World Cups and the Proteas should not be allowed together. South Africa have suffered some heartbreaking losses over the years and, as a result, have become known as “chokers” at major tournaments.

It’s a tough tag to carry and, with each passing failure, the scar tissue mounts. Even though most of the current players were not born or even toddlers when the curse started in 1992, it seems the institutional scarring is being passed on through each generation.

Choking in the sporting context of course, is a term without an exact definition. Where does the quality of the winning team’s performance and the choking of the losing team start and end?

Generally speaking, choking is widely considered to be throwing away victory from an objectively accepted winning position.

On that score then, the Proteas did not choke on their way to a shock 13-run defeat against the Netherlands in their T20 Super match in Adelaide because they were never in a winning position. The Netherlands were always ahead in the game.

On this occasion, though, it’s fair to say that the choke happened just by losing to a side, by any measure, inferior to Proteas in terms of pedigree and resources.

That is not a slight on the Netherlands, who thoroughly deserved their victory, but rather a comment on the nature of the international game and the status of the two countries in the global pecking order.

Aiden Markram Proteas plays a shot during the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands at Adelaide Oval on 6 November 2022. (Photo: Isuru Sameera Peiris / Gallo Images)

The Netherlands were on top for almost the entire match after South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to field. How the leadership group decided that not asking the Netherlands to bowl first, thus putting them under scoreboard pressure when they had to bat, is a mystery.

That was perhaps the decisive decision. The performance that followed was tepid. Timid even. It looked like players operating with the fear of losing, of freezing under pressure in what was effectively a knockout game.

Failed potential

Earlier in the tournament, South Africa looked like potential champions. They crushed Bangladesh by 104 runs and were well on their way to beating Zimbabwe when rain thwarted that cause. They held their nerve to beat the mighty India in a thriller.

They ran into Pakistan playing their best game of the tournament and into the vagaries of the Duckworth-Lewis system to lose match four. Even so, South Africa were still in control of their destiny: beat the Netherlands and get into the semis.

With a barrage of fast bowlers in compatible Australian conditions, and several batters in good form, they had the weapons to go all the way.

Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram and David Miller were as destructive a batting unit as any there.

Lungi Ngidi was the best of the seamers with his versatility, while Anrich Nortje’s raw pace and Wayne Parnell’s nagging consistency caused problems. Kagiso Rabada was out of sorts but still enough of a threat to know that he could change a game with one good over.

Keshav Maharaj was one of the leading spinners at the tournament and handy with the bat down the order.

The ingredients were decent, but the final product was badly lacking when it really, really mattered.

Bavuma’s poor batting form was a concern, although he played a decent cameo against Pakistan, while the in-form Reeza Hendricks never got a match.

Coach Mark Boucher backed his captain all the way — and it came at a cost. Based on the jargon-laced press release from Cricket South Africa (CSA) in the aftermath of the loss, he won’t be around much longer anyway.

“The reality is that the team did not perform to expectations, which occasioned this disappointing outcome,” CSA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe said in the statement. “It is our duty to regroup and rebuild based on our glaring shortcomings at the T20 World Cup.”

The only “glaring shortcomings” were a lack of a genuine all-rounder as Dwaine Pretorius was injured days before the tournament started — and the Proteas’ ability to freeze in tense moments.

Dutch courage

The Dutch batted steadily initially, going at a run-a-ball for the first 50 runs, which is pedestrian in T20, and building a foundation for some later heavy hitting.

Stephan Myburgh (37) and Max O’Dowd (29) gave them a decent start, adding 58 runs for the opening stand. Tom Cooper made 35 and Colin Ackermann chipped in with an unbeaten 41 to take them past the 150-mark.

South Africa struggled in their reply, losing both their openers — De Kock and Bavuma — inside the powerplay.

Brandon Glover, who claimed three wickets for nine runs, then scythed through South Africa’s middle order to set up a memorable victory for the Dutch side.

Netherlands players celebrate taking a Proteas wicket at Adelaide Oval on 6 November 2022. (Photo: Isuru Sameera Peiris / Gallo Images)

Boucher described the outcome as one of his worst moments as a coach, while Bavuma refused to make a call on his future as Proteas’ white ball captain.

“It’s disappointing to have an exit like this with this particular squad because I believe we deserve better as a squad. We’ve got ourselves to blame, but yeah, I think our T20 side is in a good position,” Boucher said after the match.

“This time around if you would have said to us we’ve got Netherlands to play to get into a semifinal and we’ve got to beat them, we would have taken that at the start of the tournament.

“But these things happen. It’s not the only upset that’s happened in the tournament [referring to Australia’s elimination in the group phase].

“It’s quite frustrating because as a player you can at least still have a say in the game. As a coach, you’re sort of left to leave it up to other individuals to go out there and try and perform. Certainly as a coach, yeah, it’s up there [as one of his worst moments].”

Bavuma undecided

An emotional Bavuma said he would not be making any hasty decisions after scoring only 70 runs at an average of 17.5 in the tournament.

“It’s been a tricky time. I think to consider it [the future] now, a lot of it would be emotional in terms of my role as captain of the team,” Bavuma said.

“It’s something I probably will think about and I’ll speak to the relevant people and we’ll see who comes in as the coach. Generally, when you have changes like that, they come in with a different and own style, and they might find a different leader to execute their vision and style of play they have.

“I’m just trying to be as close to myself as possible, not only for myself but for the team. I know we’re going to take a lot of flak and rightly so. But we’re going to have to find a way to bounce back; I’m going to have to find a way too.

“It would be emotional if I thought about it now. Whatever happens, I think I’ve carried myself with dignity through all the good and bad times. If I were to leave, I’ll leave with my pride intact.” DM