Proteas Preparing Their Early Inquest

WHILE England sweat over their own participation in this World Cup, South Africa and Afghanistan have already booked their return flights home.

- Charlie Bennett

For the Proteas, the last four weeks have been nothing short of a disaster and the inquest into another meltdown at an ICC tournament will be painful.

South Africa arrived full of fresh optimism and seeking a clean break from a previous generation that failed to live up to its potential and developed a reputation – fair or otherwise – as chokers.

But their players here have lacked the quality of those before and have been found wanting against heavyweight opponents.

South Africa’s elimination, which has been on the wall since as early as the fourth day of the World Cup when they were put down by Bangladesh having already lost to England, was finally confirmed last weekend against another Asian nation.

Pakistan knew defeat would leave their own semi-final hopes on life support but unlike their opponents, they attacked with belief and gusto in the tournament’s first match at Lord’s.

Winning the toss, they put on 81 for the first wicket and, although Imam ul-Haq (44) and Fakhar Zaman (44) failed to cash in, both Babar Azam (69) and Haris Sohail (89) scored fluently.

Haris’ knock was particularly fun to watch as he went along at a strike rate of 150 and rattled off nine fours and three sixes – justifying his long overdue recall for an over-the-hill Shoaib Malik – to steer Pakistan to 308-7.