DOWN BUT NOT OUT

The last and the only time South Africa’s senior men’s team won a multi-nation tournament was way back in 1998 when it defeated the West Indies to clinch the Wills International Cup.

Even though the U-19 team won a World Cup in 2014, an ICC title has eluded the senior side. While it reached the semifinals on several occasions, clearly there has been many a slip between the cup and the lip!

And as yet another ICC event — the T20 World Cup — beckons, South Africa has a lot to play for. The team has undergone a significant period of transition over the

GETTY IMAGES Immensely talented: South Africa has the No. 1 ranked bowler in the format — the 31-year-old wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. He has been one of the leading wicket-takers for the Proteas and having featured in the IPL recently, he has a fair idea about the conditions.