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JOHANNESBURG, Thursday (Reuters) - Fate in the form of an unexpected downpour was immediately blamed for South Africa's precipitous exit from the World Cup this week.

Instead the host nation's failure to qualify for the second round stemmed not from impersonal chance but from internal flaws.

South Africa's elimination on Monday after tying with Sri Lanka in a rain-affected match decided by the Duckworth-Lewis method was cruel.

But the harsh truth remained that the South Africans were unable to beat either West Indies, New Zealand or Sri Lanka, the leading teams in their group.

"We have been on a slippery slope for some while now," former test batsman Daryll Cullinan wrote on Wednesday. "Warning calls were not heeded.

"We have failed for too long to face certain truths, choosing to deceive ourselves. For too long South Africa cricket has lived a lie."

Before the tournament started, three senior South Africa internationals created consternation both at home and abroad when they said they wanted to dedicate the tournament to their former captain Hansie Cronje.

Cronje was banned for life in October, 2000, after admitting taking money from bookmakers, a scandal which scarred the game. He died at the age of 32 in a aircraft crash last year.

RHODES OUT

One of the trio was opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs, banned for six months after admitting he had agreed to under-perform on Cronje's instructions. The other two were Jonty Rhodes and Allan Donald.

Rhodes, still one the world's finest cover points and an influential middle-order batsman, was forced to withdraw from the tournament after breaking his hand against Kenya. Donald, the once feared "White Lightning", took one for 133 in three matches and was dropped for the final game against Sri Lanka.

Their comments were hardly helpful to Cronje's successor, Shaun Pollock, son of a illustrious father Peter and an even more famous uncle Graeme.

"Comments that are passed do not help the situation," Shaun Pollock said. "They didn't mean any harm but it did do a bit of harm to the set-up."

Pollock also announced his team were determined to become the first host nation to win the Cup. His team, he said, would not be giving 110 or even 120 percent. They would be giving 150.

Whatever the percentage commitment, South Africa's World Cup campaign opened with a loss to a provincial side. In signs of things to come, the bowlers were unable to dismiss the opposition.

Pollock appeared bereft of ideas when West Indies piled on the runs in the final overs in the tournament's opening match, enough as it turned out for a narrow win for the men from the Caribbean. He looked similarly clueless when New Zealand seized an unexpected victory in a rain-shortened match.

Some South African reports then suggested that the team management blundered in the match against Sri Lanka, misreading the target needed on the complex Duckworth-Lewis system. Coach Eric Simons said the position had been more complex, with the situation changing ball by ball.

Still, South Africa were out of a tournament they had planned to win.

"I'm gutted," said all rounder Jacques Kallis, another player who failed to perform with only 63 runs and three wickets in six games. "Utterly drained and hugely disappointed."

Pollock was his usual economical and threatening self with the ball and Makhaya Ntini fulfilled expectations. The other pace bowlers did not and South Africa's decision to omit a spinner also back-fired.

"It is not the side I once knew," said Cullinan. "It lacked the maturity and leadership worthy of champions. Changes at all levels will have to be made."

Former South Africa wicketkeeper Ray Jennings added: "This is a wake-up call for South Africa cricket. So many things needed addressing. The fact of the matter is that we didn't beat any of the major sides."

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