South African captain Shaun Pollock said on Friday that his team's cricket World Cup dream was still alive despite their roller-coaster start to the tournament.
Pollock, speaking before Saturday's Group B game against Bangladesh, conceded that the team had been despondent and all but expecting a first-round exit after losing two of their first three games.
But the mood changed when rivals West Indies dropped valuable points when one of their games was washed out.
"In a funny way it's prepared us as best as possible," he told reporters. "We faced the exit door, we've been there and we know what the feeling's like. So looking forward...there's basically nothing to fear. The dream is still alive."
South Africa had been dependent on other results going their way to reach the Super Sixes after their defeats to West Indies and New Zealand.
But when the West Indies' game against Bangladesh was washed out on Tuesday, depriving Carl Hooper's side of two points, South Africa knew they were virtually assured of progressing if they won their final three pool games.
"The despondency in the squad was because our future in the tournament was out of our hands -- we had to rely on someone else," Pollock said. "Now that it's back in our hands the guys are far more upbeat about things."
Pollock, whose wife Trish is pregnant with their first child, added: "As I've always said, looking too far ahead in the tournament is very dangerous. But if we play well in these next three games it will go a long way to helping us further on. There is the dream of going all the way but our focus is on getting into the Super Sixes and then taking it from there."
Pollock said the team's bad start had probably also had a salutary effect on their supporters."The expectation in South Africa has probably dropped a little bit, which is also not a bad thing. We're very conscious now of forgetting about the pressures and going out there and enjoying our cricket."
South Africa, who met Bangladesh in a one-day series for the first time in October and won all three matches comfortably, have not named an eleven for Saturday's match in Bloemfontein.
Despite widespread calls for him to be dropped, struggling fast bowler Allan Donald is expected to play in front of his hometown fans.
All rounders Andrew Hall and Robin Peterson are also likely to get a game as South Africa look to use all 15 squad members before the deciding pool game against Sri Lanka in Durban on March 3.
