Trouble Brewing For South Africa’s Direct Qualification For Men’s ODI World Cup?

Truth be told, the Proteas weren’t really at their best in the recent times where it came to Test match cricket. As a matter of fact, the South Africa side in Australia was blowing all kinds of smoke, finding the Aussie challenge quite a hefty one to negotiate.

While the Sydney Test, the final of the series provided a bit of respite for the visitors, there were games in there, such as the MCG Test, which South Africa lost by an innings and 182 runs.

There wasn’t much that Dean Elgar could do or say afterwards.

But that was that.

Things became dramatically different in the recent times where it came to white-ball cricket. South Africa, quite seriously, muscled their way through the England attack in the recent 3-match series contested back in the land of Jack Kallis and Ab de Villiers.

Sure, the hosts lost the final game, i.e., the third ODI of the contests despite making 287 runs in their unsuccessful chase of a whopping 347. But the Temba Bavuma-led side was at its inspirational best towering an English white-ball attack comprising Woakes, Archer, Rashid and Curran.

When the captain led by an example for South Africa

With huge team totals such as 298 for 7 in the first game, following by an exceptional run chase that yielded 347 runs at Bloemfontein, the Proteas were exceptional and powerful.

Surely, if there was a one-day series in the recent times where the captain Temba Bavuma led by an example then the heroics with the bat that culminated in a fine century (109 off 102, 2nd ODI) served awesome delight.

But even then, despite contesting a fine series win over a side that’s quite simply the most powerful lot out there, South Africa faced disappointment or so it seems. So much so that it appears that South Africa have suffered a blip in their fortunes where it comes to the road for direct qualification for the ODI World Cup 2023.

So what exactly has been the setback for South Africa?

South Africa have experienced a loss of point where it comes to the ongoing Men’s Cricket World Cup cycle given they maintained a slow over rate in the final ODI that took place at Kimberly. It wasn’t such a memorable game after all since it resulted in a loss to England.

Here’s what the storekeepers of the game, i.e., the ICC website had to say on the trending story:

Despite having won the three-match series, South Africa’s 59-run defeat in the third and final ODI against England at the Diamond Oval, Kimberley on Wednesday has them delicately placed in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, wherein they currently occupy the ninth position.

South Africa were further dented due to their slow over-rate in the game, which led to them losing a point, thereby widening the gulf between them and eighth-placed Sri Lanka. They have also been fined 20 per cent of their match fee.

South Africa were ruled to be one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration and Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction.

It has cost them a point in the Super League points table at a time they badly needed any point coming their way.