eden Park, Auckland
March 12: v United Arab Emirates, Westpac Stadium, Wellington
