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Jacques Kallis column: Senior South Africa players need pull up their socks

Hashim Amla finally spent some decent time at the crease in the last game against Afghanistan which was just the sort of hard-working innings which can turn things around.

It's time for South Africa's biggest players to rise to the occasion - four times in a row. I played in five World Cups so I've been through the full spectrum of responsibility from junior players to senior players and I know that it is up to the captain and his more experienced players to lead from the front.
The Proteas need to beat New Zealand today and then Pakistan and Sri Lanka before facing Australia in their final league game and they need to win them all just to stand a chance of reaching the semifinals and then net run rate might even come into it.
At least they know what they need to do and will still believe - for now, their fate is in their own hands. That's where guys like Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir will have to be at their best.
It is not a question of trying harder or concentrating more than usual because the best international players give everything in every game. It is difficult to describe the feeling when you know your team needs something special from you and you are able to deliver. All of those players have done it in the past and I'm backing them to do it again.
It has been a difficult time for Hash recently, both on and off the field, but he still desperately wants to be there in the heat of battle and, although he is coming towards the end of his career, I can see the determination still burns bright. He finally spent some decent time at the crease in the last game against Afghanistan which was just the sort of hard-working innings which can turn things around.
South Africa and New Zealand have quite a history at World Cups with the Black Caps having knocked the Proteas out of the last two events at the quarterfinal (2011) and semifinal (2015) stages. They are always a strongly bonded team and they are masters at rising to the big occasion.
New Zealand know they have a double incentive today - win the match and they are probably just one victory away from guaranteeing their own place in the last four but also they have the chance to complete a hat-trick of knockouts against South Africa.
Two men who I did not mention above who might have a leading role to play for Faf du Plessis are Lungi Ngidi and Chris Morris. I understand Lungi is fit and is likely to play - he has a habit of taking early wickets and they often have a strong influence on the result of a match. Morris is a match-winner with both bat and ball.
New Zealand, however, are one of the best teams in the tournament and are superbly led by Kane Williamson. They, too, are packed full of match-winners. Hopefully this horrible rain stays away! (GAMEPLAN/CHIVACH SPORTS)