The Proteas have joined the global crop for the Cricket World Cup, taking their positions on the famous fields of Australia and New Zealand. And things are looking good for South Africa – we will be going into the tournament as one of the favourites, thanks to our trouncing of the West Indies in the recent One Day International (ODI) series. And of course, we have the amazing AB de Villiers on our team. The batsman/fielder par excellence electrified the nation recently when he shattered the world records for hitting the fastest-ever 50 and 100 in his innings against the Windies at the Wanderers.

Here is everything you need to know as our boys prepare to take on the world’s best with bat and ball.

The World Cup starts on Valentine’s Day, 14 February, and ends on 29 March.

Fourteen teams will be taking part in two pools, the A and the B.

In Pool A are England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Scotland.

In Pool B are South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.

The Proteas’ fixtures are as follows:

  1. Sunday 15 February: SA vs Zimbabwe at Seddon Park, Hamilton, New Zealand. Starts at 3 am SA time.
  2. Sunday 22 February: SA vs India at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia. Starts at 5.30 am SA time.
  3. Friday 27 February: SA vs West Indies, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia. Starts at 5.30 am SA time.
  4. Tuesday 3 March: SA vs Ireland, Manuka Oval, Canberra, Australia. Starts at 5.30 am SA time.
  5. Saturday 7 March: SA vs Pakistan, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Starts at 3 am SA time.
  6. Saturday 12 March: SA vs UAE, Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand. Starts 3 am SA time.

After the round-robin series it’s crunch time.

The knockout rounds are as follows:

  1. Wednesday 18 March: First quarter-final, Sydney Cricket Ground. Starts 5.30 am SA time.
  2. Thursday 19 March: Second quarter-final, Melbourne Cricket Ground. Starts 5.30 am SA time.
  3. Friday 20 March: Third quarter-final, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia. Starts 5.30 am SA time.
  4. Saturday 21 March: Fourth quarter-final, Westpac Stadium, Wellington. Starts 3 am SA time.
  5. Tuesday 24 March: First semi-final, Eden Park, Auckland. Starts 3 am SA time.
  6. Thursday 26 March: Second semi-final, Sydney Cricket Ground. Starts 5.30 am SA time.
  7. Sunday 29 March: Final, Melbourne Cricket Ground. Starts 5.30 am SA time.

For a full schedule of fixtures, visit http://www.icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup/fixtures.

Did you know?

South Africa is ranked third on the International Cricket Council (ICC) list of countries. Australia is first and India is second.

And when it comes to the players…

Our own AB is on the top of the ICC’s list of batsmen in the ODI competition. And Hash is in the Top 10 too, as is Quinton de Kock! Here’s the full list:

  1. AB de Villiers (South Africa)
  2. Virat Kohli (India)
  3. Hashim Amla (South Africa)
  4. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
  5. Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
  6. Shikhar Dhawan (India)
  7. Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
  8. George Bailey (Australia)
  9. MS Dhoni (India)
  10. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

As far as bowlers go, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel are flying the Proudly South African flag. The Top 10 in the ODI bowling ratings are:

  1. Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan)
  2. Sunil Narine (West Indies)
  3. Dale Steyn (South Africa)
  4. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
  5. Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
  6. James Anderson (England)
  7. Sachitra Senanayake (Sri Lanka)
  8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India)
  9. Morne Morkel (South Africa)
  10. Ravindra Jadeja (India)

Happy watching, sports fans! And if you’re feeling a last-minute urge to make your way to the lands of Wallabies and Kiwis, PriceCheck can compare the best flight prices for you.