AB de Villiers is arguably South Africa's best ODI batsman. He drives the ball with skill and panache, tackles spin with the footwork of a dancer, and bolts between the wickets with the determination and speed of someone who oozes self-belief. de Villiers is from the breed of new generation, risk taking cricketers, but the sensible head he carries on his shoulders means he has already established himself as a senior member of the South African squad. He is one of the best fielders of his generation, but these days can be found donning the wicketkeepers' gloves. De Villiers was named the ODI player of the year at the ICC awards in 2010. Strengths His adaptability is his greatest strength as...

Colin Ingram has a solid technique and balances the ability to smash boundaries with the astuteness of taking singles well. He is a beautiful driver of the ball and is strong on both sides of the wicket. Also a handy fielder, he can bat higher up in the order if needed and filled in for Jacques Kallis at number three in the past. He scored a century in his ODI debut, the first South African to do, to announce himself on the international stage in emphatic fashion. After just five matches he had scored two hundreds and although he has not had any other notable innings, he has shown enough talent to suggest that there are many more strong...

The engine of South Africa's attack, Dale Steyn is quick - regularly clocking between 145km/hr and 150km/hr - aggressive, prides himself on precision and has the ability to swing the ball both ways in all conditions. These attributes make him the premier strike bowler in the side even though he has yet to earn his 50th ODI cap. Steyn is no bunny with that bat and can bludgeon the ball or hang around at the crease if needed. Strengths Devastating accuracy coupled with the ability to swing the ball both ways. His opening partnership with Morne Morkel is thought to be one of the most dangerous in world cricket. Key Stats

• Steyn has performed far better while bowling second;...

Faf du Plessis is a complete cricketer and will be an asset to South Africa in all three disciplines of the game. He can bat anywhere from number three to eight in the order, bowls legspin and is one of the best fielders in the country. du Plessis, once a Kolpak player, was called up to the national side after a stunning season in the MTN40 competition. He topped the run charts with 567 runs from 10 matches, including three centuries. He is better known for his batting, with the ability to score runs all around the wicket and a particularly sensational off-drive, but has also had his bowling responsibility increased at franchise level and will play as an...

Under Graeme Smith, South Africa have not won a piece of ICC silverware and the 2011 World Cup will be their last chance to do so, since Smith will step down after the event. He had played just 22 ODIs, and that number was also his age, when he became captain but signs were already there that he would make a formidable player and leader. Smith is aggressive and strategic, both as a captain and as a batsman. His drives through the off-side are merciless and he punishes anything on the pads through midwicket. Smith's average in this format peeps over 40 and he has close to 6000 runs. In 2007, he became the first ODI player to hit...

With his high backlift and a freeflowing, elegant batting style, Hashim Amla is easy on the eye. Over the last couple of years, though, he has proved he has the substance to match the style, with an ODI strike rate in the 90s, an average of almost 60, and a brief period at the top of the ICC one-day ratings. At first considered a Test specialist, Amla proved his adaptability as soon as he got an extended run in the team. He staked his claim for the opening spot during the 2009-10 home season against England. Two hundreds in the West Indies and two against Zimbabwe in 2010 helped Amla amass over 1000 runs in ODI cricket that...

An attacking legspinner, who is not afraid to toss the ball up and get hit for some runs, Imran Tahir is considered the missing link in the South African bowling attack. The Pakistani-born bowler only became eligible to play for South Africa on New Year's Day 2011 and was immediately drafted into their one-day side to play India. He was kept hidden for some time, with the indication that he would be used to catch batsmen unawares when he was eventually used. Tahir has played first-class cricket for 15 years, in his native Pakistan, at four English counties and two South Africa franchises. In limited-overs matches, he is not the most economical, but he sees his role as being...

Hailed as one of the greatest allrounders of the game, Jacques Kallis is a legend in all formats. With over 11,000 runs and more than 250 wickets in 300-plus ODIs, Kallis is easily South Africa's most experienced and valued player. He has established himself as the rock around which the batting line-up performs. His classic drives are a trademark feature of his batting, as is his ability to pace his innings and shift gears when required. Kallis' bowling responsibility has lessened over the years but he can still startle batsman with his pace. Kallis has also tasted success at an ICC tournament - his Player of the Series performances were instrumental in South Africa lifting the ICC Knockout trophy...

