NEW DELHI, March 22, (Agencies): Former Australian captain Steve Waugh says old rivals South Africa are no longer the brittle team of the nineties and have emerged as the standout team of the World Cup.
Waugh was the captain of the team that beat South Africa in a must-win Super Six match of the 1999 World Cup en route to their title triumph over Pakistan at Lord’s.
The game at Leeds against South Africa is still remembered for a dropped catch off Waugh and the way the Proteas crumbled to hand the Aussies a key win.
Waugh had made 56 when he flicked a Lance Klusener delivery to midwicket where Herschelle Gibbs took the catch but in his anxiety to celebrate, dropped the ball.
The Australian skipper, who went on to make a match-winning 120 not out, reportedly told Gibbs ‘you’ve just dropped the World Cup mate.’” Both he and Gibbs have subsequently denied this happened.
Waugh said the current South African side appeared one of the strongest contenders for the coveted crown.
“They (South Africa) had one ‘choke’ game against England, but since then, have not put a foot wrong,” Waugh wrote in the Times of India newspaper.
“They have prospered away from the limelight and favourites’ tag, and displayed some skill in areas that have not been their forte.
“Significantly among these is spin. They have used the slow bowlers well and, starting with Imran Tahir and continuing with Robin Petersen, the Proteas have proved they can go all the way in the sub-continent.”
South Africa have two bowlers among the top 10 leading wicket takers at the World Cup — and neither of them is Morne Morkel or Dale Steyn.
Morkel is No. 4 in the ICC bowling rankings in the one-day format, two places ahead of fellow paceman Steyn, but it is spinners Robin Peterson, with 14 wickets, and Imran Tahir with 12 who have led the way in South Africa’s progress to the quarter-finals.
Offspinner Johan Botha has played what he described on Tuesday as a “holding role” and his input proved crucial in the narrow win over India when he was brought on midway through the innings to help slow the home side’s explosive start.
India was all out for less than 300 and Botha ended with figures of 0-39 from nine overs.
“Our three spinners are a lot different from each other,” Botha said. “Immy’s (Tahir) a very attacking spinner, he’s got us a lot of wickets in this tournament, so has Robin.
“I’m probably doing a bit more of a holding role and controlling the game from one side and they’ve been taking the wickets which is really good for us. Then we have world class seamers like we know who have done their job so far in the tournament. All in all, we’ve got a really good bowling attack.”
Botha, who started his career as a medium-pacer before switching to offspin in 2004, opened the bowling for the Proteas in Saturday’s comprehensive defeat of Bangladesh, while Peterson took the role against England. It is a tactic which has also been used by several other teams, who have chosen to save overs for their quicker bowlers for when the ball is older and could reverse swing. The conditions in the subcontinent typically tend to favor the spinners.
“Our seamers obviously in South Africa dominate, they’re world class,” Botha said. “But these other two guys, Immy and Robin, have got a lot of wickets and that’s great for our team to get wickets in the middle period.”
South Africa’s ability to play spin could also be crucial against New Zealand on Friday, with Daniel Vettori expected to return to the opposition lineup after missing two matches with injury.
“Daniel Vettori is a big player for them, a world class bowler,” Botha said. “We respect him highly and I’m sure he’ll try anything to play in this game. I think it’ll be a good contest.
“Our batters have played spin really well in this tournament and I think they’re looking forward to him playing.”