South Africa ODI Cricket World Cup record: Full history in ICC men's tournament and predictions, odds and best bets for 2023

Despite strong teams, players and individual performances down the years, South Africa’s ODI World Cup journey has been laced with disappointment.

South Africa made their World Cup debut in 1992 and immediately displayed their cricketing prowess by reaching the semi-finals in their first tournament. 

Since then, the Proteas have made it to the semi-finals in 1999 and 2011, but the heartbreak for South Africans of missing out on the grand prize was palpable.

Here's a look at South Africa's past record at the ICC ODI men's tournament, and an assessment of their chances for this year.

South Africa Cricket World Cup record: How many times has Proteas won the ODI CWC?

The presence of star players like Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers, Morne Markel, Faf du Plessis, Graeme Smith and so many more down the years has not been enough for the Proteas to bring the trophy home.

The South African team did not take part in any cricket tournaments until 1991 because of the ban imposed on them by ICC as a result of the country's Apartheid (racial segregation) policy. 

That ban was removed in 1991 and South Africa went on to participate in the 1992 ODI World Cup. Since their involvement, South Africa has proven to be a real threat in world cricket and they have held the top position in the  ICC rankings multiple times. 

South Africa previous ODI World Cup performance by year

South Africa Cricket World Cup player and team records

There has been no shortage of lethal batting and bowling from the South African sides down the years, even though they are still waiting for the trophy.

Highest run-scorer: AB de Villiers  is South Africa's highest run-scorer in World Cups, accumulating 1,207 runs in 23 matches. He is followed by Jaques Kallis (1,148 runs) and Herschelle Gibbs (1,067 runs).

Highest individual score: The highest individual score by a South African batsman in World Cup matches was 188. Gary Kirsten played that legendary knock in the 1996 World Cup against UAE.

Most wickets: Allan Dolland is South Africa’s leading wicket-taker. He has 38 wickets across 25 matches. Shaun Pollock comes second with 31 wickets followed by Imran Tahir with 29 wickets.

South Africa's win-loss record at the World Cup heading into the 2023 tournament stands at 35-18, while two games have been drawn.

South Africa Cricket World Cup 2023 predictions, best bets and odds

While the Proteas certainly have a capable team, the tag of "chokers" hangs on them quite firmly.

It remains to be seen if they can shake off that pressure and perform well in knockout games this year, assuming they make it past the initial phase as expected.

They certainly have the talent to do well and make the latter stages.

Then follow along with all the action when the tournament runs from October 5 to November 19.