‘South Africa's WTC Final triumph has taken away 30-odd years of pain,' says Allan Donald
'It's a massive, massive day in South African cricket, it's a massive day in South African sport. It's something that unites this country so closely. To get that over the line shuts the door that's over 30-odd years old. Or maybe I've jumped the years a little bit, but it's something that's taken a lot of pain away as you know. Not really going to go into that detail (laughs), but you know what I'm talking about with us and ICC events,' Donald is quoted as saying by Cricblog.
Donald was part of the 1992 World Cup squad that fell victim to some miscalculations on the part of those deciding a revised target for them when rain interrupted the semi-final against England. They went from needing 22 to win off 13 balls, then suddenly needing 22 off seven and then even that being revised to 22 needed off one ball.
More prominently, Donald was the non-striker who didn't commit to the one run that was needed to win when the brilliant Lance Klusener took off from the other end in the 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia. He lost his bat and was run out, the match ended in a tie and Australia went through as they had finished above South Africa in the Super Six stage.
'This team, this group have shown, in the Test Championship, in the cycle, that they've had to win eight Test matches in a row… just showed immense character, immense character,' Donald said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Achraf Hakimi rape trial latest: Will PSG soccer star, Morocco footballer go to jail?
Agencies Morocco's Achraf Hakimi (Image Source: Getty) French prosecutors on Friday called for Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi to face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023 which the Moroccan international denies. The Nanterre prosecutor's office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court."It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order," the prosecutor's office told AFP in a statement. Hakimi, 26, played a major role in PSG's run to their first Champions League title, the full-back scoring the opener in the 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final in May. Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping a 24-year-old woman. Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife and children were away on holiday. The woman went to a police station following the encounter alleging rape and was questioned by police. Although the woman refused to make a formal accusation, prosecutors decided to press charges against the player. She told police at the time that she had met Hakimi in January 2023 on the night in question she said she had travelled to his house in a taxi paid for by Hakimi. She told police Hakimi had started kissing her and making non-consensual sexual advances, before raping her, a police source told AFP at the time. She said she managed to break free to text a friend who came to pick her by AFP after Friday's development Hakimi's lawyer Fanny Colin described the call by prosecutors for a trial as "incomprehensible and senseless in light of the case's elements". "We, along with Achraf Hakimi, remain as calm as we were at the start of the proceedings. "If these requisitions were to be followed, we would obviously pursue all avenues of appeal," she continued. According to Colin, her client had "been the target of an attempted extortion". "Nothing in this case suggests an attempted extortion," Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the woman, said. "My client welcomes this news with immense relief," she told AFP."We will not tolerate any smear or destabilisation campaign, as is unfortunately still too often the case for women who have the courage to report the rape of which they are victims," she added. Who is Hakimi? The son of a cleaning lady and a street vendor, both Moroccans who have lived in Spain since the 1980s, Hakimi was born in Getafe, a southern suburb of Madrid. Hakimi came through the youth system at Real Madrid before joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He went on to make 73 appearances for the German moved to Inter Milan in 2020 and then on to PSG in 2021 where he has established himself as an integral part of the Qatar, Hakimi was a cornerstone of the Morocco team that became the first African or Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.Q1. Name clubs for which Achraf Hakimi has played?A1. Achraf Hakimi came through the youth system at Real Madrid before joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He went on to make 73 appearances for the German club. He moved to Inter Milan in 2020 and then on to PSG in 2021 where he has established himself as an integral part of the team.Q2. What did Achraf Hakimi's parents do?A2. Achraf Hakimi is son of a cleaning lady and a street vendor, both Moroccans who have lived in Spain since the 1980s.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Achraf Hakimi rape trial latest: Will PSG soccer star, Morocco footballer go to jail?
