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South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has urged his teammates to avoid doing "Superman things" and instead focus on overcoming the "fear of failure" ahead of the World Cup beginning from 30 May.
South Africa have a reputation of losing big matches which has earned them the label of chokers. The Proteas are yet to reach the finals of the World Cup having been knocked out at the semifinal stage four times in the past.
"We haven't always got that right in the past, to play our best cricket at the World Cup, because we put so much pressure on ourselves. We want to just focus on enjoying our cricket," he added.
Du Plessis, who will be competing in his third ODI World Cup, stressed on the need to be mentally prepared for the tournament which will be imperative for the team's success in England.
"There's a reason why we want the guys to play freely - because we don't want them to have a fear of failure, which is what the World Cup is for some of them,” said Du Plessis.
The 34-year-old hopes to draw on his own experience to help his teammates grapple with the pressure of the high-intensity tournament.
Seven members of South Africa's squad, including du Plessis, were part of the 2015 World Cup campaign, when they were knocked out of the semifinals by eventual runners up, New Zealand.
South Africa will take on hosts England in the opening game of the World Cup on 30 May at Kennington Oval in London.
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