World T20 2016: SWOT Analysis of the South African team

South Africa enters every ICC event as one of the favourites to win it, however, has a history of disappointing themselves and their fans. Such has been the quality of their teams over the years that it truly remains an enigma that a World Cup trophy has eluded them thus far. The squad that will enter the World T20 in India is filled with match-winners who would be desperate to lay their hands on the prestigious trophy. The team has all the ingredients to do so and it remains to be seen if it can raise the level of play when it matters the most. Here’s a SWOT analysis of The Proteas:

Strengths:

All-rounders:

South Africa has given high-class all-rounders to world cricket over the years. The current squad includes Chris Morris and David Wiese as the two seam-bowling all-round options. Both can strike the ball big and are wicket-taking bowlers. JP Duminy is more renowned for his batting, however, is no slouch with the ball in his hand either. His off-breaks will be needed by South Africa and he has also opened the bowling in the past. Farhaan Behardien is a handy military medium pace bowler who can chip in with a few overs apart from being a reliable lower order batsman. The likes of Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers should be considered as all-rounders since both are not just world-class batsmen but also brilliant wicketkeepers.

Experience:

Barring Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Aaron Phangiso and Kagiso Rabada, 11 players in the squad have played in the Indian Premier League. These have not just made up the numbers in their respective IPL teams but have been dependable match-winners. The pitches in India are batting friendly and the likes of AB de Villiers, skipper Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy and David Miller have had a gala time in India in the past. Imran Tahir, David Wiese, Chris Morris and Kyle Abbott have the experience of bowling on Indian pitches and should know what to expect. In 2015 India, at home, lost both the limited overs (T20I, ODI) series against South Africa. The African side will thus feel confident about their chances in the World T20.

Weaknesses:

Playing Spin:

South Africa’s problem against spin was exposed in India in the Test series and on a couple of occasions in the ODI series. The pitches are monitored by the ICC for all the global events hence South Africa should feel fairly comfortable however they would be wary of any opposition that has quality spinners in its ranks. If the team gets a surface which is on the slower side, the batsmen will need to adjust accordingly. If this situation occurs in a knock-out game, especially against one of the subcontinental teams, then it could trouble the Proteas.

Spin bowling options:

Imran Tahir is the only world-class spin bowler in the team. He will have to deliver the goods in every match and this may not happen always as any cricketer can have an odd bad day. If this happens, the other bowlers will need to step up big time for South Africa. Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso’s action was recently found illegal and it remains to be seen if he clears the final ICC bowling Test. If he passes a re-test on 7 March, he will be available for the final T20 against Australia and the World T20 and if he doesn’t he is likely to be replaced by either leg-spinner Eddie Leie or off-spinner Dane Piedt. Both these players have played in India, however, are yet to prove themselves in T20 international cricket.

Opportunities:

Fewer expectations:

In the past, fans, media and cricket experts around the world have labelled South Africa as favourites ahead of any ICC event. The team has failed to live up to the expectations and been labelled as chokers on many occasions. This time, there isn’t much hype about South Africa’s chances in the World T20. It seems everyone is tired of speculating about the team in global events. This gives them a perfect opportunity to play with freedom without the pressure of expectations. The team has several star players who would want to stamp their authority and class.

Pace attack:

The team has a versatile pace attack that would want to prove its mettle on batting friendly surfaces in India. The tournament provides a perfect opportunity to the likes of Chris Morris, David Wiese Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott to showcase their skills in the marquee event. These bowlers are not just out and out quick bowlers but also possess the variations needed to keep the batsmen in check in the shorter formats.

Steyn was out of action for some time following an injury and will want to prove that he still has a lot to offer to South African and world cricket. Rabada’s rise has been phenomenal and he will want to continue it while Abbott will be desperate to make up for the disappointment of the 2015 World Cup. He was arguably South Africa’s best bowler throughout the competition, however, was shockingly left out of the playing eleven in favour of Vernon Philander in the semi-final against the Kiwis. The world knows what happened thereafter.  Morris got a huge deal with the Delhi Daredevils in the 2016 IPL auctions and will be itching to prove his worth while Wiese would want to continue proving that he is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.

Threats:

Handling key moments:

South Africa might have never won a World Cup, however, this doesn’t mean that they have never played good cricket in the competition’s history. The problem though has been the team’s assessment and handling of crunch moments in knock-out matches. It seems the pressure just gets to the team thereby sending it in a panicking mode. This remains the biggest threat that can hamper the team’s chances in India.

A tough group:

South Africa is in Group 1 of the Super 10 stage at the World T20, along with England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and a qualifying team from the first round of the tournament. With only two teams from the group progressing to the next stage which is the semi-finals, each and every match is important. England and West Indies, in particular, have some exceptional T20 players who could hurt the Proteas. The African side will need to be on the money from their first game and can ill-afford to drop their intensity levels.

Squad: Faf du Plessis (C), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller, Chris Morris, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir and David Wiese.

Does the Australian team possess enough firepower to win the WT20? – World T20 2016: SWOT Analysis of the Australian team