South Africa were left to rue a needless trip to the UAE ahead of their Champions Trophy semi-final as a comprehensive defeat to New Zealand in Lahore ended their campaign.
The convoluted schedule of the Champions Trophy due to India's refusal to travel to Pakistan resulted in an unfair situation where all other teams had to travel around different venues and even countries, while India got to play all their matches in Dubai.
Ahead of the knockout matches, Australia and South Africa had to travel from Pakistan to Dubai and wait for the result from the final group phase match between India and New Zealand to know which team would play against India in Dubai and who would have to travel back to Pakistan for the second semi-final.
As it turned out, Australia stayed back to face India in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday, while South Africa travelled back to Pakistan.
The pointless trip was far from ideal and it showed as South Africa were comprehensively defeated by New Zealand on Wednesday.
Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson struck majestic hundreds as New Zealand eased to a 50-run win over the Proteas.
Ravindra and Williamson helped the Kiwis post a gargantuan 362-6, which proved more than enough as South Africa were restricted to 312-9.
David Miller finished unbeaten on 100 but his 67-ball blitz came in vain with the game already well out of reach. South Africa thus suffered their fifth Champions Trophy semi-final defeat after losses in 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2013.
After the defeat, centurion Miller said his team's hop to Dubai and back was "not ideal".
"It's only an hour and 40 minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal," Miller said.
"It's early morning, it's after a game and we had to fly. Then we got to Dubai at 4pm.
"And at 7.30am we had to come back. It doesn't make it nice.
"It's not like we flew five hours, and we had enough time to recover and recuperate, but it was not an ideal situation still."
The Black Caps also have to contend with their travel back to Dubai to face India in Sunday's final.
Williamson said his team are not thinking too much about the travel situation.
"It is what it is," Williamson said. "You know, it's just not something we're really looking too closely at. It's about the cricket that we want to play, and we'll take into account, obviously, the opposition, but be nice and smart come that final."
New Zealand lost to India in their group game on Sunday, flew to Pakistan for Wednesday's semi-final and are now go back to Dubai to face India in the final.
"Obviously, we played India once there, the conditions are different," Williamson added.
"So it's important that we try and take away some of those positives and be nice and clear about how we're trying to operate come two or three days' time in the final."
