Faf du Plessis expressed disappointment at his team's performance after South Africa was eliminated from the World Cup in the aftermath of a 49-run defeat against Pakistan at Lord's on Sunday.
"The biggest downside at the moment is we haven't been able to do justice to ourselves as a team. We haven't played the cricket we're capable of," du Plessis said at the presentation ceremony.
"We are not playing great cricket. We didn't bowl well. We have been good with the ball this tournament, but we started poorly today. 300 plus on that target was 20-25 more on that track.
As it happened| Pakistan beats South Africa
"We made same mistakes with the bat. We needed a good start. We haven't had that. As we are building partnerships, we have been losing wickets. That's the nature of our tournament," he added.
This is the first time since 2003 that South Africa has failed to qualify for the knockouts, and Du Plessis attributed the streak of losses to a lack of confidence. "We're working hard, putting in the practice. But confidence in sport is an amazing thing. When you are playing well, the ball just falls in your court. When you are playing against a quality team like Pakistan, they get a wicket and will put you under pressure," he said.
The Protean skipper heaped praise on Imran Tahir who became the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in the World Cup with twin dismissals of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq. "Imran has been amazing. To acknowledge him, he has been exceptional right through this tournament and has played with a lot of heart. He has led our attack and has been consistent in every game. But there haven't been enough guys like Imran standing up and that is why we finding ourselves in a position that we are in."
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