South Africa suffered a shocking 38-run defeat at the hands of Netherlands in Match 15 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in Dharamsala on Tuesday (October 17).

In a rain-marred affair, the Dutch team rode on skipper Scott Edwards’ unbeaten 78 off 69 balls to post 245/8 on the board.

In reply, the South African innings folded for 207 in 42.5 overs. It was an abysmal batting display as no one managed to hit a half-century. David Miller was the top scorer with 43.

After the game, Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram slammed Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma for his cautious approach during the chase.

Opening the batting, Bavuma scored 16 runs off 31 balls before being cleaned up by Roelof van der Merwe.

“South Africa’s captain… in the first four overs where you needed at least six runs an over, he was playing everything on the backfoot. And that too when there was an off-spinner (Aryan Dutt) bowling!” Akram said on A Sports.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who was also part of the panel, also came down heavily on Bavuma, saying that a captain’s job is not just to set the field.

“There were just two fielders outside the circle, so he should have started hitting the bowling from the first ball,” Malik stated. “A captain’s responsibility is not just to set the field when the team are bowling!”

Netherlands opened the bowling with off-spinner Aryan Dutt. Since the Proteas batters looked to play him safely, the Dutch skipper introduced Colin Ackermann into the attack in the fourth over.

Both spinners bowled in tandem and returned with miserly spells. In order to improve the scoring rate, South African batters attacked other bowlers and kept losing wickets to find themselves reeling at 44/4.

Former Pakistan batter Misbah-ul-Haq also shared his two cents on the show and said, “The off-spinner was in the attack from the start because the Dutch were targeting left-handed Quinton de Kock. The job of the right-hander (Bavuma) was to not let the off-spinner settle down. Hit him for two boundaries in an owner, they will get him off the attack. That will push them to the back foot. That’s why they brought in Ackermann. The right-hander had allowed the Dutch to dominate them.”