8 Instances when South Africa choked in ICC events

The South African team, despite how hard they work, fails to make an impact on the big stage - in ICC tournaments. They haven’t won a single edition of either the T20 World Cup or the ODI World Cup. After coming close to the trophy, they end up putting awful performances and crash out. Not just once or twice, South Africa have bowed out of ICC events multiple times. That is the reason why they are infamously called ‘chokers’ of cricket. Be it group stage exits, or crashing out of knock-out stages, the Proteas have been disappointing their fans for quite some time now even after entering global tournaments as a formidable force. Let us look at eight moments when South Africa choked in major ICC tournaments: 8. 2003 ODI World Cup vs Sri Lanka South Africa was hosting the tournament, and despite having the advantage of playing the games on their home soil, the Proteas failed to create an impact and lost two games early in the group stage fixtures, one against the West Indies and the other against New Zealand. In order to make it to the Super Six, the Shaun Pollock-led South Africa had to win their crucial contest against Sri Lanka. The islanders posted a target of 269 runs for the South Africans to chase. Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs got off to a good start as they shared a 65-run opening stand. But they underwent a terrible collapse and were reduced to 149/5 from 90/1. Mark Boucher and skipper Pollock anchored the innings in the middle and took the game close but rain played spoilsport and hampered South Africa's chances. The Proteas managed to level the DLS par score when rain stopped play, but the game never resumed and the hosts were knocked out of the tournament. 7. T20 World Cup 2007 vs India It was the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup and South Africa were hosting it. India and South Africa were put in Group E after the two teams claimed the top spots in their previous group-stage. South Africa didn't need to win the match necessarily they just needed to score 126 and it would have taken them to the last four. India won the toss and elected to bat first. Except for Shaun Pollock, who claimed two wickets, no other bowler was impressive during their respective spells as India managed to make 153/5. Despite having players like Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, and Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa could not rise up to the occasion and put up a terrible batting performance on display. Mark Boucher and Albie Morkel scored 36 runs each, but no other batter could score more than five runs. India’s RP Singh was the standout bowler as he picked up four wickets, and South Africa’s dreams came crashing down as they could score a mere 116/9 in their allotted 20 overs. 6. T20 World Cup 2009 vs Pakistan The South African team was at its peak when they walked into the T20 World Cup of 2009. Though they had lost two big ICC events in 2007, they had a strong squad and were one of the favorites to win the tournament. After topping Group D in the first round, South Africa topped Group E to make it to the semi-finals of the tournament. England hosted the event, and South Africa met Pakistan in the crucial contest, with an aim to put the losses of 2007 behind themselves and make it to the finals. While chasing a score of 150 runs to win, only Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy could do well with the bat. Even after having a strong batting unit, South Africa failed to chase the total as they lost crucial wickets under pressure and ended up losing the game to Pakistan by seven runs. 5. ODI World Cup 2007 vs Australia The West Indies were hosting the tournament, and the South African squad had big names like Shaun Pollock Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, and Jacques Kallis on their side, but still, they failed to make it big against Australia in the second semi-final of the tournament. The Australian bowlers, especially Shaun Tait and Glenn McGrath, stormed through South Africa’s strong batting line-up which led to the Proteas managing to score mere 149 runs before being dished out in 43.5 overs. Justin Kemp top-scored for South Africa and remained unbeaten on 49* off 91 balls. Australia’s start to the chase was unfortunate as Charl Langeveldt struck very early in the second over to dismiss Adam Gilchrist, but combined efforts by the top and middle-order batters led Australia to a seven-wicket win. 4. ODI World Cup 2015 vs New Zealand South Africa and New Zealand locked horns in the semi-final of the 2015 ODI World Cup in Auckland, Australia. After a disappointing 2011 season of the ODI World Cup, the South African batters did really well in their rain-curtailed first innings, which was reduced to 43 overs, and scored 281/5. The revised target for New Zealand to chase was 298 runs and the Kiwis dominated the chase from the very beginning. Morne Morkel did well by picking up three wickets, but the Proteas bowlers could not defend the total. New Zealand’s Grand Elliot headed the chase as the game came down to the final over. Dale Steyn had to defend 12 runs off it. Daniel Vettori hit a four and changed strike on the next ball as Elliot finished the chase on the penultimate delivery by smashing a six over long-on and South Africa were yet again forced to exit an ICC event in the most agonising ways. 3. T20 World Cup 2022 vs the Netherlands South Africa had the upper hand when they met the Netherlands in their final Super-12 fixture of the T20 World Cup 2022. They had lost their previous game against Pakistan which increased their wait to make the cut to the semi-finals, but a win against the Netherlands would have gotten them the spot. The Proteas bowlers failed to pick wickets in clusters as the Dutch side finished at 158/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Even after getting off to a decent start to the chase (39/2 at the end of the powerplay), the South African batting unit could not manage to chase the total down, thanks to the Netherlands bowlers who kept picking wickets at regular intervals. Several middle-order batters started off well but could not capitalise for a long time, and kept giving away their wickets cheaply. They made plenty of mistakes under pressure and faced one of their worst upsets as the Netherlands defeated them by 13 runs to knock them out of the tournament. 2. ODI World Cup 2011 vs New Zealand South Africa are known for making blunders on the big stage. After facing an exit from the 2007 ODI and T20 World Cup, followed by the T20 World Cup of 2009, it looked like the Proteas will bag redemption this time around, but they failed to do so, again. It was the third quarter-final of the tournament when South Africa locked horns with New Zealand in Mirpur in Bangladesh. The Proteas had topped their group to make it to the clash, and they managed to do well with the ball as they restricted New Zealand to 221/8 in the first 50 overs. During the chase, the Proteas lost their opener Hashim Amla in the very first over. But the top-order batters gave the impression that they had pulled their side out of misery. But the batting unit crumbled like a cookie as South Africa got bundled out for 172 in the 44th over even after being at 108/2 in the 25th over. 1. ODI World Cup 1999 vs Australia This was the first time ever that South Africa choked, quite literally. They faced Australia in the semi-finals in Birmingham. The Proteas won the toss and put Australia into bat first. The Steve Waugh-led side could not have that big of an impact in the first innings, other than the middle-order batters’ show, which included the skipper himself. Australia were all out for 213 runs in 49.2 overs. South Africa’s start to the chase was decent and the openers shared a composed 48-run stand before Shane Warne sent both of them packing. South African batters struggled to score and in the 22nd over, they lost their fourth wicket having scored 60 odd runs. Middle-order batters Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes played the anchor’s role alongside Lance Klusener who remained unbeaten till the end while every other batter perished. But interestingly, the Proteas lost their tenth wicket when they needed just one run to win and as a result, the game was tied. Since Australia had beaten South Africa in the group stage, they moved forward in the competition and South Africa faced one of their worst possible exits.

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8 Instances when South Africa choked in ICC events

Most recently, South Africa lost their Super-12 game against the Netherlands and crashed out of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022.

6. T20 World Cup 2009 vs Pakistan

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