The Proteas don’t need calculators to plot their way into the World Cup playoffs, they need heroes, according to captain Faf du Plessis.
Second from bottom on the tournament log, with one point from four matches, South Africa are in deep trouble and need a turnaround quickly if they want to finish the round-robin stage in the top four.
Asked whether it’s time to take out the calculators to work out how they can make it to the semis, Du Plessis says: “We need to focus on our performance to get the confidence back up.
“We can only look at those things in the last week of the tournament.
“For us at the bottom [of the log], you want the top team to keep winning - so you keep your eye on other results in that aspect, but it’s out of your control really.”
He adds: “You need individuals in your side to step up and pull the team up. One guy getting a great hundred; you know KG [Kagiso Rabada] did that against India and in a small part picked up the bowling unit by being the X-factor player that he is.
“Right now we need individuals to stand up.”
Du Plessis also announced that fast bowler Lungi Ngidi will be fit to face Afghanistan after missing the last two matches because of injury.