The Indian team last won an ICC World Cup way back in 2011 when the tournament was played in India under the astute leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the last time India won an ICC tournament was way back in 2013 when under the same leader they won the Champions Trophy in England. Just like 2011 this time too the ODI World Cup 2023 is being played in India and former South Africa cricketer Herschelle Gibbs believes that the host nation is going to be under the most pressure.
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"India are under the most pressure. They got some big players who enjoy pressure and play really well under pressure but I will say it is wide open because there are so many teams that play in sub-continent conditions. I think it will be a very exciting tournament," said Herchelle Gibbs while speaking to ANI.
The South African team has produced some great players including Gibbs but they are yet to win an ICC World Cup either in the T20 format or in the 50-over format. In the 1992 World Cup semifinal against England in Sydney they were hard done by the 'Rain rule' when they required 22 runs to win from 13 balls but after the rain interruption the required target got revised to 22 runs required off just one ball and the Proteas lost the match by 19 runs.
Their struggle for World Cup win continued in 1996 as well when they entered the quarter-final with five wins in as many games topping the group stage but in the quarter-final match in Karachi Brian Lara's brilliant 111 knocked them out of the competition and Hansie Cronje led SA lost by 19 runs.
In the 1999 World Cup things went from bad to worse for the Proteas as they entered the semi-final against eventual champions Australia in Birmingham but the match ended in a tie and the Aussies qualified because of their win in the super six stage against them. The Cronje-led side failed to chase a 214-run target and they were hard done because of their defeat in the Super Six stage to the same team.
In the 2003 World Cup the South Africans were the hosts but even playing at home they failed to make it to the Super Six stage as in the game against Sri Lanka in Durban a calculation error in a revised target by then captain Shaun Pollock and team management in a rain curtailed match led to the match being tied and that tie result led to team's ouster.
In 2007 and 2015 the South African team faltered at the semi-final stage while in 2011 and 2019 they failed to even make it to the semis. Therefore, former SA opener Gibbs feels that they need to reach the final first to have a chance at the trophy.
"I think I always said that we need to get into the final. Never mind the semifinal we need to get into the final. The day we get into the final we may win the World Cup," explained Herchelle Gibbs.
Currently, the former South African opener is the head coach of Joburg Buffaloes in the Zim Afro T10 league and believes this will do a world of good for Zimbabwe cricket.
"Look, it is lovely to be here not far away from home. Its exciting time for Zimbabwe cricket. It is disappointing that they couldn't qualify for World Cup. I think the tournament itself, the way it was hosted and the way it was attended was amazing. I think the T10 is another added bonus for Zim cricket especially with the lights under which it is played, attendance is good and I think all round it's a great buzz. It is really good for Zimbabwe cricket, some of the players are really finding form and in the leagues and at international level. So, good times for Zimbabwe," said Gibbs.
