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South Africa‘s hopes of securing a spot in the ODI World Cup 2023 final were dashed in a disappointing three-wicket loss to Australia in the second semifinal at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.
The Temba Bavuma-led side, which boasted a dominating batting order that wreaked havoc throughout the tournament, crumbled like a pack of cards against the formidable Aussie bowling attack. Despite the stellar performance of David Miller (101), who displayed resilience and skill, the rest of the batting lineup failed to spark any charm in the highly crucial clash.
Following the Proteas’ disheartening exit from the ongoing edition World Cup, veteran Imran Tahir launched a scathing attack on his side’s disastrous batting performance in the must-win cricketing battle.
‘They played cricket like kids’: Imran Tahir
Tahir expressed disappointment with the team’s performance, describing it as playing cricket like kids. He criticized the batters for not taking responsibility, particularly in challenging conditions with the ball swinging and seaming. The spin maestro emphasized the need for players to adapt their approach based on the prevailing match situation.
“They played cricket like kids. It was an extremely disappointing start. The batters should have taken responsibility which they didn’t take at all. If the ball is swinging and seaming, you need to play according to the situation.” Tahir said in a discussion on Star Sports.
The Lahore-born cricketer, who represented South Africa in 107 ODIs, took on the opening duo of Quinton de Kock and Bavuma for failing to deliver up-to-the-mark performances.
Also READ: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma bids farewell to retiring Quinton de Kock
Imran Tahir’s scathing remarks on Temba Bavuma
Tahir expressed disappointment in South Africa’s batting performance, specifically mentioning Quinton and Bavuma, underscoring that the duo should have sustained their innings longer. He also highlighted the skipper’s admission of not being fit before the match, asserting that an unfit player can not work in his side’s favour.
“Quinton de Kock and Bavuma should have batted for long. He (Bavuma) himself said before the match that he wasn’t fit. This cannot go in South Africa’s favor as you should play a fit player.” the 44-year-old added.
