Proteas haunted by the C-word

As Australia confounded pundits by crashing to a 16-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh yesterday, the Proteas were pondering a few painful truths after losing to Sri Lanka in their first game.

On the eve of their now-vital clash with New Zealand - a side which has almost become their nemesis in limited overs cricket - Faf du Plessis' team knows it has something important to prove to itself and a legion of doubters.

If the glass is half-full, their match against the confident Kiwis in Chittagong today will give them the perfect opportunity to debunk the theory that they crumble under pressure.

If the glass is half-empty, another melting moment could be uncomfortably close.

It is that kind of pressure - the pressure of proving they are not chokers - that South Africa will be under after making a hash of their run chase against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Sri Lanka's 165-7 was their highest total against SA in this format but it was several squandered starts by the Proteas that spelt defeat by five runs.

Another defeat today would raise the heat on SA to a level that could boil the water in their glass be it half-full or half-empty. So SA would feel a shot of sunshine if Du Plessis's dodgy hamstring survives a fitness test this morning.

There is no saying his presence would have won it on Saturday but any good news will be gladly accepted.

They will also look forward to another quality performance from Imran Tahir, whose career-best 3/26 reeled in the Sri Lankans when they seemed to be running away with the game. Then Tahir, usually the most dependably inept of batsmen, cushioned the blow of SA's defeat by hitting Lasith Malinga over extra cover for six with the last ball of the game.

SA have won eight of the 11 T20s they have played against New Zealand, including two in previous editions of this tournament.

The New Zealanders know they are perennially among the less talented teams and so are more geared to adapting to prevailing conditions. SA tend to rely on their emphatic talent, and sometimes don't make adequate allowance for those conditions.

"When lightning's around it's a bit foreign," Kane Williamson said about the dramatic backdrop for his team's win over England.

But if lightning strikes for South Africa today, ifs and buts will not be required - their cup will 'runneth over'. In Dhaka yesterday, it was the Akmal brothers, Umar and Kamran, who unravelled Australia.

Umar smashed 94 off 54 balls as Pakistan bounced back after a morale-sapping loss against India.

Elder brother Kamran contributed a run-a-ball 31 and Shahid Afridi returned unbeaten on 20 off 11 balls to propel Pakistan to a formidable 191-5, batting first.

In reply, Australia were dismissed for 175 despite a spectacular third-wicket partnership of 118 off 64 balls between Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch, in which Maxwell hit 74 off 33 balls.  Additional reporting AFP