The South African Cricket Team is one of the top level teams in the world, rated at par with the world champions Australia. Also known as The Protease, South Africa is one of the toughest contenders to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in West Indies. The Proteas became the third Test playing nation in the world, when they played its first Test match in 1889 against England. South Afirca produced some world-famous cricketers, such as Hansie Cronje, Allan Donald, Gary Kirsten, Kepler Wessels, Jhonty Rhodes and Shaun Pollock.
The South African cricket was secluded from the international cricket, as a result of prohibit by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1970, because of its government's apartheid policies. It was the period when South Africa was promising as the top test-playing nation in the world, after removal the powerful Australians 4-0 with ease. South Africa was redivulged to the international cricket in 1991, and became full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and one-day international position. They played their first eternally One-day international against India on November 10, 1991.
South Africa astonished the cricketing world in their first ever world cup emergence in 1992, when they reached up to the semi-finals. In the ICC World Cup 1999, South Africa over again reached to the semi-final but lost to Australia, as a result of tie. Today, the South African team has emerged as one of the best teams, competing with Australia for the acknowledgement as the finest cricket team in the world. |