World Cup 2019: 3 reasons why South Africa deserve to be eliminated

Ab de Villiers: conspicuous by his absence

3. AB de Villiers and poor decision-making

Yes, you read that right. One man who never turned up for the tournament played a big role in South Africa's probable elimination.

AB de Villiers, one of the putative modern legends of the game, really let down his country by his indecisive attitude. First, he shocked the world by calling time on his career in 2018 when the team needed him to play this one last World Cup. Then, news emerged that he had wanted to come out of retirement for the tournament but the request was turned down by the selectors.

Some believe it was the right decision as the great batsman had deserted the team at the most crucial time and the Proteas had prepared a certain squad with an eye on the World Cup. However, others feel that you cannot turn down a batsman of his abilities when he has himself expressed his desire to return to the fold.

With South Africa's batting in shambles, the jury will be out on that for a long time. The entire controversy will surely have had a negative impact on the team's mindset during a challenging phase.

That is not the only contentious decision that South Africa have made. While De Villiers is culpable in this mess, others have been of their own making.

Faf du Plessis' handling and rotation of strike bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir was often found wanting. Individually, the fielders made wrong decisions while attempting catches. And batsmen made the wrong shot selection.

Also, who can forget the bizarre lack of application shown by De Kock, who failed to appeal a faint edge off Kane Williamson's bat last night? Williamson went on to complete a match-winning century after that reprieve, rubbing salt into South Africa's wounds.

That moment signified all that's wrong with South Africa right now: indecisive, shoddy, shackled, and most probably out of the tournament.