Experienced Proteas are less nervous ahead of semifinal, says Klaasen

Having reached the playoffs at their third successive major tournament, big-hitting batter Heinrich Klaasen says the Proteas are feeling more composed as they prepare for their semifinal against New Zealand on Wednesday at the Champions Trophy tournament.

The SA team progressed to the semifinals of the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023, where they were eliminated by Australia, and they reached the final at last year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies, where they lost to India.

With the same core group competing at the Champions Trophy tournament, Klaasen said they were feeling more settled ahead of this week’s playoffs.

“I think there’s a little less nerves because we have a little bit more experience in the semifinal department now… because we’ve been playing good cricket and we’ve been getting the rewards,” Klaasen said yesterday.

“The boys are holding a little more composure in the bigger moments of a game, so hopefully we can get into another final. We’ve got the experience now and the big boys need to step up on Wednesday.”

Tough battle ahead

While the SA team had to do some unnecessary travelling over the last couple of days, as they were unsure until Sunday night which semifinal they would be playing, Klaasen did not feel they were given much of a disadvantage against New Zealand.

The New Zealanders had taken one fewer flight since the group stages, but the Proteas had an extra day to rest. And both teams were playing in Lahore for the first time in the competition.

With the Proteas receiving some relief by playing their semifinal in Pakistan, in similar conditions to those they had experienced throughout the tournament (as opposed to competing against India in Dubai on Tuesday), Klaasen also played down the venue.

Irrespective of the circumstances, he pointed out they had two tough games ahead if they hoped to lift a trophy for the first time in 27 years.

“You still have to play good cricket. Regardless of where you’re playing, you still have to go out there and beat two good teams (in the semifinals and the final),” Klaasen said.

“If we beat New Zealand and India beat Australia, we still have to beat India in Dubai (in the final), or if Australia beat India, we still have to beat a good Australian team here (in Pakistan) to lift this trophy.”

Key batters recovering

Meanwhile, though captain Temba Bavuma, vice-captain Aiden Markram and top-order batter Tony de Zorzi had all been unavailable for the Proteas’ last group match due to illness or injury, they were all on the path to recovery.

They needed to pass fitness tests in order to be available on Wednesday, but they were expected to be at training on Tuesday.