South Africa have been one of the unluckiest teams in ICC tournaments history. Despite entering the tournament with one of the strongest squads, the Proteas somehow find a way to not finish on the champions’ podium. They have never won a World Cup title to date.
It is not that the Proteas have played badly in all the knockout matches. Sometimes, the luck has not favored them as well. Here’s a list of five such instances.
1. South Africa vs Zimbabwe, ICC T20 World Cup 2022
South Africa needed 13 runs off 24 balls with 10 wickets in hand when rain washed out their crucial T20 WC match against Zimbabwe. Despite being so close to the victory, the Proteas only earned one point in the standings from their battle against Zimbabwe.
2. South Africa vs New Zealand, 2015 WC
South Africa were the hot favorites to win the 2015 WC. However, toss, weather and D/L method worked against them in their fixture against New Zealand. Also, the Proteas dropped catches and missed run-outs in crucial moments, leading to their defeat.
3. South Africa vs. England, ICC WC 1992
In the year 1992, the Proteas played against England in the semifinals of the World Cup. They needed 22 runs off 13 balls. However, because of a bizarre rain rule, when rain interrupted the proceedings, the organizers deducted the least runs scored by England in two of their 50 overs. Since there were two maiden overs, the equation came down to 22 runs off 1 ball.
4. South Africa vs. Sri Lanka, 2003 WC
In the 2003 WC which happened in Africa, the Proteas took on Sri Lanka in a do-or-die match. It was a close game, where South Africa needed 269 runs to win. They were close to the target when rain interrupted play after 45 overs. The match ended in a tie as the Proteas were exactly on level as the D/L par score. On the last ball of the match, Mark Boucher played a defensive stroke and did not take any run. Had he taken even one run, South Africa would have won and progressed.
