Proteas Have To Combat Dreaded C-word

Tristan Lavalette explains the monkey on the back of South Africa as they seek a first – and long overdue – World Cup success this summer

It’s that well-worn pre-World Cup tradition. When South Africa’s mental psyche is examined by cricket pundits who collectively turn into shrinks.

You had to feel for Faf du Plessis who – like his countless predecessors – has had to deal with the predictable line of questioning about his team’s mental fortitude.

“In previous World Cups, we wanted to do Superman things,” a blunt du Plessis recently said. “We thought we had to be more special. We haven’t always got that right in the past, to play our best cricket at the World Cup, because we put so much pressure on ourselves.”

The South African skipper deserves credit for being frank. He hasn’t shied away from the elephant in the room. If South Africa are finally going to get the monkey – actually, more like a gorilla – off their back then they need some home truths.

Because they are going to be hearing the c-word bandied around over the next couple of months. I spent some time around Mickey Arthur before he became Pakistan’s coach and we often talked about the overwhelming baggage that consumes the Proteas before major ICC events – particularly the World Cup.

And it’s with good reason. Shockingly, almost implausibly, South Africa have not appeared in an ODI or T20 World Cup final and been winless since claiming the Champions Trophy's inaugural event in 1998.

They have lost 10 – 10! – semi-finals since 1992. Every other major cricket team; Australia, England, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the West Indies, have won silverware since the turn of the millennium.