Faf du Plessis picks World Cup 2019 favourites 

What's the story?

South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has played down his side's chances for the World Cup 2019, opining that should his men go into the premier event with lowered expectations, it would be an advantage. The willow-wielder has also tipped England and India to be the pacesetters in the competition.

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Over the decades, South Africa have choked under pressure in key moments and high-voltage encounters in the World Cup. Be it through silly run-outs, poor umpiring decisions or just the inability to keep their feet on the ground, they have failed to win the sport's most coveted trophy.

The heart of the matter

Even in the last edition, a spirited performance from the Black Caps in the semis sent them packing with tears of dismay and disgust. And once again, the so-called 'chokers' will be heading into the tournament with exceeding expectations, owing to their team balance and stature.

However, Faf du Plessis has taken the pressure off his boys by claiming that his team will just look to seize the opportunity in the big stage. He said:

"We will go with a little bit less pressure on us as a team in terms of the expectation of winning it."

He continued by adding that India and England are hot favorites:

“It is pretty clear that England and India are the two favourites. We are a young group and the guys are just excited about the opportunity.”

The batsman further elucidated:

“We have gone to tournaments in the past where we have felt like we had the strongest team on paper, but cricket is not played on paper. When opponents look at us now, we are not the strongest team. But when a South Africa team goes to the World Cup, the chat in the media starts, even the opposition starts to chat!”

According to du Plessis, mental stability and adaptability hold the key to their fortunes.

"I remember going through the process of the previous World Cup (in 2015). Going through the hurt of putting in so much time and energy into trying to win a trophy, and by the end you are absolutely shattered. Yes, all of us badly want to win a World Cup but for me as a captain, it is very important to make sure that players don’t try to be supermen to win."

What's next?

For now, the final decider between Pakistan and South Africa is to be played on 30 January at 4:30 pm IST, with the series being evenly poised at 2-2. The Proteas have been far from their prolific best, and maybe therefore, not many have tipped them as the prime favorites to win a maiden World Cup crown.

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