As the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is set to commence on Thursday, 5 October 2023, cricket enthusiasts are gearing up to support the Proteas.
2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Temba Bavuma leads Proteas in search of historical performance
The tournament follows the format of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, where 10 teams will compete in a single round-robin format, leading to the semi-finals and a final match on 20 November 2023.
The Proteas’ squad, led by captain Temba Bavuma, is all set to commence their journey starting with a match against Sri Lanka on 7 October 2023.
The squad comprises a blend of experienced and young talents including Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, and Gerald Coetzee among others.
Here is the complete Proteas squad representing South Africa at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup:
- Temba Bavuma (c)
- Gerald Coetzee
- Quinton de Kock
- Reeza Hendricks
- Marco Jansen
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Keshav Maharaj
- Aiden Markram
- David Miller
- Lungi Ngidi
- Andile Phehlukwayo
- Kagiso Rabada
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Rassie van der Dussen
- Lizaad Williams.
Here’s the complete Proteas fixture list
Looking back, South Africa’s journey in the Cricket World Cup has been a roller-coaster ride.
Despite having a strong team, the Proteas have yet to secure a World Cup title. Their best performance came in 1992, 1999, and 2007 when they reached the semi-finals.
However, the infamous semi-final against Australia in 1999 where the match ended in a tie, but Australia advanced to the final due to a superior net run rate, remains etched in cricket history.
Here’s a look at the Proteas’ fixture list at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup:
- South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Saturday, 7 October 2023 from 10:30 CAT
- South Africa vs Netherlands, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 from 10:30 CAT
- England vs South Africa, Saturday, 21 October 2023 from 10:30 CAT
- South Africa vs Bangladesh, Tuesday, 24 October 2023 from 10:30 CAT
- Pakistan vs South Africa, Friday, 27 October 2023 from 10:30 CAT
- New Zealand vs South Africa, Wednesday, 1 November 2023 from 10:30 CAT
- India vs South Africa, Sunday, 5 November 2023 from 10:30 CAT
- South Africa vs Afghanistan, Friday, 10 November 2023 from 10:30 CAT
How to watch 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup live in South Africa
A major concern looms over the broadcasting of the World Cup matches in South Africa.
The broadcast rights, owned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), were sold to MultiChoice’s SuperSport for the Sub-Saharan region.
MultiChoice is obligated to sub-license the broadcasting rights to free-to-air broadcasters, yet an agreement with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is at a deadlock.
The SABC recently announced its inability to secure sub-licensing rights due to “non-affordable sub-licensing fees and restrictive conditions imposed by Multichoice”.
This impasse might result in a blackout of the Proteas’ matches on SABC, a setback reminiscent of the previous Rugby World Cup broadcasting debacle.
Despite the broadcasting hiccup, dedicated cricket fans have alternative ways to catch the live action.
A 24-hour dedicated channel on DStv Premium channel 212 (SS Cricket), along with selected matches on Grandstand (channel 201), will provide extensive coverage of the tournament.
Additionally, highlight packages of every match will be available on CatchUp, ensuring fans do not miss out on any crucial moments of the game.
Live-streaming alternatives were not announced when this article was published.
