Twenty 20 World Cup? Warning: Do not have expectations!

 

On the back of a fairly successful tour of England, the Proteas head off to Sri Lanka, continuing their long standing mission to win an ICC event.

Although the Test team is fairly well staffed and gelling, the limited overs side lacks consistency. One of the main reasons is because of the nature of the format in general. Forget the rankings, outside of the Test match format, being ranked #1 in the limited overs format is as valuable as a man of the match award. Only worth anything if your team wins the match. And although we again go in with a talented squad and more than enough ability in all departments, I feel that we, the support base, should let what be, be.

We are playing in conditions that bring everyone into the game. All four sub-continent sides will win games and just about all the top sides have fire power in their batting order to make use of favourable conditions. Reports from Sri Lanka also suggest that the pitches might be hard and fast which brings the likes of Australia, New Zealand, England and West Indies into it. Rain is also very prominent, so we might sit with quite a few games played with reduced overs, which really turns it into a lottery. And with the experience of the World Cup in India not that far from memory, the plans implemented there could still bear fruit in Sri Lanka. The large amounts of the players playing in the tournament have IPL experience so everyone knows everyone. So really, unless one team completely and consistently knocks all before them out of the park, a favourite is probably hard to predict.

The one thing that really gets me excited, and I know, I am trying to control the emotions, is the growth in AB De Villiers as a leader, he seems to like the responsibility and leads from the front. Amla seems to have the ball on a string and there is also the fear factor of Levi coming off at any occasion. We can bat till 11 and the bowlers are experienced and at their prime ages. What we lack and this is where Mr Kirsten is going to earn his pay, is the ability to get his players to attack and be positive in the tight situations. Get them to clear their throats in other words.

There seemed to be a brain implosion, against New Zealand last year in the World Cup Quarter-Final and highlighted the panic that can come from pressure. And if it happens again, don’t get upset. I warned you, do not have expectations, logic says you do not have a right to. But will we ever learn?

Twenty 20 World Cup? Warning: Do not have expectations!