New Delhi: South Africa coach Rob Walter Expressing optimism about the team’s future prospects, he said that their best performance is still ahead of them. He emphasised that the team is not bogged down by past close defeats and will draw inspiration from their ability to perform well in crucial situations as they move forward. T20 World Cup Semi-final.
South Africa, often considered a weak team, will face Afghanistan Afghanistan have created a stir in the tournament with their impressive performances, especially their stunning win over Australia in the first semi-final match in Tarouba on Thursday.
When asked during the pre-match press conference if this could be South Africa’s opportunity to shine after overcoming challenging opponents and difficult conditions in recent weeks, Walter replied, “Be confident”, indicating the team’s belief in its abilities and readiness to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Of course it’s always nice to dream and I think everyone in South Africa dreams of the time when a trophy will be lifted. There’s no doubt that will happen. Whether it will happen this week remains to be seen.
“We will just try to play our best cricket. And we haven’t played our best game yet,” PTI quoted Walter as telling reporters.
South Africa’s ability to overcome challenging conditions, which has been their weakness in previous tournaments, is a promising sign for the team as they seek their first World Cup win.
“From a closeness point of view, yes, we managed to win a number of close games before the semi-finals, which was very good for us as a team.
“We probably missed a few chances like that in the past, and this time we managed to get the win. So, we definitely take confidence from that.”
“We want to play our best cricket in the crucial moments of tomorrow’s game.”
Since their return to international cricket after the apartheid ban, South Africa have constantly found themselves in challenging positions during crucial semi-finals of ICC tournaments. Their journey began with the 1992 World Cup, which marked their return to the global cricket stage.
Needless to say, this topic came up during the talks.
“See, I said, the near misses in the past have been of the guys who missed them. To be honest, this team is a different team. Whatever is ours, we own it. And so, our closest reflection point is this tournament where we managed to cross the line. So that’s what we think about.”
Walter didn’t attempt to downplay the intensity and anticipation that comes with attending a World Cup semifinal match.
“It’s never a normal game. I think that kind of rhetoric about semi-finals is always untrue, or people try to undermine the occasion. Of course, we don’t. It’s a World Cup semi-final, and we appreciate that and we’re looking forward to it.”
Instead, he downplayed the aspect of luck.
“I don’t think you can win cricket matches on the basis of luck. I think there are potentially some things that can go in your favour but there are also some things that might not go in your favour. So, for sure, skill will always trump luck. So, I would like to think that.”
Walter praised Afghanistan’s remarkable run to the World Cup semi-finals, an unprecedented achievement for a country that has suffered years of conflict.
“We are seeing Afghanistan in the T20 semi-finals. It’s great for cricket. I like their style of play and their support.”
How well does he know the Afghanistan team?
Walter said that in today’s cricket world, analysing opposition teams has become an easy task due to the abundance of technological resources available.
“Look, I mean, a lot of their players play in a lot of leagues around the world. In today’s time, there are very few players who have no footage or information about them.
“From the Afghanistan players’ point of view, we have that kind of information. We also have the entire World Cup, in which they played seven matches.
“So, from that point of view, we have had the opportunity to watch games of cricket up till last night and also the various leagues that the players have played in and played together. So, we are satisfied with our knowledge about that.”
Walter is concerned about the threat posed by Afghanistan in the semi-finals.
“I think you’ve all seen that over the last two days, yes. I think they’re a good team. Gone are the days when there was one area of the team that wasn’t strong. If that was the case, they wouldn’t be in the semi-finals.
“You are talking about some world-class spinners. Everybody knows about the world-class spinners who are led by Rashid KhanI mean, he is the top-class T20 spinner anywhere in the world. So, we are aware of that. But as I said, it is not a one-man show anymore. That’s for sure,” Walter said.
South Africa, often considered a weak team, will face Afghanistan Afghanistan have created a stir in the tournament with their impressive performances, especially their stunning win over Australia in the first semi-final match in Tarouba on Thursday.
When asked during the pre-match press conference if this could be South Africa’s opportunity to shine after overcoming challenging opponents and difficult conditions in recent weeks, Walter replied, “Be confident”, indicating the team’s belief in its abilities and readiness to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Of course it’s always nice to dream and I think everyone in South Africa dreams of the time when a trophy will be lifted. There’s no doubt that will happen. Whether it will happen this week remains to be seen.
“We will just try to play our best cricket. And we haven’t played our best game yet,” PTI quoted Walter as telling reporters.
South Africa’s ability to overcome challenging conditions, which has been their weakness in previous tournaments, is a promising sign for the team as they seek their first World Cup win.
“From a closeness point of view, yes, we managed to win a number of close games before the semi-finals, which was very good for us as a team.
“We probably missed a few chances like that in the past, and this time we managed to get the win. So, we definitely take confidence from that.”
“We want to play our best cricket in the crucial moments of tomorrow’s game.”
Since their return to international cricket after the apartheid ban, South Africa have constantly found themselves in challenging positions during crucial semi-finals of ICC tournaments. Their journey began with the 1992 World Cup, which marked their return to the global cricket stage.
Needless to say, this topic came up during the talks.
“See, I said, the near misses in the past have been of the guys who missed them. To be honest, this team is a different team. Whatever is ours, we own it. And so, our closest reflection point is this tournament where we managed to cross the line. So that’s what we think about.”
Walter didn’t attempt to downplay the intensity and anticipation that comes with attending a World Cup semifinal match.
“It’s never a normal game. I think that kind of rhetoric about semi-finals is always untrue, or people try to undermine the occasion. Of course, we don’t. It’s a World Cup semi-final, and we appreciate that and we’re looking forward to it.”
Instead, he downplayed the aspect of luck.
“I don’t think you can win cricket matches on the basis of luck. I think there are potentially some things that can go in your favour but there are also some things that might not go in your favour. So, for sure, skill will always trump luck. So, I would like to think that.”
Walter praised Afghanistan’s remarkable run to the World Cup semi-finals, an unprecedented achievement for a country that has suffered years of conflict.
“We are seeing Afghanistan in the T20 semi-finals. It’s great for cricket. I like their style of play and their support.”
How well does he know the Afghanistan team?
Walter said that in today’s cricket world, analysing opposition teams has become an easy task due to the abundance of technological resources available.
“Look, I mean, a lot of their players play in a lot of leagues around the world. In today’s time, there are very few players who have no footage or information about them.
“From the Afghanistan players’ point of view, we have that kind of information. We also have the entire World Cup, in which they played seven matches.
“So, from that point of view, we have had the opportunity to watch games of cricket up till last night and also the various leagues that the players have played in and played together. So, we are satisfied with our knowledge about that.”
Walter is concerned about the threat posed by Afghanistan in the semi-finals.
“I think you’ve all seen that over the last two days, yes. I think they’re a good team. Gone are the days when there was one area of the team that wasn’t strong. If that was the case, they wouldn’t be in the semi-finals.
“You are talking about some world-class spinners. Everybody knows about the world-class spinners who are led by Rashid KhanI mean, he is the top-class T20 spinner anywhere in the world. So, we are aware of that. But as I said, it is not a one-man show anymore. That’s for sure,” Walter said.
