South Africa Got To Improve A Lot

Well last night, South Africa thrashed the West Indies by a mammoth 188 runs in the warm up game just before the Champions Trophy at Potchefstroom. Not only was the margin that set the tone but it was also the mammoth score of 388 that South Africa put up on board for the under rated West Indian batsmen to chase. This shows how inhuman are the Proteas to expect such a thing from a minnow like team in West Indies. May be this is the reason as to why the Proteas go home upset when it comes to the crucial stages of a tournament. Anyway, I was just kidding.

However, some thing regarding both South Africa and the West Indies need some special attention whatsoever. South Africans have a habit of making hay while the sun shines. Good! But, succumb at situations when it really matters, which is evident from their on field performance i mega tournaments in three world cups since 1992, 1 ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and the 2 T20 world cups that have been played, that has earned the proteas' the chokers tag. And the South Africans do deserve it. In the 2007 world cup, South Africans thrashed minnows Holland & Scotland, in the former by a mile when Herschelle Gibbs blasted 36 runs from 1 over and in the end, could not even win all matches in the first stage.

The South Africans just managed a win against Sri Lanka in the super eights of the same, following by thrashing weaker teams like England and the West Indies and they were no match for either Australia or New Zealand. Not to forget their loss to Bangladesh. It was India & Pakistan's early exit that led South Africa through to the semis of the same. And this time i their warm up match, South Africa thrashed the West Indies by posting 388 first and then following it up with by bowling them for 200 with almost 9 overs to spare. Is this all what the South Africans are capable of doing?

No doubt that all teams make this, whenever they get a chance to take the opposition for a ride. I even remember India thrashing Sri Lanka and Kenya in the league stages of the 1999 world cup only to lose to Australia and New Zealand in the super sixes that followed. With the home side advantage still with the Proteas, West Indies should not have been their target whatsoever. In most of the cases, teams that have ended up victorious in the warm up games crash land in crucial stages and the team that loses become more cautious. This might not be the case with the West Indies atleast in this tournament. But, in case the Proteas get carried away by their splendid performance against the West Indies they are simply bound for yet another shocking experience.