South Africa Sheds 'Chokers' Tag With Maiden T20 World Cup Final Entry

South Africa's journey in World Cup semifinals has often been marred by heartbreaks. However, they have now shed the "chokers" tag by reaching their first T20 World Cup final unbeaten, defeating Afghanistan in Tarouba, Trinidad.

This victory erased years of disappointment and trauma for the Proteas, who were often labelled under-performers despite having some of cricket's biggest names. PTI revisits South Africa's painful past where they faltered at crucial moments in global tournaments.

The 1999 semifinal at Edgbaston is perhaps the most heart-wrenching game in South Africa's cricket history. Chasing 214, they needed nine runs off the final over with Lance Klusener at the crease. Klusener hit two fours to level the scores, but Allan Donald was run out, resulting in a tie. Australia advanced to the final as they had won their previous encounter in the super sixes stage.

In 2007, South Africa's decision to bat first backfired spectacularly. Their strong batting line-up, including Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, was dismissed for just 149 runs. Australia chased down the target with nearly 20 overs to spare.

2011 ODI World Cup Quarterfinal vs New Zealand

In 2011, South Africa faced New Zealand in the quarterfinals. Despite a strong line-up featuring AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, they failed to chase a modest target of 222. At one point, they were comfortably placed at 108 for 3 but lost seven wickets for just 64 runs.

2013 Champions Trophy Semifinal vs England

During the 2013 Champions Trophy semifinal against England, South Africa found themselves struggling at 8/80. Although David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt managed to push the total to 175, Jonathan Trott's unbeaten 82 led England to a seven-wicket victory with more than 12 overs remaining.

"I think we did choke in the game. You've got to accept that's what it is. It's definitely a dark mist that hangs over South African cricket in knockout events," coach Gary Kirsten had said after the game.

2015 ODI World Cup Semifinal vs New Zealand

The Proteas' golden generation faced another setback in the 2015 ODI World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. Despite having all bases covered and being at their peak, they were eliminated by New Zealand once again.

2023 ODI World Cup Semifinal vs Australia

In the recent 2023 ODI World Cup semifinal, South Africa cruised through the league stage and even handed Australia a massive defeat earlier on. However, when it mattered most, they succumbed to Australia once again in the semifinals.

1996 ODI World Cup Quarterfinal vs West Indies

In 1996, Hansie Cronje's team entered the quarterfinals as favourites after winning all their group games. However, Brian Lara's brilliant performance and effective spin bowling from Roger Harper and Jimmy Adams resulted in a surprising defeat for South Africa by 19 runs.

2009 T20 World Cup Semifinal vs Pakistan

The Proteas reached the semifinals of the 2009 T20 World Cup high on confidence after defeating teams like India and England. However, Shahid Afridi's economical spell restricted them from chasing a target of 150 set by Pakistan.

2014 T20 World Cup Semifinal vs India

The curse continued for South Africa in the 2014 T20 World Cup semifinal against India. Despite their efforts, they couldn't overcome a clinical Indian side and fell short once again at a crucial juncture.

2022 T20 World Cup Super 12 vs Netherlands

A solitary win away from securing a semifinal spot in the 2022 T20 World Cup, South Africa choked yet again. They suffered a shocking defeat by 13 runs against an inspired Netherlands team.

1992 ODI World Cup Semifinal vs England

Their return to international cricket after apartheid saw them reach the semifinals of the 1992 ODI World Cup against England. Rain played spoilsport as their revised target changed from needing 22 off seven balls to an impossible task of scoring those runs off just one ball due to miscommunication on their revised target.

The Proteas' journey has been filled with near-misses and heartbreaks at crucial stages of global tournaments. Their recent success marks a significant turnaround from these past disappointments.