‘Unsurprised’ by Associates’ T20 World Cup displays, South Africa bank on ‘experience’ for Super Eight charge

TimesofIndia.com in New Delhi: It was just past 3:15 PM (local time) here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday when the cover on the pitch finally came off, and the curator customarily began the ritual of heavy rolling. South Africa’s preparations for their final Group D match had already gathered pace. Near the Mohinder Amarnath Stand, the Proteas batters sweated through an extended net session, while the fast bowlers loosened up closer to the Bishan Singh Bedi Stand.

In between lay the surface that will host South Africa's Wednesday morning fixture against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a pitch that recently offered pace, bounce, and late turn during UAE’s nail-biting five-wicket win over Canada.



That contest saw Canada limited to 150 despite batting first, with Junaid Siddique claiming a five-wicket haul, before UAE scraped home with two balls to spare.

With early movement for seamers and some assistance for spinners later in the day, the surface could again offer a balanced contest, particularly in the morning, when moisture and freshness may suit South Africa’s pace-heavy attack.

For Aiden Markram’s side, the hard work is already done. Three wins from three matches so far, including a dramatic double Super Over victory against Afghanistan, have secured their place in the Super Eight. But the Proteas are unlikely to treat their final group game as a formality.

“Associate cricket has grown a lot over the last couple of years. They’ve had opportunities on stages like this where they can play. As I’ve said, batting conditions are really good (here), and this T20 format brings teams closer together because one guy on his day can win you the game. So no, I’m not surprised (at their performances in this T20 World Cup),” South Africa’s specialist consultant Albie Morkel told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“The World Cup really starts now. Even though we had a tough group, now you face India, possibly Australia or Zimbabwe, and West Indies in our group. So it’s really tough. It’ll be all good games. Yes, there will be more pressure as you move towards the playoffs. But I feel we’ve got a very experienced group, bowlers and batters.”

‘Brevis, Rabada’s form not a concern’

South Africa’s group-stage performances have been nothing short of inspiring. Marco Jansen’s career-best 4 for 40 against New Zealand dismantled a formidable batting lineup, while Lungi Ngidi stands joint-second in the list of wicket-takers with eight scalps.

“If you look at his T20 record, he (Ngidi) has one of the best records in taking wickets. He’s developed a very deceptive slower ball, which he knows when to use and how to use,” Morkel explained.

Kagiso Rabada, however, is still working to find his peak sharpness. In this T20 World Cup, he has accumulated two wickets in three matches, having maintained an economy of nine runs per over.

“It’s not a concern. I think that can happen to any bowler at any stage… But he’s still our premier fast bowler, and we’re going to double down on him and back him all the way,” he added.

Brevis has yet to live up to the hype. The 22-year-old Protea, who spent considerable time in the nets on Tuesday, has scored just 50 runs in three matches in this World Cup and is without a 30-plus score in his last five T20I innings

“There are no chats (with Brevis on his form). We see him as an X-factor player. We feel if you ask him to play a certain way, you take away that X factor, and he’s going to break your heart at some stage, but he’s also going to win you games,” the 44-year-old stated.

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