South Africa Team Preview

Best Odds for South Africa to Win

The best odds for online betting on South Africa to win the T20 World Cup are with Betway. 

They’re offering the best price of 8.5 on the Proteas. If you want to find out a little bit more about this highly recommended online betting site, check out our Betway review when you have a minute.

That’s a big cut in price from their odds ahead of the last World Cup, when they were 13.0.

But that’s with good reason: they’ve been good over the past 12 months, have had some new and exciting young players come into the side and seem to have more bases covered than they did last year.

The odds are…pretty much right.

The bookmakers know perfectly well that they haven’t performed well in the competition in the past and that there are slightly better sides out there in all departments. But they do have the players and weapons to make a splash Down Under.

So there’s no harm in taking quite a big price that the Proteas can defy the odds if you’re in that way inclined. But there are certainly considerably better teams than them on paper.

South Africa’s Performance in 2021

Not much was expected ahead of the last World Cup from a South African side still hoping until the last minute that AB de Villiers would play and still reeling from Faf du Plessis’ refusal to commit to the national side anymore. As a result, he wasn’t picked either.

In their first match of the tournament, they were up against Australia.

It was unlucky for them on two counts.

1. Firstly, they played a hard side first up, who as we know went on to win the whole thing.
2. And secondly, they had to bat first. Still, there were few excuses for posting just 118.

Incredibly, it was almost a winning score.

They kept on taking wickets and only a patient 35 from Steve Smith, plus some late big-hitting from Marcus Stoinis got the Aussies home, with just two balls to spare.

Next up they beat the West Indies in a comfortable chase, did the same to Sri Lanka, and bowled Bangladesh out for just 84, getting home easily in that one as well.

But the fact it took 13.3 overs to chase such a small total, ultimately cost them.

They put in an excellent performance to beat England in their last match but with England, Australia and the Proteas all on four wins from five, it went down to net run rate.

With the worst NRR of the three, they crashed out, left to rue that opening loss to Australia and that slow chase against Bangladesh.

South Africa’s Performance in 2016

South Africa’s performance at the 2016 World Cup was in many ways typical of how they’ve fared in this tournament over the years: disappointing. It was admittedly a tough group that they were in. It was topped by eventual winners the West Indies and where the eventual runners-up- England – finished as runners-up in the group, as well.

South Africa did what was expected of them by beating underdogs Afghanistan and Sri Lanka but failed to beat either of the group’s Big Two.

They lost by two wickets as England chased a huge 230 with two balls to spare and suffered a similar fate in very different circumstances against the Windies in an all-or-nothing match. SA posted just 122/8 and did a very decent job of defending that but ultimately, a Marlon Samuels 43 just about got the Windies over the line.

AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla each played one big knock in the tournament but ultimately, they not only failed to perform as a team, but no one really came to the party on an individual basis, either. Since that last World Cup, they’ve lost a load of high-class senior players. There’s no more Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy, Dale Steyn or Imran Tahir.

The case of AB de Villiers is a slightly more complicated one. It’s almost four years since he last played a T20I for South Africa and no one knows whether he’s fully retired from international duty, or not. They’d be a far better side with him in it of course but right now, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he might feature.

South Africa facts

Let’s go through some cool stats and facts about South Africa so you can impress your friends!

• Despite their poor showing at World Cups in terms of finishing positions, South Africa have an excellent win rate of 62.85%, the third best; only Sri Lanka and India have higher win rates than that at World Cups.
• Middle-order batsman David Miller is the only South African to have played over 100 T20Is (currently 103).
• Miller won the 2021 IPL with the Gujarat Titans.
• Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi is currently the Number 2-ranked T20I bowler.
• The only Test nation (other than ‘minnows’ Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Ireland) never to have made a T20 World Cup final.

Captain: Temba Bavuma

Bavuma should not be the captain of this side. Yes, he had some success at a domestic level leading the Lions in South African domestic T20 but international cricket is a big step up from that.

He hasn’t shown either great leadership or tactical skills as skipper but that’s not even the biggest problem.

The biggest problem is that he shouldn’t be in the side as a batsman.

His T20 (domestic) record is average at best with an average of 30, strike rate of 121 and just eight fifties from his 101 matches. His international record of just one fifty in 26 matches is even worse.

His presence in the side, either as an opener or number three, means they’re leaving out far better players like Heinrich Klassen, Reeza Hendricks or at times, Aiden Markram.

Bavuma’s presence in the side may just be South Africa’s biggest negative of all.