Prince reluctant to accept ‘favourites’ tag as Proteas prepare for Zimbabwe
· Citizen
As the only unbeaten team in the tournament, batting coach Ashwell Prince says the Proteas are trying to stay grounded and not look too far ahead as they gear up for a dead rubber Super Eight match against Zimbabwe at the T20 World Cup in Delhi on Sunday (11.30am start).
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Over the first two rounds of competition, the SA team earned convincing victories over some of the other tournament contenders, including New Zealand, West Indies and defending champions India, and they dug deep to edge a dangerous Afghanistan side.
Prince, however, said they were reluctant to consider themselves the favourites for the global title.
“It’s T20 cricket and last night we watched a match (between England and New Zealand) that looked like it was gone with 20 minutes to go, and then England pulled through,” Prince said on Saturday.
“So anything can happen in the T20 format, and I think we’ll just let it unfold.”
Opportunity to rest players
With the Proteas already having qualified for next week’s semifinals, Prince said they might take the opportunity to not only rest some first-choice players in the squad, but also give another chance to some bench players in their game against Zimbabwe.
South Africa had played six matches thus far, but middle-order batter Jason Smith and fast bowlers Kwena Maphaka and Anrich Nortje had each competed in only one game, while all-rounder George Linde had turned out in two fixtures.
“I think there’s an opportunity to have a look at some of the guys who haven’t been playing regularly,” Prince said.
“I suppose one of the things you also have to consider is the guys who have been playing, and there will be a discussion with the coach (Shukri Conrad) and the medical staff about the energy levels and whether anybody is perhaps carrying some slight niggles who would be better suited to resting than playing another game.”
Maintaining intensity
Though Zimbabwe could not progress to the play-offs, and the game would have no bearing on the rest of the tournament, Prince said it was important for the Proteas to maintain their momentum.
The SA side needed to avoid a shock defeat against Zimbabwe, who went unbeaten in the opening round, and ensure they remained confident heading into the knockout stages.
“We are certainly aware of all the dangerous players they (Zimbabwe) have in their team, and as far as we’re concerned we know what we’ve done well so far in the competition, but we have to make sure we maintain those levels,” he said.
“To maintain those levels, generally it’s about not dropping your intensity and sticking to the same processes that have brought us to where we are.”