3 biggest positives for South Africa in their World Cup 2023 campaign

The Proteas have been knocked out of the tournament by Australia in the semi-final but their campaign is one to be proud of. They have played some great cricket throughout the tournament and they will take positives from their performance. South African cricket must build on this momentum to further solidify their dominance in World Cricket. Let’s take a look at the 3 biggest positives for South Africa from their campaign. 

Their Comeback on the biggest stage

After the retirement of stalwarts like AB De Villiers, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla and Faf Du Plessis, South Africa took a huge hit as they had to enter a phase of transition. They could not perform well in the 2019 ODI World Cup, 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup. But this World Cup has been a great success for them as they finished second in the group stage of the tournament and qualified for the Semi-finals. Now it feels like the South Africa of the past has made a comeback which is a great sign for international cricket. 

South African Bowling Unit

The South African bowling attack has performed as a whole in this tournament. Kagiso Rabada was not the only prominent wicket-taker for them. Others chipped in with their performances and despite Anrich Nortje’s absence they bowled really well and dominated the opposition with their lethal bowling display. They also got a young prospect in Gerald Coetzee who can prove to be a game-changer going ahead. 

Formidable Middle Order

The South African middle order is one of the major reasons behind their successful run at the World Cup. The likes of Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klassen, and David Miller have provided the solidity and firepower that they need. It is their middle order that has helped them post huge totals in the first innings. They have consistently crossed the 300-run mark in the first innings which is the by-product of the middle order’s phenomenal effort.