After 32 years and half a dozen heartbreaks comprising of poor play, choking, Kohli insurgency, Afridi boom and a comedy of Nature and maths south Africa has finally put their first step into an ICC [men’s] World Cup final with a door-breaking entry. They bulldozed Afghanistan on the way through and put on a careful chase not allowing any chance for the nature of the historical bad luck to get in the way of a light that has always been on the other side of the tunnel which never arrived. In the first semi-final; South Africa vs Afghanistan, south Africa chased down 56 runs in the 9th over after a brilliant bowling display from their fast bowlers; Jansen, Rabada, Nokia and Shamsie all showed up the skills they had in their sleeves. Afghanistan cricket team couldn’t wither the storm as they probably were under the self-inflicted pressure of a first final. Gurbaz, Zadran, Nabi and Rashid failed to adjust to a slow and tricky new pitch. However the result is, a lot could be said and imagined in criticism and hindsight but the groundbreaking news for the sporting world is that South Africa has got the monkey off their back and did well to dodge the [mental] bullet to get through to their first ever final in an ICC Cricket World cup.
In the past, there had been better, more competent and potentially heroic players in South Africa’s squad but neither of them carved the fortunes of their team with a positive conclusion.
The story of their choking and misfortune started in 1992 when Kepler Wessel led the South African team in their first-ever World Cup and lost to England due to ‘Hand of God’ and a math that had no logic in it. Probably the most unmathematical math one can ever encounter. With needing 23 of more than two over, the team was asked to make 22 with a single ball.
Seven years later, in 1999, Cronje’s led South African team faced Australia in a clash of titan games concluding in a best-ever ODI games, later opened to debate by CWC 2019 Final. Klusener’s epic form with bat almost had South Africa in the final only for Donald to be ball-watching at the other end. If not the best ODI, the match is still remembered by many as the most heartbreaking loss for a cricketing team in white ball cricket.
Eight years later, in 2007, South Africa came against Australia to settle the score but a ponting lead Australia was too heavy to counter and Africa by that time developed an identity for themselves as a strong team with weak nerves.
In 2009, south Africa went through to their first-ever t20 World Cup semi-final and played a Shahid Afridi-zoned Pakistan powered by Umar Gul’s bowling form. South Africa had Kallis till the end overs but, like1999, he got out as South Africa was about to take full control.
5 years later, in 2014, South Africa under the legendary batter De Villiers and a bowler for ages, Styen, came against a Kohli-mesmerized India. Kohli single-headedly gave South Africa an unbelievable bashing.
The next year, 2015, South Africa proved their chocking tag right as they lost to a New Zealand team which had a butchering McCullam at the top. Dale Steyn bowled a heart breaking over and South Africa can still see the AB in dismay picture whenever the topic turns to heart breaks in Sports. ‘what a despair for South Africa’ Michael Atherton could be heard saying on TV as Morkle, Styn and ABD all had tears in their eyes.
8 years later, in 2023, again a South Africa vs Australia game happened in the semi-final and South Africa lost despite Shamsie’s epic bowling display. The jinx and curse remained there. South Africa couldn’t cross the line like ever. From Rhodes and Donald to Pollock and Gibbs and then from ABD and Styn to Rabada and De Kock all the great proteas have tasted the spice of curse. They always went in there with faith and came out with disbelief. But as is the law of nature that the consistent thing about time is that it changes consistently, so did South Africa’s fortunes and they are into their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup final in 2024. Thus the rust of 32 years has finally been emulsified and a freshly breathing Nortje-powered and Markram's South Africa will be waiting for either India or England as their nemesis for a final night