French prosecutors on Friday called for Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi to face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023 which the Moroccan international denies. The Nanterre prosecutor's office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court. "It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order," the prosecutor's office told AFP in a statement. Hakimi, 26, played a major role in PSG 's run to their first Champions League title, the full-back scoring the opener in the 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final in May. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Greece: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House Search Now Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping a 24-year-old woman. Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife and children were away on holiday. Live Events The woman went to a police station following the encounter alleging rape and was questioned by police. Although the woman refused to make a formal accusation, prosecutors decided to press charges against the player. She told police at the time that she had met Hakimi in January 2023 on Instagram. On the night in question she said she had travelled to his house in a taxi paid for by Hakimi. She told police Hakimi had started kissing her and making non-consensual sexual advances, before raping her, a police source told AFP at the time. She said she managed to break free to text a friend who came to pick her up. Contacted by AFP after Friday's development Hakimi's lawyer Fanny Colin described the call by prosecutors for a trial as "incomprehensible and senseless in light of the case's elements". "We, along with Achraf Hakimi, remain as calm as we were at the start of the proceedings. "If these requisitions were to be followed, we would obviously pursue all avenues of appeal," she continued. According to Colin, her client had "been the target of an attempted extortion". "Nothing in this case suggests an attempted extortion," Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the woman, said. "My client welcomes this news with immense relief," she told AFP. "We will not tolerate any smear or destabilisation campaign, as is unfortunately still too often the case for women who have the courage to report the rape of which they are victims," she added. Who is Hakimi? The son of a cleaning lady and a street vendor, both Moroccans who have lived in Spain since the 1980s, Hakimi was born in Getafe, a southern suburb of Madrid. Hakimi came through the youth system at Real Madrid before joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He went on to make 73 appearances for the German club. He moved to Inter Milan in 2020 and then on to PSG in 2021 where he has established himself as an integral part of the team. In Qatar, Hakimi was a cornerstone of the Morocco team that became the first African or Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. FAQs Q1. Name clubs for which Achraf Hakimi has played? A1. Achraf Hakimi came through the youth system at Real Madrid before joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He went on to make 73 appearances for the German club. He moved to Inter Milan in 2020 and then on to PSG in 2021 where he has established himself as an integral part of the team. Q2. What did Achraf Hakimi's parents do? A2. Achraf Hakimi is son of a cleaning lady and a street vendor, both Moroccans who have lived in Spain since the 1980s.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
4 hours ago
- First Post
Day of ups and downs: Team India's dramatic comeback keeps England in check at The Oval
England's early dominance fizzled out, as India managed to grab a certain edge with a slender lead by day's end, setting the stage for a thrilling Day 3 at The Oval. read more England's Josh Tongue dives on the ground during the second day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Oval. AP A contrasting day for both sides at The Oval. India slaughtered in the morning session, fought back passionately for the rest of the day to nudge themselves ahead in this tightly wound contest. England meanwhile watched their dream start to day two slowly curdle as the afternoon wore on. For now this game remains firmly up in the air, , with 8 wickets remaining – and facing an England side minus their most experienced fast bowler – must be considered favourites and, while it is probably unlikely, have a reasonable chance of wrapping up a win inside three days. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD England's dominant display in the morning It is a long way from where they found themselves at lunch. Blown apart by an efficient English bowling performance that was sorely missing on Day One, they added only 20 to their overnight score, with the last four wickets contributing just six runs. Gus Atkinson continued to show how much England have quietly missed him this series, his fourth five-wicket haul – curiously all picked up in London – just reward for at times single-handedly bowling England into a strong position. The rest of the morning would provide healthy evidence for those trying to prove the existence of momentum in sport, England's swashbuckling little and large opening duo putting India to the sword with speedy efficiency. A stunning morning for England 🏴 Four quick wickets and a flurry of runs. Get up-to-date in the lunch break with our live catch-up highlights 👇 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 1, 2025 Sensing the conditions tipped everything firmly in India's favour, they didn't back down, they doubled down, turning into the skid and steering their side thrillingly into a dream start. By lunch, the hosts were 109/1 from just 16 overs, almost halfway to India's total and with handsome batting depth to come. It was a position of superiority they would never come close to returning to. Siraj delivers a stellar performance No matter your allegiance it is hard not to warm to Mohammad Siraj, and over the course of the afternoon he provided a wholehearted reminder of just what makes him so endearing. Shorn of Jasprit Bumrah, you would expect India's bowling attack to be somewhat diminished. Not for the first time though, Siraj stepped up to produce an excellent performance and render the loss almost imperceptible. Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook all fell to Siraj, almost as good a quartet from this England side as you could hope for, their home side crashing from 129/2 to 247 all out. Siraj would finish with 4/86, and move to the top of the wicket-taking charts with 18 across all five Tests. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dropped catches haunt England If a relentlessly efficient Indian bowling performance offered England some mitigation for their collapse with the bat, fewer excuses could be made for their performance in the field the second time around. It is surely what could have been from that they will rue the most tonight. On the surface, things are not too dire; India's lead still not wildly out of control, two top-order wickets claimed by the close. Indeed after their scatter-gun efforts with the ball first time around, England were much improved – this time though it was their catching that helped tip the contest back in India's favour. One drop at least was not too costly, Sai Sudharsan put down on 7 would be removed for 11 before the close, the other though would not only have swung things a little more back to their advantage, but threatens to be a crucial nail in their coffin. Gus Atkinson traps Sai Sudharsan LBW! ☝️ 🇮🇳 7️⃣0️⃣-2️⃣ — England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 1, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yashasvi Jaiswal has the explosive capability to take the game away from a team in the blink of an eye – in short, exactly the sort of player you don't want to reprieve in a low-scoring shootout. England it seems, did not get the memo, twice Jaiswal was dropped, on 20 by Brook and 40 by sub fielder Liam Dawson – his introduction to the series has not exactly gone as planned. They were mistakes that it is not hyperbolic to say could cost England this game, an encapsulation of a performance that gradually shrivelled as the day wore on.
