"I’ve tried my best to forget about it" - Tristan Stubbs on South Africa's painful defeat in T20 World Cup 2024 final
South African batter Tristan Stubbs admitted that the Caribbean islands remind him about their near-miss in the T20 World Cup 2024 final in Barbados. However, the right-handed batter stated the Proteas can still take pride in their campaign, headlined by finding ways to win from precarious positions.
With six wickets left and South Africa needing 30 off 30 in the final against India, the African nation suffered a meltdown of epic proportions to lose by seven runs. The likes of David Miller and Tabraiz Shamsi had tears as South Africa's wait for an ICC trophy continued.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the first T20I against the West Indies on Friday, August 23, Stubbs, who has had a sensational last few months, said playing all three matches in Tarouba is the respite the tourists need. The 24-year-old wants the players to continue showing the character they did in the T20 World Cup.
He was quoted as saying by iol.com.za:
"The World Cup final will come up when you don’t want it to. I’ve tried my best to forget about it. It wasn’t easy, and it still is not easy getting asked about it. Coming back to the Caribbean, you get reminded about it. But fortunately, we are playing where we won the semi-final, so there’s a bit of good vibes there. I think the whole World Cup was a good experience for myself and the team. We found ways to win, which I think is an underrated skill, just being able to win ugly. I think as a team, we can take a lot from that; it gives us a lot of character."
Stubbs played bravely in the T20 World Cup final against India even as the Proteas lost two early wickets. He made a brisk 21-ball 31, adding 59 with Quinton de Kock.
"I think the biggest thing for me has been the mental side" - Tristan Stubbs
Stubbs feels he has become wiser and knows how not to get bogged by the magnitude of the occasion, unlike before.
"I think I’m just a bit older. When I started, I think I played about 20 or so domestic games, and I didn’t know my game. I think the biggest thing for me has been the mental side. Every game I played in the IPL, SA20 my mind was going crazy. But now I have adopted a mindset of enjoying what I’m doing. I’m a bit older and I’ve played a bit more cricket than when I first started," he said in the same interaction.
South Africa won the preceding two-match Test series against the West Indies by 1-0.