South Africa at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Team Preview

On paper, the South African squad is made of high-quality cricketers who can break games on their day. However, the ideal balance seems to be missing thanks to a lack of all-rounders. Injuries to Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala haven’t helped either. The recent 3-2 victory over Australia after coming from 0-2 behind, however, will give them confidence that despite all odds, they have the resilience and the firepower to go the distance.

South Africa’s ODI World Cup history

South Africa made their first World Cup appearance in 1992, and have participated every time since then. Yet, somehow, despite being the powerhouse that they have been at various stages across eight editions, they have never managed to reach the final, let alone winning it. Part of that is because they have won only one knockout match – the 2015 quarter-final.

At the same time, they reached the semi-finals in every alternate edition starting from 1992.

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South Africa at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Full squad

Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.

Captain: Temba Bavuma

Coach: Rob Walter

Wisden Cricket Monthly’s Most Valuable Player: Temba Bavuma

Perennially underestimated despite posting immense numbers in his 29 ODIs to date, Bavuma is currently sandwiched between Virat Kohli and Michael Bevan in the list of all-time ODI averages. This year, since taking on the captaincy, he has been irresistible, making centuries against England, West Indies and Australia, the last one a bat-carrying epic – just the 13th time it’s happened in ODIs – in an eventual defeat.

Much rests on his shoulders, both on the pitch and off it. Captaining South Africa is no easy task, yet Bavuma conducts himself with great articulacy and class.

Player to watch: Heinrich Klaasen

No one in the world is hitting it as well as Heinrich Klaasen. From only playing two matches at the T20 World Cup nine months ago, to a blazing purple patch of centuries, sixes and more sixes – it’s a modus operandi that makes South Africa World Cup dark horses.

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You can trace Klaasen’s explosion through the myriad franchise T20 competitions this year. He served up the goods for his home fans in the first edition of the SA20, mullering a hundred off 43 balls – brought up with a straight six. The IPL came next on the capitalist calendar march, where Klaasen smoked another century, with a strike-rate near the 200 mark.

Those assaults offered the clearest evidence of Klaasen’s dominance against spin, prompting AB de Villiers to declare him one of the best players of spin he’d ever seen. It’s simple, no fuss hitting: drop it a yard too short and watch it disappear over mid-wicket. Drop it in the slot and watch it crash into the sightscreen.

Read the piece on Heinrich Klaasen in the Wisden Cricket Monthly here.

South Africa at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Predicted XI

Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi.

South Africa at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Full fixtures list

October 6: South Africa v Sri Lanka, Delhi, 2 pm
October 10: South Africa v Australia, Lucknow, 2 pm
October 14: South Africa v Netherlands, Dharamshala, 2 pm
October 20: South Africa v England, Mumbai, 2 pm
October 23: South Africa v Bangladesh, Mumbai, 2 pm
October 27: South Africa v Pakistan, Chennai, 2 pm
October 31: South Africa v New Zealand, Pune, 2 pm
November 4: South Africa v India, Kolkata, 2 pm
November 11: South Africa v Afghanistan, Ahmedabad, 2 pm

A full preview of the 2023 World Cup appears in issue 71 of Wisden Cricket Monthly.