Proteas Keen To Exorcise Ghosts

SOUTH AFRICA NEWS

E-mail this Article

Print this Article

Subscribe to RSS Feed

South Africa - in confident mood

By Myles Hodgson, PA Sport Cricket Correspondent, St Lucia

South Africa are confident the ghosts of 1999 will not affect their preparations or performance when they line up for a repeat World Cup semi-final against Australia.

The two top-rated sides in one-day international cricket will face each other at the Beausejour Stadium on Wednesday with comparisons inevitable with the heart-stopping showdown at Edgbaston eight years ago.

It is a match which has been at the core of their rivalry ever since and firmly established in cricket legend how Allan Donald froze when called for a single by Lance Klusener which would have sealed South Africa's one-wicket semi-final victory.

Instead of heeding Klusener's call, Donald was left stranded as Australia completed the run-out to claim the tie and advanced to the Lord's final because of their higher position in the Super Six table.

It was a traumatic time to be a South African and four of their current line-up - Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs - will no doubt be reminded by Australia's close-in fielders throughout Wednesday's encounter.

But for captain Graeme Smith, who was just 18 at the time, he believes that beaten quartet are ready for a chance to exorcise old ghosts and become part of South African cricket history for a different reason.

"You talk about 1999 and not many guys have second chances, but these guys are looking forward to this opportunity," said Smith, who is expected to recover from a left knee injury to lead out his side.

"Within the set-up it doesn't really get mentioned much. Even for the players that were involved that day they say it wasn't as big an issue as people make out.

"The 1999 game was a game in history which was an incredible game of cricket. It was obviously disappointing as a country on the losing side, but those are the sort of games that you learn from."

However Smith and South Africa attempt to play down the significance - and impact - of that semi-final defeat, there is no doubt it is a result which still rankles throughout their modern cricket history.

None of the survivors will have felt it more than Gibbs, who infamously allowed Steve Waugh to escape during their crucial Super Sixes match at Headingley earlier in the competition which would have eliminated Australia.

Gibbs caught Waugh, then on 56, at mid-wicket off Klusener but failed to claim control of the ball before throwing it up in celebration and Waugh escaped to hit an unbeaten 120.

It was the turning point of Australia's successful campaign and Waugh is alleged to have informed Gibbs that he had "just dropped the World Cup".

But Smith believes Gibbs, one of the leading run-scorers in the tournament with 303 runs without scoring a century, is in the mood to make amends for that incident in 1999.

"Herschelle is one guy the Australians would fear," claimed Smith. "He's unpredictable, he's got shots all around the wicket and he's played well throughout the tournament - he looks very confident and very determined going into this game.

"A semi-final is a tough game. It's a game that's separate from any other game and what's happened before means nothing - the fact that you're here is the most important thing.

"You have an opportunity to win and get through to the World Cup final and that's how we see it.

"It seems like there's a massive weight off our shoulders, the guys are in good spirits and training well and we're confident."