South Africa faced yet another setback in a crucial global event, but according to head coach Rob Walter, their performance against Australia in the second World Cup semifinal was far from a choke. Despite starting at a precarious 24/4, South Africa, led by David Miller’s counter-attacking century, posted a respectable 212 before Australia managed to chase down the target in 47.2 overs.

Walter shared his personal perspective on “choke,” stating, “For me, a choke is losing a game that you are in a position to win.”

In the post-match media conference, he emphasized that South Africa were behind from the start but fought back into the competition, putting up a score that gave them a chance.

Acknowledging that his team fell short by 30-40 runs,

Walter explained, “We fought and we put ourselves back into the game.”

He believed that an additional 30 runs could have made a significant difference, but he emphasized that there was nothing resembling a choke in this instance. Walter considered it a serious contest between two strong teams in the tournament.

Reflecting on the decision to bat first after winning the toss, Walter mentioned the unpredictability of the pitch in the first five overs. He expressed confidence that if the pitch had played as expected, they could have reached 270. Despite the setback, Walter pointed out the positives, especially the performance of Klaasen and Miller in the challenging situation.

Walter revealed that pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada had a bruised heel, which affected his performance, limiting him to six overs with a return of 1/41. Walter noted Rabada’s presence on the field but mentioned his visible limp, indicating that he couldn’t deliver at full capacity. Despite the setback, Walter praised Aiden, who stepped in admirably.

Reflecting on Rabada’s injury, Walter said, “A fit and able KG has shown throughout this competition that he is one of our leading bowlers, and it was a defining moment in the game to be dead honest.”