ISSUES AT STAKE: Winning the mind games

All Mzansi cricket fanatics are fully aware of the so-called choker label that follows our gladiators every time they enter the bullring to claim the holy grail of cricket.

There really is no basis for such an unkind tag.

But the fact that South Africa has mostly started all their World Cup campaigns as top contenders, only to fail owing to all kinds of mishaps during crucial play-off stages, inevitably brought this about.

Many other teams have also failed to make it to the final over the years because of critical calamities at decisive moments, but nobody calls them chokers.

One would think that our current squad members will not in any way be influenced by such myths and allow negative mind games to gain traction during tight, emotionally charged encounters they will most certainly face in Britain.

Quite a number of sportsmen and -women are known to have quirky superstitions, cricket players especially it seems.

Former Protea batsman Neil McKenzie was probably the king of eccentricity.

He was known for bizarrely specifying seating arrangements in the dressing room for teammates, strapping his bat to the ceiling and ensuring the toilet seats were down before he made his way to the middle of the pitch.

Individual superstition apart, one can surely assume that Faf du Plessis’ men will collectively not entertain any psychological nonsense to put them off their stride.

They are currently floating under the radar in the betting stakes, but that can only be a good thing.

No doubt local experts and supporters have some degree of concern about possible weak spots in the team, but there is enough fire power to fill the gaps.

Think about it, in-form Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller are the explosive X-factor men who can tear any team apart on any given day.

If they can consistently keep their heads – and form – they will set things up perfectly with the steady supporting hands of Hashim Amla and Du Plessis holding the fort at the other end.

It was touch and go whether Amla, experiencing a rare slump of form before the announcement of the Proteas team, would make the side, but now that he is in and more settled, he seems to be his old self and could just prove to be the ace in the pack.

The bowling department is something else though.

Making their World Cup debuts, pace men Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi will carry a heavy burden alongside experienced Dale Steyn, whose battered body it is hoped will stay the course.

If the front line trio fail to consistently make good, leaving Andile Phehlukwayo and spin magician Imran Tahir to pick up the slack, hardships will follow.

But what the heck, there is no reason why we cannot do it. Fasten the seat belts.