"Free of the baggage from previous failures" - AB de Villiers on South Africa in 2023 World Cup
Former South African skipper AB de Villiers has lauded the current Proteas side for not carrying the scars of past failures into the 2023 World Cup. De Villiers recalled that the star-studded South African teams of the past struggled to deal with expectations.
South Africa coasted to a 102-run victory over Sri Lanka to open their 2023 World Cup campaign. Batting first, they amassed the highest team total in the history of the ODI World Cup - 427 - thanks to three centurions, including the fastest World Cup ton (49 balls) by Aiden Markram.
In his column for ICC, de Villiers stated that it's easy for the current South African team to deal with the pressure, unlike the established figures of the past.
"I have played in previous teams that had more superstars in its ranks, but struggled to deal with the pressure that came with that. For the current generation, it is quite the opposite. There are fewer established figures but lots of players ready to put their stamp on the world stage, free of the baggage from previous failures," he explained.
Labeled as 'chokers', South Africa are one of the few full-member nations yet to win the World Cup and are known to stumble in the knockout stages. They have made it to the semi-finals four times, losing on all ocassions.
"Steve Smith’s wicket will be the most important" - AB de Villiers
South Africa will next face Australia on Thursday, and de Villiers reckons the Proteas can get the job done if Steve Smith gets out cheaply. However, the 39-year-old was quick to warn that "wounded Australians" could be highly dangerous.
"It might sound obvious, but Steve Smith’s wicket will be the most important. He holds everything together for Australia and if we can get him out early, I am confident we can get the job done. The Aussies will be low on confidence after defeat to India, but a wounded Australia team is very dangerous. It will be crucial to pick up some early wickets to keep that pressure on, something we have not done too well recently," he said.
Australia suffered a six-wicket loss at the hands of India in their World Cup opener and will be desperate to get off the mark today.