Few remember that JP Duminy made his international debut in 2004, against Sri Lanka. A string of inconsistent performances saw him plop out of the team, almost unnoticed. Four years later, he was back, but made his mark in the 2008/9 test matches against Australia. Two half centuries in the ODI series that followed saw Duminy establish himself in the middle order. Seven half centuries later and he's notched up and average of over 40 in this format. Duminy scored the bulk of his boundaries off the front foot, or with a solid cut and is also highly attuned to stealing quick singles. He had problems against the short ball and suffered a loss form towards the end of...

Besides bowling his offspin economically in the middle overs and chipping in with wickets, Johan Botha also has a respected leadership role in the South African ODI squad and has led South Africa to home and away ODI series wins over Australia. Botha is also a committed fielder and useful with the bat. He has yet to score an ODI fifty but brings life to the lower order with a strike rate of over 85. In August 2010 he took over the South African Twenty20 captaincy and is widely expected to become South Africa's next ODI captain when Smith steps down after the World Cup. Strengths Apart from his role as the primary spinner, Botha is a powerful lower order hitter...

Discipline in moving the ball across the right-hander and the ability to get a bit of extra bounce have made Lonwabo Tsotsobe South Africa's next seam bowling sensation. The left-armer is not an express paceman and rarely reaches above 135km/hr but his accuracy and surprising bounce is what gets him wickets. Tsotsobe made a name for himself in the ODI series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in November 2009 before cementing his place in the squad against India in the 2010/11 summer. He is the vital third prong in an attack spearheaded by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and his variation has turned him into a wicket taker. Strengths Accuracy, discipline and being a good compliment to Steyn and...

Morne Morkel towers at 1.96 metres tall and the bounce he generates makes him an awkward bowler to score off in one-day cricket. Morkel opens the bowling with Dale Steyn and is plays an important wicket-taking role. He has played just over 30 ODIs and was an important part of the team that beat Australia in home and away series against Australia in the 2008-09 season. In May-June 2010, he was the highest wicket-taker in a 5-0 series whitewash of the West Indies. Morkel and his brother, Albie, became the first brothers in ODI history to open the bowling together when they did so against for the Africa XI against the Asia XI in June 2007. Strengths Genuine pace and bounce...

Back up wicket-keeper Morne van Wyk's natural batting style is aggressive and he is able to execute that at any stage in a match, anywhere in the order. A good all-round batsmen, strong off the front and back foot, and comfortable dispatching the ball all around the ground, van Wyk will bring stability to the batting line-up if he is used. His chief role will be to don the wicket-keeping gloves if needed in place of AB de Villiers, something he has done with success at his franchise, the Knights. van Wyk was once considered to be Mark Boucher's replacement behind the stumps and is a solid and astute 'keeper. His best year domestically was in 2007, when he...

A man that can be called on to bat, bowl or field anywhere, Robin Peterson is the jack of all trades of the South African side. He can be used as a bludgeoner, pinch hitter, single stealer or stabiliser, his bowling role is usually to create pressure and stem the run flow and he is from the school of lightening quick fielding. The problem is that he isn't often given an opportunity to show off all these skills and Peterson, despite having played international cricket for nine years, is still a fringe player. There is often no room for him in the batting order and his left-arm spin is not so much about turning the ball as it about...

Being aggressive and left-arm are Wayne Parnell's biggest selling points and he brings variation to the South African pace attack. He is quick, fiery and has a fearsome short ball. Parnell's worst enemy is inexperience and he struggles to get back on track once derailed. Parnell suffered a groin injury in May 2010 and took over six months to recover. When he did, extensive work was done on his bowling action, in to his stance at the crease, and he is yet to show the form he displayed before the set back. Parnell played in the U19 World Cup as an all-rounder and South Africa hope to use him in that role in the future. He can hit...