South Africa hope to win their first World Cup knockout match Wednesday against Sri Lanka in a game billed as a duel between prolific run-getters AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara.
The Proteas clash with 1996 champions Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the opening quarter-final.
Defending champions India will tackle Bangladesh in Melbourne on Thursday with Australia taking on Pakistan in Adelaide on Friday while Saturday sees New Zealand host West Indies in Wellington.
South Africa return to the SCG where they piled up 408-5 in a thumping 257-run win over the West Indies in a group game two weeks ago.
Captain de Villiers hit a 66-ball 162 that night, but his side face Sri Lanka haunted by their record of crumbling at crucial moments in World Cups, a tendency which has seen them dubbed as "chokers".
They will be desperate to bat first as all of their four group victories came by having first strike -- piling up 411 against Ireland, 408 facing the West Indies, 341 to beat the UAE and 339 in the win against Zimbabwe.
But batting second, de Villiers's team made just 177 chasing India's 307 and a disappointing 202 in pursuit of Pakistan's modest 222.
"All I can say is we’re not going to choke on Wednesday. We’re going to play a good game of cricket and come out on top. Simple," said de Villiers.
De Villiers has made 417 runs at the tournament but Sri Lanka, runners-up in 2007 and 2011, have their own game-changers in Sangakkara, the leading run-maker with 496 and four successive centuries, as well as Tillakaratne Dilshan on 395 runs and boasting a best of 161 not out.
Sri Lanka will have no fear of chasing a big score -- they beat England by nine wickets in Wellington in a group game despite being set a 310-run target.
However, they look set to be without key spinner Rangana Herath who has still to recover from a finger injury.
Meanwhile, the build-up continues to the other quarter-finals.
Bangladesh insist they will have nothing to fear from India when they face off in front of around 90,000 fans at the iconic MCG on Thursday.
The Tigers star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who made 53 when the Bangladeshis ran down India's 191 to win by five wickets in Trinidad at the 2007 World Cup, says they are confident of shocking the champions.
The odds are stacked against them, however, as Bangladesh have beaten their illustrious neighbours just three times in 28 meetings.
"I think we played fearless cricket (when Bangladesh beat India eight years ago) and we all want to play that brand of cricket again," said Shakib whose team have already knocked out England.
Friday sees four-time champions Australia face 1992 winners Pakistan who suffered a major setback Tuesday when giant fast bowler Mohammad Irfan was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup with a stress fracture of the pelvis.
The winner of that match will face either India or Bangladesh for a place in the March 29 final.
South Africa or Sri Lanka will go on to face either New Zealand -- like India with six wins in six pool games -- or West Indies.
The West Indies are sweating on the fitness of star opener Chris Gayle who has been laid low by a back injury.
Source: AFP