If a team ever deserved to win at least once the world cup for sheer talent and quality of their players it has to be South Africa. But ironically off the six world cups they have played after returning to crickets’ premier body ICC they could not win any, could not even advance to the finals.

Yet they produced very talented and high quality players and were always included among the favorites. Only yesterday South Africa overwhelmed a powerful West Indian team with a massive win by 148 runs. South Africa scored astronomical 439/2 in 50 overs with AB de Villiers striking a breath taking mile stone setting century in only 31 deliveries.

He went on scoring 149 in 44 deliveries .Two off his mates Hashim Amla remained not out scoring 153 and rookie opener RR Rossouw scored 128. West Indies responded with 291/7 yet losing by a huge margin. Such a team with all guns blazing will appear in ICC World Cup 2015 with another top favorite tag of winning.

The South African national cricket team, nicknamed the Proteas, represents South Africa in international cricket. Cricket South Africa administers the cricket affairs.

South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status. On 28 August 2012, South Africa became the first team to be number 1 in all 3 formats of the game.

South Africa in World Cup Cricket
•    1992: Semi-finals – vs England
•    1996: Quarter-finals – vs West Indies
•    1999: Semi-finals – vs Australia
•    2003: First round
•    2007: Semi-finals – vs Australia
•    2011: Quarter-finals – vs New Zealand

South Africa has a record of failing to win major tournaments and is branded as choker. . The 1992 Cricket World Cup  rain-affected semi-final against Australia the match was delicately poised with them requiring requiring 22 runs from 13 balls when rain intervened.  The much talked about Duckworth-Lewis rain rule was applied. After the delay they were left in an impossible situation of requiring 22 runs from one ball to progress.

In 1996 they were eliminated in the quarter-finals despite being one of the fancied teams and having qualified first in their group.

South Africa hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup, but failed to progress beyond the group stage due to a misunderstanding of how many runs they needed to score in a rain-affected run chase. As a result of this, Shaun Pollock resigned as captain and was replaced by young batsman Graeme Smith, although Pollock continued to play for the team.

Under Smith's leadership, South Africa has achieved some success, although they were hampered by the retirements of many star players, including fast bowler Allan Donald and one-day specialist Jonty Rhodes. As a result, they had a poor 2004, only winning against the West Indies.

In the 2007 World Cup they had a rollercoaster ride that included dominant wins over England, the West Indies, Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland, and a narrow win over Sri Lanka, but devastating losses to Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh that cost them the number one ranking. Then they bowed out in the semifinals with their lowest ever score in a World Cup as Australia bowled them out for 149 and won by 7 wickets.

In the 2011 World Cup, South Africa topped Group B with the distinction of bowling out every side they played. In the quarter final they were beaten by New Zealand after suffering a dramatic collapse and losing eight wickets for 68 runs. They also hold the record of the highest successful run chase and made the highest total (the latter record has been surpassed) in One-Day Internationals (438–9 in 49.5 overs), in an iconic match against Australia on 12 March 2006. This game is considered by many to be the greatest One-Day International ever played.

South Africa beat Netherlands by 231 runs in Mohali in Group matches in ICC World Cup 2011, The 231-run win is the fourth largest margin of victory for any team in World Cups and the largest for South Africa in World Cups.

It is also the second largest margin of victory for South Africa in ODIs on 3 March 2011. The 87-run stand between JP Duminy and Colin Ingram is the highest for the sixth wicket for South Africa in World Cups. The highest sixth-wicket stand for South Africa in ODIs is the 137 between Hansie Cronje and Shaun Pollock against Zimbabwe in 1997. The triumph is South Africa's seventh by a fringe of hundred or more runs in World Cups
 
South Africa's 15-man Squad:

Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), AB de Villiers (captain & wicket keeper) ,JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir.

In Australia –New Zealand a team needs to have mental toughness apart from playing consistently well against strong oppositions on true surfaces offering equal assistance to both bowlers and batsmen. South Africa possesses both. Hashim Amla is among the top three batsmen of the world now in test and according to ICC ranking the best in ODI. He will open the innings with young opener RR Rossouw. With him only yesterday Amla set up a record 271 first wicket partnership. The other option for opening the innings is hard hitting wicket keeper batsman Quinton de Kock.

While Amla gives stability with his solid technique and flawless skills Rossouw and de Kock are more enterprising and mobile. Faf du Plessis at number three is not only dynamic but also innovative as well. AB de Villiers at four is perhaps the most destructive batsman at world cricket very much in the mold of Vivian Richards of 1970s. His very special innings yesterday not only created several new milestones but all served advance warning to all the opponent bowlers .He will be very hard to contain . He has not only all the copy book strokes in his repertoire but also some strokes those he manufactures can destroy any attack. In middle order JP Duminy and David Miller are also very talented and can deliver on a solid platform. The only problem they have is a relatively longer tail compared with other title aspirant Australia.

Morne Morkel and Dayle Steyn are not off the same category at Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc.

Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander forms the most formidable and fearsome fast bowling attack in world cricket now. On a wicket which provides any assistance they can run through any batting line up. There is quality back up in Wayne Parnell and Aaron Phangiso. The spin bowling will be handled by Imran Tahir and JP Duminy.

South Africa traditionally is a good fielding team .But I was a bit perplexed seeing them field poorly at MCG when I saw them play against Australia in ODI .Throughout entire tour the fielding was average. The death bowling was also an issue. We are sure the Proteas will be a much different side when they appear in World Cup

Pools of ICC World Cup 2015

Pool A: Australia squad | Afghanistan squad | Bangladesh squad | England squad | New Zealand squad | Scotland squad | Sri Lanka squad

Pool B: India squad | Ireland squad | Pakistan squad | South Africa squad | United Arab Emirates squad | West Indies squad | Zimbabwe squad

South Africa is in pool B along with India, Pakistan and West Indies. Four teams from the group will advance to quarter finals. Two of the most unpredictable teams of world cricket Pakistan and West Indies are in the group which can do or undo anything any day. India is a very strong team and now in Australia in a crucial triangular ODI series. We do not think ICC associates will create any contests. South Africa will move to quarter finals. They have to guard against complacency as any match at quarter and beyond will be big gamble.

With the quality and talent they have I can put my money on South Africa for reaching the semifinals this time or even go beyond.

BDST: 1215 HRS, JAN 19, 2015