South Africa skipper AB de Villiers admitted Thursday he was so concerned about a possible World Cup suspension for slow over-rates that he considered handing over the captain's armband to a team-mate.

The Proteas were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate in their 130-run defeat by India, with de Villiers as skipper docked 20 percent of his match fee and facing the threat of a one-match World Cup ban if South Africa again fell short of the required over-rate.

De Villiers said he had been told he couldn't give away the captain's arm band to circumvent a future ban.

"I actually asked the umpires about it and I’m the nominated captain for the tournament so I still get banned," said the captain on the eve of South Africa's Pool B clash against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"We have spoken about it at length. I think all the captains are under pressure in this tournament, they're very strict," de Villiers added.

"It's understandable because this tournament is under the spotlight and things need to happen in the right way so I'm under pressure, we know that, we've had a good discussion about it.

"There is nothing else you can do about it than just get it right, it's just one of those things that you have to keep the intensity for 50 overs which is not easy.  

"I believe the boys will react."