South Africa finally enter a tournament with no spotlight. A.B. de Villiers has not returned. Neither has Faf du Plessis. There is no Dale Steyn or Imran Tahir. In other words, there is no real expectation. From 'favourites' in every ICC tournament, South Africa are now stuck with an unfamiliar tag of 'underdog', something they will not mind this time. What if the less hype goes on to work in their favour?
Led by Temba Bavuma, South Africa will be captained by a black man for the first time in an ICC world tournament. The mention of his race is essential in the wake of current developments in South Africa, where the side is not just going through a transitional phase from the superstar setup but also from the cultural front.
The in-form veterans, du Plessis and Tahir, were not picked for the T20 World Cup, but they do have results to bank on.
After losing five consecutive T20I series, South Africa managed a hat-trick of series wins in the West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka. The team has gelled well in the warm-up matches, sealing their matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan.
South Africa squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup
Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Wiaan Mulder, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Bjorn Fortuin, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
Travel reserves: George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lizaad Williams
Head coach: Mark Boucher
T20 World Cup Editions Participated: All six editions since 2007
Best T20 World Cup results: Semi-final in 2009 and 2014
ICC T20I Ranking: 5
SWOT analysis
Strengths: Bowling is South Africa's strength. They enter the tournament as one of the best bowling units. Rabada and Nortje are two of the most exciting pacers in the game. They also have adequate experience in UAE conditions due to their IPL exposure. While those two will consistently eye the 90 mph mark, there's also the skill and expertise of Lungi Ngidi.
South African bowlers in 2021
- Rabada: 34 wickets @ 25 | Econ 7.9
- Nortje: 24 wickets @ 19.5 | Econ 6.3
- Ngidi: 23 wickets @ 20 | Econ 8.3
- Pretorius: 11 wickets @ 17 | Econ 7.6
- Mulder: 7 wickets @ 17 | Econ 7.3
- Shamsi: 41 wickets @ 17 | Econ 6.7
- Maharaj: 11 wickets @ 14 | Econ 4.4
- Fortuin: 18 wickets @ 19 | Econ 6.2
From quality pace to a versatile spin attack, the South African bowling looks complete. Even Fortuin, a backup spinner, has done very well lately.
Their main batters – de Kock, Markram, Hendricks, Miller and van der Dussen have done well in T20Is this year. The good shows have ensured that they have won all six of their last T20Is, and add the two wins in the warm-ups; they enter the tournament with the winning momentum.
Weakness: South Africa lack a genuine power-hitter in their ranks. Miller and Klaasen have not been in great form. De Kock, too, struggled in the UAE leg of the IPL, eventually losing his place in the Mumbai side. The same is the case with Rabada, who looked off-colour in the later stages of the IPL.
Some of their main batters like de Kock, van der Dussen and Miller struggle to score freely against spin as their pace vs spin record sees a significant drop in the strike rates in the latter. Smarter teams will target them with spin.
Opportunity: Despite his consistent shows over the last few years, van der Dussen is not a feared name on the international stage. Even someone like a Maharaj has not yet made a name as a force despite his skills, not even after leading South Africa temporarily. Markram is among the most talented batters, and the T20 World Cup can be the stage where he elevates to the next level. Shamsi is now the top-ranked T20I bowler and will look to live up to that.
Unlike their predecessors, this South African side is not star-studded. But that will allow them to make the point that results matter more than reputation.
For a side undergoing massive restructuring at all fronts, even a semi-final qualification will come as an enormous moment. Unlike their past teams, they do not enter the tournament with the burden of expectations to win it; therefore, the legacy of their historic chokes should not pressurise them.
Threats: South Africa have taken bold calls to exclude two of their finest and most experienced stars – du Plessis and Tahir. The decision has not gone well with their fans worldwide. If the team fails in the top-order or spin department, there will be tough questions asked.
Despite the hat-trick of series wins, South Africa have not been consistent, and have struggled against bigger teams. The lack of experience, especially in these conditions, could hamper their run.
This year, the team has played under three captains, with Bavuma being the most experienced, leading in eight T20Is. The inexperience in the leadership group means the side heavily relies on their experienced heads like de Kock, Rabada and Miller.
South Africa's likely XI: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
South Africa's Fixtures:
- Saturday, 23 October: South Africa vs Australia, Abu Dhabi
- Tuesday, 26 October: South Africa vs West Indies, Dubai
- Saturday, 30 October: South Africa vs Sri Lanka, Sharjah
- Tuesday, 2 November: South Africa vs Bangladesh, Abu Dhabi
- Saturday, 6 November: South Africa vs England, Sharjah