Aakash Chopra perceptively highlights South Africas struggles under pressure in global tournaments. Group D of the 2024 T20 World Cup features the Proteas alongside Sri Lanka Bangladesh Nepal and their rivals Netherlands.
Aiden Markram and his team begin their campaign against Sri Lanka in New York on Monday, June 3. They will next face the Netherlands and Bangladesh at the same stadium before concluding their group round matches against Nepal in Kingstown.
In a video posted to his YouTube account, Chopra noted that South Africa had flattered to deceive in past World Cups.
“The eternal South Africa – I won’t use the ‘C’ (choke) word. Their story has been that they have been semi-finalists twice but have never won, and their situation is like that in ICC championships. They come close many times. When you see the team, it looks good, and the team is not looking bad this time as well.”
Aakash Chopra
The former India opener stated that the Proteas are once again a threatening unit.
“If we see their batting – Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs – I am talking about just the pure batters here. If we see the wicketkeepers – Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickelton.”
“You will see Marco Jansen as an all-rounder. If you see the bowlers’ list – Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Tabraiz Shamsi – what a team. Batting unit – this could be a team like Hyderabad. It could be a very entertaining team to watch.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopras selection of Reeza Hendricks as a key player for South Africa highlights the potential risk of imbalance if his performance falls short. Its crucial to note the significant impact that Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs can have on securing victories for the team.
“Reeza Hendricks can be seen opening with Quinton de Kock” – Aakash Chopra on South Africa’s probable playing XI
Aakash Chopra determined South Africa’s probable playing XI for the competition.
“Reeza Hendricks can be seen opening with Quinton de Kock. Aiden Markram at No. 3, Klaasen at No. 4, Miller, Tristan Stubbs, and then Marco Jansen. After that, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi and Ottneil Baartman. Baartman is a wicket-taker.”
Aakash Chopra
Noting the exceptional skills of Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj as formidable spinners the esteemed commentator underscored the teams Achilles heel in lacking versatile allrounders.
“They have outstanding spinners in Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj. One is a wrist-spinner and the other is a finger spinner. Their weakness is that they are slightly short of all-rounders. They don’t have a spin-bowling all-rounder. You see slightly less depth in batting because they lack all-rounders.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopra predicted that the Proteas can go all the way, despite their poor reputation. He also said that Maharaj may have a breakout T20 World Cup, given the spin-friendly conditions in the West Indies.