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[Saba Sports News] The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is on the horizon, with ten nations set to compete for the prestigious trophy. South Africa, once again considered ‘dark horses,’ are expected to provide stiff competition. The Proteas have arrived in Thiruvananthapuram ahead of their second warm-up match against New Zealand on Monday, October 02.
In a light-hearted moment before the match, the entire South African team attempted to pronounce ‘Thiruvananthapuram,’ resulting in several amusing attempts at pronouncing the Indian state’s name. Players such as David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen, Kagiso Rabada, and Heinrich Klaasen, among others, tried to nail the pronunciation in one go, but their efforts left everyone in stitches.
South Africa’s first warm-up match against Afghanistan was washed out without a ball being bowled. They will now face New Zealand to fine-tune their preparations for the main tournament. The Temba Bavuma-led side will commence their campaign against Sri Lanka on Saturday, October 07, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Despite numerous close calls, South Africa has never won the World Cup title. They suffered a semi-final exit in 1992 due to a peculiar rain rule and were knocked out in the quarter-finals in 1996. In 1999, they experienced the heartbreak of a tied semi-final against Australia, who went on to defeat them in the final in 2007.
In the 2011 edition, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by New Zealand, who once again thwarted their progress in the thrilling 2015 semi-final. Eager to put an end to their trophy drought, the Proteas are determined to win the upcoming edition.