Proteas respecting all their opposition at T20 World Cup

While they enter the tournament among the favourites to progress from their first-round group, Proteas bowling coach Eric Simons has warned that the national team need to respect all their opposition as they open their campaign today at the T20 World Cup.

First up, the SA team will face Sri Lanka, just one place below them in the world rankings, in what is expected to be one of their toughest matches of the opening round.

And with the Proteas squad having been stunned by unfancied opposition the Netherlands at the last couple of World Cups in which they have competed, Simons insisted at the weekend that there was no danger of complacency against former T20 World Cup champions Sri Lanka.

Playing in unfamiliar conditions at a temporary stadium in New York this afternoon (4.30pm SA time), which was built for the global championship, Simons felt the key would be to adapt quickly.

“Sri Lanka are certainly a dangerous unit. They’ve got some great skills among their bowling unit… and from a batting perspective as well they play with aggression and freedom,” Simons said.

“I think it’s going to boil down to conditions and who adapts the quickest, but in this format you don’t take any opposition lightly and Sri Lanka are formidable opposition, so we will make sure we arrive at the game ready for whatever the conditions or the other team throw at us.”

Bowlers fit and ready

While there were some concerns within the Proteas bowling unit ahead of the tournament, Simons confirmed seamer Ottneil Baartman and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi had fully recovered from niggles.

Experienced fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who was sent home early from the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) with a lower limb infection, was also fully fit and ready to play.

“KG (Rabada) is absolutely fine. He’s bowled really well in the practices we’ve had, and we had a simulation in the middle the other day where he was particularly good,” Simons said.

“So there’s no issue with him whatsoever. He’s bowling with good pace and good control.”

‘Exciting time to be a bowler’

While batters were expected to dominate the showpiece in the short format, Simons remained confident that the SA bowling attack would play a key role, but their success would depend largely on how well they executed their plans.

“I think it’s an exciting time to be a bowler and I said that to the guys the other day,” Simons said.

“Batsmen are playing with a lot of freedom and aggression, but I don’t think it’s going to be quite the same as the IPL where the impact players made a massive difference in the way the guys batted.”

After today’s World Cup match, the Proteas will face the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Nepal in Group D.

The top two teams in each first-round group will qualify for the second round.