NEW DELHI: As South Africa prepare to face Australia in the World Cup semi-final on Thursday, the Proteas have a chance to shed the long-standing 'chokers' tag that has haunted them in past tournaments, with Australia playing a prominent role in creating this narrative.
The infamous 1999 World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston remains a defining moment, where South Africa needed one run from four balls for victory against Australia but ended up drawing the match and being eliminated due to Australia's higher placed finish in the Super Sixes stage.
The semi-final loss in 1999 is etched in cricket history, with the preceding Super Six match between South Africa and Australia providing a tragicomedy of errors. Australia's captain at the time, Steve Waugh, played a pivotal role, scoring a match-winning, unbeaten century after being reprieved by Herschelle Gibbs, who dropped a simple catch.
The words "You've just dropped the World Cup" were attributed to Waugh after Gibbs's drop, a moment that shifted the momentum and allowed Australia to secure victory and advance to the semi-final.
The semi-final saw Lance Klusener's heroics turn into heartbreak as South Africa needed one run from the final four balls for a place in their maiden World Cup final. A series of mishits and a miscommunication between Klusener and Allan Donald led to a run-out, sealing South Africa's fate in a heart-wrenching manner.
Since that fateful day, World Cup setbacks have become synonymous with South African cricket. Miscalculations of adjusted winning targets, heavy defeats in semifinals, and stunning collapses in quarter-finals have added to the narrative of South Africa being 'chokers' in crucial moments of the tournament.
As the Proteas prepare for the semi-final clash against Australia, the ghosts of past World Cup failures loom large. Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, now a TV pundit, indicated that he would not hesitate to remind the South African players of their history if he were on the field.
"I’d be reminding them of that (history) as soon as we walk on the field," said Haddin. The psychological battle on the field is likely to intensify, adding another layer of pressure as South Africa aims for redemption and to break free from the 'chokers' tag in this crucial World Cup encounter.
(With inputs from Reuters)
