Rassie van der Dussen Discusses South Africa's World Cup 'Chokers' Stigma Ahead of NZ-SA
Rassie van der Dussen in action | Source: AP Photo
The South African cricketer, Rassie van der Dussen, believes that the Proteas are not burdened by past Cricket World Cup failures, although their fans might occasionally feel like they have seen it all before.
South Africa, home to cricket icons such as Allan Donald, Jonty Rhodes, Herschelle Gibbs, Lance Klusener, and AB de Villiers, has still eluded the Cricket World Cup title.
While they have come agonisingly close on multiple occasions, they have often stumbled at the final hurdle, contributing to the perception of being 'chokers.’
Whether it's the heart-wrenching tied semi-final against Australia in the 1999 World Cup, the misinterpretation of rain-affected run-rate rules in the 2003 mega event, or a tense defeat to New Zealand in the 2015 semi-finals, South Africa fell short by narrow margins every time it seemed like they would cross the finish line.
However, this time around, the South African team appears to be in an entirely different form, with five victories in six matches, their sole loss coming against the Netherlands. Notably, most of their wins were one-sided affairs, marked by complete domination.
The Temba Bavuma-led side is set to face New Zealand in their next World Cup match in Pune on Wednesday. Speaking ahead of the big clash, Rassie van der Dussen was asked if South Africa was burdened by any 'baggage,' to which he replied:
"No, I suppose it's about just acknowledging and accepting it. After that Dutch game, we took a lot of flak from back home and certainly in the media as well. There's no use in delving too much into it. You've just got to accept it and move on."
Speaking further on the fans' expectations from the team back home, the 34-year-old said:
"You realise that there's people at home and fans that have been really scared by the previous performances of South Africa at World Cups. You can't really criticise them for feeling that way, for the criticism to come from, I suppose, a place of hurt where they've seen that movie before."
Van der Dussen has been in excellent form in the ongoing 2023 World Cup, accumulating 220 runs from six matches. While he didn't perform well in the last two games against Bangladesh and Pakistan, he's keen to bounce back in the upcoming match against New Zealand.
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