AB de Villiers: This can be the year South Africa's semifinal record changes

Mumbai: Former South Africa captain and fiery run machine of yore AB de Villiers said he hopes 2023 will change all the heartbreaking moments over the years that his nation has faced in cricket’s summit tournaments.

“After all the pain and heartbreak, now is our time. This is a team that is not carrying the weight of history. There will be pressure because it is a semi-final, but there is no reason why they cannot break new ground and take the team to the big dance for the first time,” he said in his ICC Column.

“It is not that we have played in four of them and lost them all, it is that on each and every occasion, the fates have conspired to make the defeats as painful as possible,” he said on the eve of the second semifinal of the 2023 World Cup in which South Africa will play Australia in Kolkata’s Eden Garden for a place in the Final.

“I was too young for the 1992 and 1999 games but ask anyone about '22 off one' and they will know immediately what you are referring to,” he said.

Seven years later against the Aussies was even more painful. “There is the legend of the Steve Waugh jibe to Herschelle Gibbs about dropping the World Cup, but even after that defeat in the Super Six, South Africa had so many chances in the semi-final. Watching the Allan Donald run-out did not get any easier. Once again, it is Australia standing in the way of a place in the final,” he said.

The first World Cup semifinal that de Villiers played in was against the Aussies in 2007. “The aim was to be aggressive, but after choosing to bat, Glenn McGrath tore through our top order and I fell to Shaun Tait, who was flying that day. We were 27 for five inside 10 overs and never able to make it competitive,” he recalled.

De Villiers’ final World Cup game might be the most painful of all from a personal perspective. “We had got a big win over Sri Lanka in the quarter-final, a first knockout win, at long last. Against New Zealand, we batted well, Faf du Plessis made big runs, David Miller teed off late on, and I also got a handy score. We thought that defending 298 in 43 overs would be possible, and we had our chances. That day though, our fielding cost us. Grant Elliott played an incredible knock but that one still stings,” he said of the 2015 semifinal.

That was eight years ago and a sobbing De Villiers crouched on the pitch and getting a comfort pat by Elliott will always be a staying memory. However, much has changed in the South African team ever since.

Their campaign in this World Cup has been second only to India with a chance defeat to The Netherlands and then a downer by India. “Only Quinton de Kock and David Miller remain from that team. This side, led by Temba Bavuma, looks as well-balanced as anyone in India. The top order is not just in good form, it is turning almost every start into a hundred and four different guys have tons,” de Villiers pointed out.

He also took note of the bowling attack with Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi taking wickets with the new ball, while Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee come on to do the damage later. “That is before we move onto the spin of Keshav Maharaj. If those are the five that end up playing, they will pose Australia some real threats,” he said.

He admitted that Australia are eternal champions and are back in full force after losing their first two matches. “Glenn Maxwell’s knock against Afghanistan was ridiculous. It goes without saying that South Africa cannot afford to let him get his eye in,” he said.

At Eden Garden where dew starts lurking in the evening, the toss, de Villiers said, will be important. “When South Africa have batted first, they have won and won big. They have topped 300 every time. Chasing has been trickier and there will certainly be a few nerves if they are not able to bat Australia out of the game by halfway,” he opined.

More from our World Cup coverage

1. World Cup 2023: India storm into final with dominant win over New Zealand