Mind games begin for South Africa?

South Africa coach Russell Domingo has seemingly downplayed the significance of the World Cup ahead of his team’s arrival in Australia.

As Domingo and Proteas skipper AB de Villiers attended an airport press conference, the fact that the squad was travelling to cricket’s biggest event without a psychologist immediately became a talking point – despite the fact they’ve been doing exactly that for more than a year - such is the now almost synonymous link between South Africa and the ‘choking’ tag they are burdened with every four years.

“I've tried to approach this World Cup as though we are approaching any other series,” Domingo explained.

“We've been playing really good cricket without the services of a mental coach over the last year-and-a-bit, so why create the anxiety when we've been doing so well without it?

“This team is mentally in a better state than it's ever been.

“They've won games in high-pressure situations under different conditions at different venues.

“They've got a pride in performance, they are passionately led by a captain who plays with his heart on his sleeve. All the blocks are in place to overcome those mental challenges that we are going to face.”

And while the rationale appears sound, Domingo then did his best to temper expectation by admitting he was “trying to downplay the importance of this World Cup”.

“It’s massively important, we know that from the public perception, but for us, it's just business as usual,” he said.

“There's so much that happens in life and there are so many unfortunate people that my happiness as a person shouldn't depend on whether I win a World Cup.

“It would be great to win it, we are desperate to win and we will do everything we can to do it but there are also more important things in life.”

The South Africans have also employed the services of Australian World Cup winner Mike Hussey, while his Sydney Thunder teammate and Proteas legend Jacques Kallis addressed the choking tag in his cricket.com.au column last November.

“I feel for the current Proteas squad as they enter yet another ICC tournament with the prospect of being asked every day why South Africa have done so poorly in the knockout stages and why they ‘choke’ on the big occasion,” Kallis wrote.

“Firstly, I honestly believe the choking thing has been overplayed.

“It certainly has happened, nobody can deny that, but there have also been times when the opposition has played better than us – it’s as simple as that.

“You can’t call every defeat we suffer a choke.

“Secondly, I don’t believe there is much the players can say when asked about it, and there isn’t any point in trying. ‘Yes, we have a terrible record in knockout games and we’d all very much like to improve on this time’. That should do it.”