South Africa's belief that this may at last be their year after a history of underachievement in the tournament is based on a fine pace attack, able spin bowling, solid batting and their customary slick fielding. They are also the only team to have bowled out their opponents each time in the group stages.
Sceptics, though, point to their failure to overhaul a modest target against England as evidence of a continued fallibility under pressure.
England, who have looked at times physically and mentally spent since their Ashes heroics, lost to Ireland and Bangladesh but emphasised their fighting spirit under Andrew Strauss in a tie with India and victories over South Africa and West Indies.
Winning in Colombo against the 1996 champions still looks like a step too far after Sri Lanka did nothing in the first round to erode pre-tournament assessments that they have the best-balanced side in the competition.
With the weather getting hotter and the pitches starting to deteriorate faster, the sub-continental sides have an increasing advantage which Pakistan should exploit to West Indies' cost in Dhaka.
Their swashbuckling captain Shahid Afridi has led from the front, emerging as a match winner with the ball by taking 17 wickets with his aggressive wrist spin.
The winners of the New Zealand-South Africa semi-final will play the victors of the Sri Lanka-England tie in Colombo on March 29. Mohali will stage the second semi the following day.
Source: reuters
Sceptics, though, point to their failure to overhaul a modest target against England as evidence of a continued fallibility under pressure.
England, who have looked at times physically and mentally spent since their Ashes heroics, lost to Ireland and Bangladesh but emphasised their fighting spirit under Andrew Strauss in a tie with India and victories over South Africa and West Indies.
Winning in Colombo against the 1996 champions still looks like a step too far after Sri Lanka did nothing in the first round to erode pre-tournament assessments that they have the best-balanced side in the competition.
With the weather getting hotter and the pitches starting to deteriorate faster, the sub-continental sides have an increasing advantage which Pakistan should exploit to West Indies' cost in Dhaka.
Their swashbuckling captain Shahid Afridi has led from the front, emerging as a match winner with the ball by taking 17 wickets with his aggressive wrist spin.
The winners of the New Zealand-South Africa semi-final will play the victors of the Sri Lanka-England tie in Colombo on March 29. Mohali will stage the second semi the following day.
Source: reuters
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