5 reasons why South Africa can win the World T20

From the time South Africa were readmitted into cricket in the early nineties, one thing has remained constant they have been one of the favourites for every global tournament. It is strange that they have only won only one knock-out match inthe history of theODI World Cup (in 2015) and have a bare cupboard as far as global titles are concerned.Yet, they continue to be the favourites, a fact that demonstrates how they have been crickets perennial underachievers in global tournaments. As we go closer to the 2016 T20 World Cup, South Africa once again arrive as one of the frontrunners, placed at No.3 in the ICC Twenty20 Rankings on a table where the top 8 teams are separated by just 12 rating points.South Africa made it to the semi-final of the 2015 ODI World Cup, winning their first ever knockout game in the 50 over format, a jinx that has haunted them since 1992. They will be a more confident bunch with a generation of cricketers mostly free of those tormenting burdens of defeat.T20 is also a different ball-game, a short format that suits South Africas style of high quality, fast-paced cricket.We look at 5 reasons why South Africa can finally win something major in the cricketing world.5 different teams (India, Pakistan, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka) have won the prestigious tournament so far and it could finally be South Africas time.

#5 The easier pool

South Africa find themselves in an easier group for the league stages of the tournament

Although cricket is an unpredictable game, South Africa enjoy the rub of the green. South Africa have a good chance of triumphing over the inexperience from Sri Lanka and a West Indies side that hasn’t played much T20 cricket cohesively as a team of late, while England, after the ongoing T20 series, will not be an unfamiliar proposition.

The other group, Group 2, is probably the group of death with India, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan – all top T20 sides with the penchant for attacking cricket and great track records.

South Africa will have to deal with the qualifier from Group B, which means the other group, Group 2 gets Bangladesh or Ireland from Group A qualifiers, both superior cricketing countries to the likes of Zimbabwe and Afghanistan who are likely to win in Group B qualifiers.

#4 Sub-continental experience

South Africa won the T20I series that they played against India last year

Most South Africans are no strangers to Indian conditions. They have played a long tour towards the last quarter of 2015 and that experience should hold them in good stead. AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn, David Wiese and David Miller have plenty of IPL experience too.

Their captain Faf du Plessis, one of the pillars of the erstwhile Chennai Super Kings will know how to lead a team under sub-continental conditions having trained under none other than MS Dhoni himself.

India might feel like a second home for most of these players who spend two months playing T20 cricket here during the IPL, facing a wide array of top bowlers from other countries. In fact, South Africa are amongst the biggest contributors of foreign players to the IPL and that should give them reasonable confidence.

#3 Experience and energy

South Africa have a very balanced side going into the World T20

South Africa have the right mix of wise men and fresh blood to see them through the rigors of a global event, especially this time, with two Super Groups and a lot of matches. The results in the last one year, where they have only lost one and won 7 T20s is the testimony of that fact.

Chris Morris’ sensational last over batting for example, against England, shows how South Africa are not the team of the old that crumbled often under pressure. South Africa have three calm heads in du Plessis, Hashim Amla and Farhaan Behardien.

They have explosive batsmen in the form of Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller and Rilee Rossouw. In fact, they have shown enough faith in Wiese to play him as a bowling all-rounder at No.7, giving them more bowling options without compromising too much on the batting front.

#2 The most balanced bowling combination

Kagiso Rabada has been a revelation for South Africa since the day he made his debut

India has an enviable collection of spinners, but their pace bowling strength has always been weak. Australia has the opposite problem with hardly any spinners to boast about, as far as sub-continental experience is concerned.

Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand all fall in one of the two brackets. England has a couple of good spinners but they are prone to unpredictability. South Africa is the only team that has a good T20 leg-spinner, a handy off-spinner, and some excellent pace bowlers.

They can pretty much deal with any kind of conditions picking horses for courses. While Steyn, David Wiese, Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada will take care of the seam department, with Kyle Abbott waiting in the wings, Aaron Phangiso, Imran Tahir and JP Duminy are decent when it comes to giving the ball a tweak.

Duminy could be a pivotal player considering he is also South Africa’s best T20 batsman in terms of runs with an average of 37. Tahir’s 4-21 against England in the first T20 of the ongoing series would have also given him some timely confidence.

Steyn has an economy of 6.45 and Tahir’s is even better at 6.38. South Africa, simply put, intimidate with the ball.

#1 AB de Villiers

De Villiers would be the lynchpin of SA’s batting order in the World T20

AB de Villiers- the freak, genius and savant superman. He has a legion of fans and is probably the most popular and adored cricketer on the planet. If there isn’t one tick on his resume it is the absence of a world title.

That will drive him with the kind of motivation a genius like him needs in order to focus. AB de Villiers has two kinds of T20 stats. In international cricket he averages 22.5 at a strike-rate of 125 and in all T20 cricket he averages close to 31 at a strike-rate of close to 140.

Although that is because the quality of bowling goes down a tad bit in a non-international T20, it is in many ways an anomaly, considering how De Villiers has taken the best bowlers to the cleaners including his countryman, Dale Steyn.

The criticism of him batting lower down the order was resolved by captain Faf du Plessis by sending SA’s star batsman to open the innings. On a good day, South Africa can win it right there.

Nothing demotivates fast bowlers these days more than the sight of De Villiers, who holds the capability of sweeping them or paddling them or reverse slapping them for a six. It helps that AB de Villiers has played a lot of T20 in India during the IPL and probably understands the grounds and their dimensions, along with the conditions.