windies skipper Bravo ramps up pressure on South Africa ‘chokers’

West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo hopes South Africa’s habit of ‘choking’ at major tournaments will work in his side’s favour when they meet in a winner-takes-all Champions Trophy clash on Friday.

Whichever team comes out on top in Cardiff will join already qualified India as one of the two semifinalists out of Group B in a competition featuring the world’s top eight one-day nations. Despite having had several fine limited overs sides since re-admission, the Proteas haven’t lifted a major one-day trophy since winning the 1998 edition of this tournament. 

Especially at World Cups, they’ve found some remarkable ways to 

bow out, be it a dramatic 1999 tie with Australia at Edgbaston when they had the match all but won or failing to read correctly the Duckworth/Lewis sheet for rain-affected fixtures on home soil four years later. 

Hence the tag of ‘chokers,’ one Bravo had no hesitation in using despite the fact the West Indies have not beaten South Africa in a one-day international since 2006.

‘I think in tournaments, it doesn’t really matter whether you win previous games against opposition or not. I think the South Africans will feel the pressure also. They know if they lose, they are going back home. They have a tag of being chokers that do not do well in big tournaments, so that would be added pressure on them. For us, we’re going to enjoy the occasion and forget about what happens in previous games,’ Bravo said.