NEW DELHI: South Africa coach Rob Walter expressed optimism about the team's future prospects, stating that their finest performances are still ahead of them. He emphasized that the squad is not weighed down by previous close defeats and will draw inspiration from their ability to perform well in critical situations as they progress to the T20 World Cup semifinals.
South Africa, often considered a formidable underdog, will face Afghanistan in the first semifinal match in Tarouba on Thursday. Afghanistan has made waves in the tournament with their impressive performances, particularly their stunning victory over powerhouse Australia.
During the pre-match press conference, when asked if this could be South Africa's moment to shine after navigating through challenging opponents and difficult conditions in recent weeks, Walter responded, "take confidence," indicating the team's belief in their abilities and readiness to seize the opportunity.
"Definitely it's always great to dream and I think everyone in South Africa dreams of the time when a trophy gets lifted. No doubt that will happen. Whether it's going to be this week, that remains to be seen.
"We're just going to try and play the best game of cricket that we can. And we still haven't played our best game yet," PTI quoted Walter as saying to reporters.
South Africa's ability to overcome challenging circumstances, a weakness that has plagued them in previous tournaments, is a promising sign for the team as they pursue their first-ever World Cup victory.
"From the closeness point of view, yeah, we've managed to get over the line in quite a number of close games in the lead up to the semifinal, which for a team has been great for us.
"We've potentially missed out on a few of those moments in the past, and this time around we managed to get over the line. So, we certainly take confidence out of that.
"We still want to play our best cricket in the key moments of the game tomorrow."
Since their readmission to international cricket following the apartheid ban, South Africa has consistently found themselves in a challenging position during the crucial semifinals of ICC tournaments. Their journey began with the 1992 World Cup, which marked their return to the global cricketing stage.
Needless to say, the subject was broached during the interaction.
"Look, I said, the near misses in the past, they belong to the people who missed them. To be honest, this team is a different team. We own whatever is ours to own. And so, our nearest reflection point is this tournament where we've managed to get over the line. So that's what we think about."
Walter didn't attempt to minimise the intensity and anticipation that comes with participating in a World Cup semifinal match.
"It's never just another game. I think that sort of rhetoric around semifinals is always untrue, or people trying to downplay the occasion. Certainly, we don't do that. It is a semifinal of a World Cup, and we appreciate that and we're looking forward to it."
Instead, he played down the luck factor.
"I don't think you can win a cricket game because of luck. I think potentially a few things can go your way but there's a few things that might not. So, skill will always trump luck, that's for sure. So, I'd like to think that."
Walter commended Afghanistan's remarkable journey to the World Cup semifinals, an unprecedented achievement for the country that has endured years of conflict.
"We're seeing Afghanistan in a T20 semifinal. It's awesome for the game of cricket. I love the way they play the game and the way they support it."
How well does he know the Afghanistan team?
In today's cricket world, analyzing opposing teams has become a simpler task due to the abundance of technological resources available, remarked Walter.
"Look, I mean, a number of their players play in a number of the leagues around the world. In this day and age, there's not too many players where there's no footage or no information about.
"So, from an Afghanistan player point of view, we do have that sort of information. We've also got an entire World Cup, which they've also played seven games in.
"So, from that point of view, we've had the opportunity to watch games of cricket as near as last night and then also in the different leagues that the guys have played and played together. So, we're comfortable with our knowledge in it."
Walter is wary of the threats Afghanistan could pose in the semifinal.
"I think you, yeah, you would have seen it all in the last two days. I think they are a well-rounded team. Gone are the days where there is an area of the team that is not strong. They wouldn't be in a semi-final if that was the case.
"You're talking about some world-class spinners. Everyone knows about the world-class spinners led by Rashid Khan. I mean, he's a top-class T20 spinner anywhere in the world. So, we know about that. But as I said, it's not a one-man show anymore. That's for sure," Walter said.
