Is South Africa a one man army?

South Africa has been perennial favourites ever since they returned to the international fold but it hasn’t helped them With the 2015 ODI World Cup coming to Australia-New Zealand, one of the best teams in the sport returned to the point of their most famous undoing. That semi-final in Sydney, that ridiculous rain-rule, those 22 runs needed off 1 ball against England – South Africa’s undoing in ICC tournaments stems from that night. They have been perennial favourites ever since they returned to the international fold. But it hasn’t happened for them, ever. If it was rain in 1992, Brian Lara stumped them in 1996. Australia ran them out in 1999, and in 2003, they shot themselves in the foot. They ran into Australia once again in 2007 and lost, again. In 2011, they choked against New Zealand.

But this is just the ODI World Cups’ list of woes. They have failed repeatedly in T20 World Cups and other ICC events, with the 1998 Champions Trophy victory their only major high in cricket. And it was so long ago that perhaps the Proteas themselves barely remember it.

Setting out for this edition of the tournament Down Under then, much the same story unfolds itself for South Africa.