ICC Under19 Cricket World Cup Teams & Groups

South Africa Team Profile

Not since they reached the final of the competition in 2002, when they were defeated by seven wickets by Australia, have they really threatened at the competition, although a Graeme Smith-inspired side - the current South Africa captain scored 348 runs at the event -

did win the Plate competition in 2000.

However, the team has been struggling recently and performed dismally in the recent U/19 triangular series held in Pretoria, where they were beaten by Bangladesh and India.

This setback came on the back of some detailed preparation, which saw them defeat British and South African University sides in April 2007, while the team has also had three talent camps at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

The team is banking on its key players for a successful run in the event. Captain Wayne Parnell is an all-rounder with strong leadership qualities and was part of the 2006 squad. He was instrumental in South Africa reaching the Plate semi-final, picking up two wickets against Scotland in 2006.

Jonathan Vandiar is a talented left hander who bowls leg spin, Reeza Hendricks is a stylish right-handed batsman while Pieter Malan is considered to be a solid opener scoring 71 and 57 against India in the Tri-Nation Tournament.

Other names to watch out for are Jon-Jon Smuts who is an aggressive right-handed batsman while left-handed Rilee Rossouw is known to contribute well with his bat. On the bowling front, expect off spinner Yaseen Yallie to star.

Team Manager Mogandran Aroomugam Pillay aims to qualify for the Super League round of the competition first and then wants to set his sights higher. Speaking about the tournament, he says: "The World Cup provides a stage to allow cricketers to showcase their talents and is also an indicator of the talent and strength of under 19 cricket at the international level."

Captain Wayne Parnell agrees: "Winning is not everything, but the will to win is. We want to play good quality cricket and test our skills against the rest of the world. But we also want to use this opportunity to make friends with cricketers from other countries."

The final word goes to Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Officer, Gerald Majola who is optimistic that this could be the year in which the team could have an impact on this event.

He said: "We feel that the boys have the energy and motivation under the guidance of Ray Jennings and his assistants to make it to the semi-finals. It's been a long time since we took a significant step in this tournament."