Pressure on for Proteas

He might have said it in jest but Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula gave the Proteas a timely reminder to keep their eyes firmly on the prize when he said yesterday: “Don’t be like Shakes [Mashaba].”

In his unique way, Mbalula used humour, at Bafana Bafana’s expense, to send the message that the recent 4-1 series win over the West Indies counted for nought now that the World Cup was just nine days away.

Proteas coach Russell Domingo knows it, too – that despite the scintillating form shown by batsmen AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw and bowlers Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir, his men will have to bring their best to the contest in Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa are third in the ICC ODI rankings, behind Australia and India, who they meet in Pool B.

Their form is second only to the Aussies while their major group stage opponents, West Indies, Pakistan and India, are struggling for wins.

-Sbu Mjikeliso