Lance Klusener says the Proteas will be under “a hell of a lot of pressure” at next year’s 50-over World Cup qualifying tournament.
South Africa’s 2-1 ODI series defeat by India has all but confirmed them for the qualifiers, which will be held in Zimbabwe from 18 June to 9 July 2023.
The Proteas are currently 11th in the 13-team World Cup Super League with a three-match home series against England and two home ODIs against the Netherlands to come. Only the top-eight teams will qualify directly for the 10-team global showpiece in India.
Former Proteas all-rounder Klusener has experienced World Cup qualifying twice with Zimbabwe as a coach. In 2018, they failed to qualify for the 2019 ODI World Cup in England by one log point after suffering a three-run defeat by the UAE, but they did manage to qualify for this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
“I’ve done it twice and it’s extremely difficult,” Klusener told Sport24 of World Cup qualifying tournaments.
“If you think the World Cup is pressure, that qualifying competition, for me, is even tougher, especially for teams that are considered to be favourites.
“You could get a dodgy surface in Bulawayo or Harare and find yourself in a difficult situation, so it’s extremely difficult.
“That tournament is just about getting through, and I think South Africa should easily make it through, but there’s a hell of a lot of pressure there.
“It’s not a place where you just want to try and qualify at. The wickets in Zimbabwe, at that time of the year, do tend to be a little bit tricky – and, when that happens, the closer the teams can become.
“There are little things that one needs to be careful of, but it’s nothing that South Africa can’t negotiate with a bit of ease.
“SA, though, hasn’t handled the pressure very well in the past and, in those difficult little chases of 180-220, a bad decision or good catch, you could find yourself needing someone to play out of their skins on a tough wicket.”
