Former Captain Graeme Smith Believes South Africa Will Break The ‘Chokers’ Stereotype Soon

Apr 5, 2017 at 6:46 PM

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Former Captain Graeme Smith Believes South Africa Will Break The ‘Chokers’ Stereotype Soon

South Africa’s failure to justify their talent and perform to their capability will yet again come to haunt them ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy which will be hosted in England.

The demeaning tag of ‘Chokers’ has been a bone stuck in their throat for a long time and when they step on the field to compete in yet another multination ICC tournament, the term will be used once again to describe them regardless of their hater-less reputation all over the world.

Former skipper Graeme Smith has tried to instil belief in the current Proteas unit by reminding them that while their efforts have been wasted in the past, they have only improved and come closer to eliminating the association with the tag in recent years.

 

“One unfortunate reality for all South African players is the tag that accompanies them at any tournament,” Smith said speaking exclusively to the ICC website.

The Proteas were almost on the verge of breaking the ‘chokers’ stereotype in the 2015 Cricket World Cup after they registered their first ever victory in a world cup knock-out game beating Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals.

“It’s been nearly two decades since South Africa have won a major ODI tournament and the question of just why that is gets thrown at you a hundred times in every press conference you do. The players will have to deal with that and remind themselves that they were not far away in 2015.

“This is a side that fans love to watch‚ with some of the best players in the world and it may well be that bit of luck that will get them over the line.”

Talking about luck, Proteas actually seems to be having a bit of it as they get an opportunity to get accustomed to the English conditions before they enter the title race with other nations. The Proteas are scheduled to play three ODIs against England before the start of the Champions Trophy and Smith believes it will be ideal preparation for the tournament.

 

“The three games against England in May will help the players acclimatise to English pitches and conditions ahead of the first ball of the tournament. It’s important that they play those games as close to tournament intensity as possible‚” said Smith.

 

“Playing the host nation just before the tournament‚ with the quality they have at their disposal‚ will be a good indication of how ready the players are to try and end the drought in terms of ODI competitions.”

South Africa currently are in great ODI form, having 14 wins in their last 16 ODIs. Smith feels that this is a highly motivating factor as they embark on the three-match tour of England. He also felt that the emergence of younger talents has eased the burden of winning the matches on the senior player’s shoulders.

“The nucleus of the side have stepped up since the World Cup by helping the team to win 14 of their last 16 ODIs‚ which means the players will be full of confidence as they embark on the tour.

“Quinton De Kock has led the charge superbly from a batting perspective and he’s just one of several very exciting cricketers who’ve helped support AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis.

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