Spin again causes SA's undoing!

South Africans are doddering wrecks on spin-friendly wickets is a quip which would often be heard in coming days.

After the Proteas crashed out sensationally in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals at Trent Bridge on Thursday, their proficiency against spinners is once again up for a searching examination from critics.

South Africa in the last two weeks twice came close to losing before Pakistan shut the door on them in the ICC World Twenty20.

They got out of jail against New Zealand by just one run in a league game after off-spinner Nathan McCullum's 4 overs for 18 runs held them back to a lowly score.

Then against India, Ravinder Jadeja (1 for 9), Yuvraj Singh (1 for 25) and Harbhajan Singh (1 for 20) bowled nine overs between them for only 53 runs.

Pakistan then cornered them with their spin twins Shahid Afridi (2 for 16) and Saeed Ajmal (1 for 23) yesterday at Trent Bridge - a strip which was slow and yielded appreciable turn to spinners.

The evidence suddenly started piling up: In the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, South Africa had lost the plot against Bangladesh in the Super Eight stage at Guyana and spinners were again the reason for it: Abdur Razzak (3 for 25), Mohammed Rafique (1 for 22) and Shakibul Hasan (2 for 49) had then pulled the plank from under their feet.

In the 2004 Champions Trophy, South Africa lost to the West Indies at the Oval and crashed out. West Indian skipper Chris Gayle (3 for 50) with his off-spin and Ryan O Hinds (0 for 35) in their 20 overs rang the circles around the South Africans.

In the 2006 Champions Trophy semi-finals in India, West Indies again proved to be their nemesis. Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels again bowled 19 overs between them profitably.

These are damning instances even though South African supporters can cry themselves hoarse over their record in the past 18 months.

In April 2008, South Africa needed only a draw in the Kanpur Test to make it a three-in-a-row series wins in the Indian sub-continent, having clinched Test series in Pakistan in 2007 and in Bangladesh early 2008.

South Africans didn't allow spinners to make merry on slow, low pitches. They posted 540 and 331/5 in Chennai and 494 for 7 against the duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the 2008 Test series.

The spin ghost had then appeared well and truly buried. Well, it has again raised its' ugly head now and South Africans again have creeping doubts in their heads.