‘South Africa haven’t quite achieved what they set out to do in World Cups’ – Pat Cummins’s bold verdict ahead of their ODI World Cup 2023 semifinal

The five-time world champions Australia are all set to lock horns against South Africa for their semi-final clash of the ODI World Cup 2023, slated to take place on November 16 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Notably, South Africa and Australia ended up in the second and third spots in the points table with two losses and seven wins in the league stage of the ODI World Cup 2023. However, the Proteas have thrashed Pat Cummins and Co. in the league stage and stand in better rankings owing to their high net run rate.

Meanwhile, Australia skipper Pat Cummins has opened up about his emotions during the 2015 ODI World Cup when he was on the bench and not in the playing XI when his side won the final after defeating New Zealand at MCG. The right-arm pacer was very happy with their team’s performances in the ongoing campaign, as they didn’t have the ideal start but placed themselves in the third spot.

“Absolutely. I always say that the final of 2015 was my career highlight, even though I wasn’t playing. We have come a long way since the start of the tournament. We have been improving constantly over the past month,” Pat Cummins said.

South Africa haven’t quite achieved what they set out to do in World Cups: Pat Cummins

However, the great seamer feels that South Africa hasn’t performed well in the knockout stages, which is a big advantage for their side ahead of the semi-final clash. The 30-year-old cricketer is feeling lucky, as he had the great experience of knockout games.

“It’s nice to have guys that have won the World Cup, various other tournaments and have been in big moments. I think that really helps. You can draw on that in the middle of a contest. Hard to speak on their behalf, but yes South Africa haven’t quite achieved what they set out to do in World Cups. As for us, we feel lucky that we have been in these situations quite a bit and we know what it takes,” he added further.