Did South Africa choke in a semi final again?

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No, they got beaten by Pakistan, who were ace.

It’s good to have the real Pakistan back. At the start of the tournament, we looked at their team and thought: ‘Where’s the fun? Where’s the Pakistani all-or-nothing genius and chaos?’

Turns out it was in there all along.

11 comments

  1. In a single night, our most treasured treasured stereotypes are reinforced. Pakistan as the bickering, illogical, shit/awesome dichotomy, and South Africa as joyless, mindless, one-geared, god bothering automatons.
    Marvellous!

  2. Saffas did choke – they have been best fielding side in the tournament and their fielding cost them. AB is the best player in the world and he did the one thing you’re not allowed to do to Afridi (tried to cut him) in a real mind-burp moment and they cocked up the batting order.

    All these things were in their control, yet the ballsed them up – that’s choking.

    That said, Pakistan were great and way the better team. Umar Gul is just incredible.

  3. Teams always make mistakes in a game. We don’t see that as choking. Choking is when you wheel out near unbelievable mistakes. South Africa’s were fairly mundane yesterday.

  4. Wow D Charlton, he’s like, so gorgeous, I bet you’d let him play with your middle stump any day!

    Man love from the MCC, who would have thought?!

  5. Surely choking is losing it under pressure – making crucial mistakes at crucial times – like missing a short putt to win the Open. That’s what SA did and they lost – so they choked.

    Leave my middle stump out of this, Suave.

  6. Does that make losing in any semi final choking?

    We can’t help but feel that tonight’s losing semi finalists won’t get branded as chokers, even though they’ll probably make as many, if not more, crucial mistakes than South Africa did.

  7. You play below your abilities and cock up at the crunch moments – that’s choking.

    If Malinga and Mendis bowl full-tosses all day, if Dilshan makes 20 off 40 balls – then they are playing below their ability and have choked.

    If Chris Gayle scores 3000000 off two overs, they are beaten by a better side on the day.

    There are differences.

  8. Were South Africa that bad?

    Steyn and Parnell bowled brilliantly and South Africa’s sedate run chase was largely in keeping with their tactics throughout the tournament.

    They probably thought they could finish it in the last four overs, but Umar Gul defied the final slog with his reverse swing.

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