'I wasn't there' - South Africa look to exorcise demons of the past at another World Cup semi-final

Coach Shukri Conrad and skipper Aiden Markram were defiant when asked about old history, talking up their newer strides at ICC tournaments

Firdose Moonda

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 2:57 PM (4 hrs ago)

"I wasn't there."

That was Shukri Conrad's cheeky response when asked about the differences between this South African squad in a knockout situation and the ones of 2024, 2023, 2015, 2011.

That's not Conrad trying to be windgat , as we say in Afrikaans - somewhere between arrogant and sassy. It's just the fact. And it's a significant one, because Conrad has wiped the slate clean since he took over. There is a real sense that the past has been binned.

The talk of ghosts of the 2011 ODI World Cup quarterfinal, where South Africa lost to New Zealand in Dhaka, or the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final, where they lost to the same side in Auckland, the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, where their campaign unraveled against Australia in Kolkata, and the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was lost from one of the most winnable positions they have ever been in, seems at best overplayed. At worst? Childish.

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Yes, we know the 2011 and 2015 ones were against the same opposition as this time, 2023 one was at the same venue, with several of the same players, and there's that old chestnut, with Rob Walter being the South African coach then and the New Zealand coach now. But grow up. This is professional sport, and it doesn't operate on mythology or jinxes.

Read that again in Conrad's voice, with a tone so dry you can feel the sandpaper scraping against his vocal cords, and you will understand the kind of mindset South Africa have now. What happened then, happened then. It cannot have any role to play in what's happening now. That's what the person in charge says, and the people he is in charge of seem to have bought in.

Asked whether the law of averages will eventually work against South Africa, given that they are on a seven-match unbeaten run, Aiden Markram shook his head, swallowed a laugh and said: "I don't know how it's going to work out tomorrow night, none of us do," at this pre-match press conference.

Then, he made it clear that he didn't think so. "You can look at [the semi-final] through various different lenses. If you want to look at it through that, then I don't think you'd be a very clever man if you're sitting in our changing room. I think you want to look at it from the side where we bring in a lot of confidence into a must-win game, and a lot of trust in the plans and the things that we've been doing well."

That South Africa have been the standout team of the tournament is clear as they are only unbeaten one. And that also doesn't mean they can't be beaten, even by a team that they comprehensively conquered in the group stage and have never lost a T20 World Cup game against.

They know this, and so, Markram was similarly pragmatic when discussing whether South Africa hold an edge over a New Zealand they dominated a little over two weeks ago. "I wish cricket was that easy," he said. "I don't think it's as straightforward as just being able to repeat that again."

Of course not. This match is being played at a completely different venue to the earlier Ahmedabad clash. Neither side have been to this city at this tournament, and South Africa have never played a T20I at Eden Gardens. Though they have shown an ability to adapt quickly so far, thism match will test South Africa in different ways, because the pitch is expected to have very little for bowlers to work with. That may explain why every single member of South Africa's squad turned up at optional training on Tuesday evening - even Quinton de Kock, who famously skips these sessions.

De Kock spent some time batting in the nets, and the rest hitting high balls for the fielding drills. He didn't have to do that much to get a sighting and feel for what things will be like on game day, where his role will be particularly important. Markram singled him out when talking about South Africa's smarts at this World Cup. "It's about making really good decisions under pressure," Markram said. "Quinny reads conditions really well from behind the stumps, and that makes a massive difference for us."

De Kock is one of those players who has been there through a lot of the history mentioned at the top. He and David Miller were the only two who played in that 2015 semi-final, which shaped the mindset of South African players for a generation. It wasn't just that they lost, but there was interference in selection. The relationship between the players and the board soured.

Now, all that is water under the bridge. South Africa's administration has changed hands several times since then. There is a sense of stability around CSA now, and the people currently around the national teams were not there when the various disasters of old played out. The players too come across differently to their peers of the past - even those who have actually been around to carry some of the baggage from previous tournaments.

Believe it or not, "I wasn't there" only really applies to Dewald Brevis and Corbin Bosch, who will be playing in their first senior white-ball knockout matches. And tangentially, it applies to Ryan Rickelton and Lungi Ngidi. The latter duo are playing their first World Cup semi-finals, but were part of the XI that lost the Champions Trophy semi-final. To New Zealand. A day short of a year before their upcoming semi-final against them on March 5, 2026. Read it into that what you will.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket

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