The players don't dare utter it, even the media don't use it, but it's at the forefront of everyone's mind.

Are the South African cricket team World Cup chokers and what are they doing differently this time to ensure their reputation as one of the tournament's favourites (they don't like that word, either) is more than just pre-tournament talk?

The hype of the cricket World Cup is talked down by captain A. B. de Villiers.

There's plenty of pressure from home and even the country's sport minister Fikile Mbalula has weighed in, publicly telling the South Africans not to come home as "losers".

But within the 15-man squad, the pressure is dismissed. It's almost as bad a word as chokers. "It's just another tournament," de Villiers said. "It's an important tournament, but it's just another tournament."

Star batsmen Hashim Amla elaborated.

"That attitude and mindset isn't new for us," he said. "We've had that for a few years and I think that's the reason we've had some good results in the last three or four years. We try to just do a similar thing every day and not get too far ahead of ourselves, not focus on the end result."

It started with the Test team and then the country's limited overs side, having seen it work so well, also adopted it.

"It's not a deliberate change for the World Cup. Maybe it's the reason we've been so consistent so there's no reason to change it just because we're at a World Cup."

So instead of using the pressure from home and the constant reminders that, despite being one of the best teams during the past decade, South Africa have never made a World Cup final, let along won the event, they've opted to play it down as much as possible.

But they're not stupid. They know the reputation; they know South Africa topped their pool in 2011 then lost, to New Zealand, in the quarter-finals.

They know they were thumped in a semi-final in 2007 by Australia and bombed their home event in 2003, not even making the Super Six. Then there's 1999 when they bottled their semi-final, also against Australia, and tied, only for Australia to advance.

So surely it's at least talked about, how big a deal a World Cup win would be. Surely?

"We're not looking too far ahead, just one game at a time," seamer Vernon Philander said.

"Zimbabwe are our first task. It's obviously a series and, yes, we haven't won it before, but I don't think we can look too far into the future and worry about the overall result."

"We're always going to be under pressure," Morne Morkel added.

"We badly want to win this tournament, but unfortunately there's no guarantees in life or in cricket.

"We've got a great group of players and leaders. For us, it's just important to take each game at a time and not look too far ahead."

The ICC rankings do them no favours.

While the side is ranked third in the world, their individuals feature prominently.

De Villiers and Amla are No.1 and No.2 in batting while relative newcomer Quinton de Kock is also in the top 10.

Dale Steyn is the top-ranked bowler at the World Cup with Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal initially banned and now not wanted and the West Indies' Sunil Narine withdrawing late. Morkel and Imran Tahir are 10th and 11th.

South Africa's strengths are seemingly obvious in Amla, de Villiers and Steyn, but the players insist the other members of the side can almost sneak below the radar as opposition focus on the big three.

"Those three makes us want to raise our  own levels," Philander said. "We want all of our players to be as good as a Dale, or an AB or a Hashim."

Amla added: "We're certainly not a side of just three players. We've got a number of quality cricketers hitting form at the right time, guys who have been around for a good few years. It's a good place to be."