The Proteas came into the Champions Trophy in the ‘Group of Death’ with lowered expectations and quietly finished top of the group to advance to the semi-finals, but on Wednesday against New Zealand they will desperately be hoping to book their spot in the trophy match.
It’s difficult to gauge exactly how well the Proteas are playing at the moment as they dominated both their clashes in the tournament so far. Against Afghanistan they won by 107 runs, and a couple days later it was a similar script against a poor England outfit as South Africa romped to a seven-wicket win with almost half their overs remaining. Their match against Australia was rained out.
There is also the small matter of the fitness of Temba Bavuma, Tony de Zorzi and now Aiden Markram.
Markram picked up a hamstring niggle during the match against England and he will have to undergo a fitness test before taking his place against the Kiwis. Meanwhile, Bavuma and De Zorzi missed the England clash due to an undisclosed illness and the pair will also be assessed on Tuesday.
With doubt over that trio, here are five players that must shine for the Proteas in Lahore:
Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada as the leader of the Proteas attack, he will once again be tasked with setting the tone with the ball. Consistently the most dependable in the bowling unit, the fast bowler could have a massive influence in the first power play.
Marco Jansen
Marco Jansen seems to be constantly improving as an opening bowler alongside Rabada at the other end. The tall left arm quick will get the most bounce on any strip they’re likely to encounter, and could prove to be more than a handful for the Kiwi batsmen.
Heinrich Klaasen
The key batsman in the Proteas lineup, Heinrich Klaasen always has the potential to obliterate opposition bowling attacks. He was unavailable for the Proteas opener against Afghanistan, but did not miss a step against England with a typically vital knock of 64 from 56 balls as his side chased down a small total with consummate ease.
Tristan Stubbs
Perhaps the batsman with the most potential in the Proteas batting lineup, Tristan Stubbs failed with a duck against England after not playing against Afghanistan. While the temptation may be to leave him out, including the swashbuckling strokeplayer always has the chance of turning a game.
Wiaan Mulder
As one of the four allrounders in the squad, Wiaan Mulder has been incredibly effective with the ball in his two outings to date with figures of 2/36 against Afghanistan and 3/25 against England. Clearly in form with the ball, the 27-year-old can also provide some handy runs down the order if needed.