CAPE TOWN – Now it is virtually mission impossible for South African cricket captain Faf du Plessis and his under-fire team.
The Proteas’ dismal World Cup campaign took another huge blow yesterday when their match against the West Indies was rained off.
After demoralising defeats against England, Bangladesh and India, the Proteas desperately needed to get back on track.
Instead, before the game was called off the South Africans were already in trouble when they lost two early wickets - veteran Hashim Amla, who failed yet again, and Aiden Markram - to leave them teetering on 29/2 before the rain came down.
Although both teams were awarded one point for the no-result - South Africa’s first of the 2019 World Cup - it leaves the Proteas in a perilous position. Du Plessis’s team have five matches remaining, and will need to win every one, along with other results going their way in their bid to progress to the semi-finals.
Faf Du Plessis and Quinton De Kock of South Africa during the ICC Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and West Indies at the Hampshire Bowl, Southampton. Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
To his credit, the skipper admitted that his team “don’t deserve to be anywhere near the top of the log. We are in this position because we haven’t played good cricket. We don’t deserve to be anywhere near the top of the log,” he said.
Du Plessis, speaking for the first time since it was reported that former Proteas captain AB de Villiers was keen to come out of international retirement to play at this World Cup, also stressed his team were focused purely on the matches ahead and have not been distracted with happenings off the field.
The Proteas face Afghanistan in Cardiff on Saturday.