Consistency might be key for the Proteas once they go seeking their maiden Cricket World Cup title in India later this yr, with organisers unveiling a troublesome fixtures checklist on Tuesday which is able to see them dealing with each different aspect in the opening spherical.
A complete of 10 groups will take part at the 46-day showpiece, with eight having already certified by means of the Cricket World Cup Super League (together with South Africa). The last two spots might be decided at the finish of the qualifying event in Zimbabwe, which concludes on 9 July.
With the International Cricket Council sticking to the identical construction used at the earlier version of the 50-over showpiece in England in 2019, every staff will play the different 9 in a round-robin format. The high 4 at the finish of the opening spherical will progress to the semi-finals.
First-round fixtures
The Proteas will open their marketing campaign on 7 October in opposition to one among the two groups from the qualifying event.
Following a crunch conflict with five-time world champions Australia in Lucknow, they may then face one other qualifying staff on 17 October earlier than they end up in opposition to the remainder of the large weapons, with a run of successive matches in opposition to title holders England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand and hosts India.
They will play their final match of the first spherical in opposition to Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on 10 November.
South Africa, eradicated in the opening spherical at the 2019 World Cup, have reached the semi-finals of the quadrennial event on 4 events since 1992 however they’ve by no means reached the last.
Though they picked up some large wins at the 2019 spectacle, in opposition to the likes of Australia and Sri Lanka, they misplaced 5 of their 9 matches, together with a shock defeat to Bangladesh.
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With solely 4 of 10 groups once more progressing past the spherical robin stage in India, they may should be extra constant in the event that they hope to place up a larger struggle.
The 2023 World Cup – the thirteenth version of the world event – begins on 5 October with a repeat of the 2019 last as England take on New Zealand in the opening recreation in Ahmedabad.
Proteas fixtures, Cricket World Cup (first spherical)
7 October – South Africa v Qualifier, Delhi
13 October – South Africa v Australia
17 October – South Africa v Qualifier, Dharamsala
21 October – South Africa v England, Mumbai
24 October – South Africa v Bangladesh, Mumbai
27 October – South Africa v Pakistan, Chennai
1 November – South Africa v New Zealand, Pune
5 November – South Africa v India, Kolkata
10 November – South Africa v Afghanistan, Ahmedabad
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