Johannesburg, May 30: When Mike Procter, the former great South African all-rounder, took over as convenor of the country’s selectors last year he faced up to an uncomfortable truth. For all their success on the cricket fields of the world, South Africa haven’t won a major international tournament in more than a decade. The World Twenty20 in England provides another opportunity to end the drought.

The offices of Cricket South Africa have cabinets gleaming with trophies from successful bilateral series and several triangular or quadrangular tournaments. But the only International Cricket Council honour remains the ICC Knockout trophy, now known as the ICC Champions Trophy, which South Africa won in Bangladesh in 1998.

"We’ve been number one in the one-day game, close to number one in the Test arena and it’s a bit frustrating that we haven’t got any silverware. So we’re taking the World Twenty20 very seriously. It’s a World Cup and we want to win it," said Procter.

Planning for the tournament began in earnest when South Africa picked a 15-man squad for two Twenty20 internationals against Australia in March. All 15 men played in at least one game but for Procter it was equally important that the players, including some experimental selections, spent time with national coach Mickey Arthur and captain Graeme Smith in a squad environment, "so it won’t be a judgment just on a particular game".

Thirteen of that squad will be in England, including two of the relative unknowns who were tried against Australia, left-arm pace bowler Yusuf Abdulla and slow bowling all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe. The core of the side, though, have a wealth of experience and most of the key players had successful campaigns in the recent Indian Premier League, including veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis, whose Royal Challengers Bangalore team reached the final. Kallis won a Twenty20 recall after being controversially left out of the side that played in the inaugural world event in South Africa in 2007. The history of South Africa in world events is one of near-misses, none more heart-breaking than their tied match against Australia in the 1999 World Cup semifinal which eliminated them on run rate. — AFP