Proteas will stick to their processes in Champions Trophy playoffs, says Jansen

While he says they won’t change their approach, all-rounder Marco Jansen acknowledges the Proteas will need to hit their straps this week in the Champions Trophy playoffs.

After beating England by seven wickets in Karachi on Saturday, the SA team finished top of Group B, and they were just two wins away from ending their 27-year trophy drought.

Shining with bat and ball, the Proteas bowled England out for 179 runs, led by Jansen (3/39) and Wiaan Mulder (3/25), before reaching their 180-run target with more than 20 overs to spare, anchored by Rassie van der Dussen (72 not out off 87 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen (64 off 56).

“I think it was a good team performance all in all,” said 24-year-old Jansen, who was named Player of the Match after ripping through England’s top order.

“As a bowling unit I think we did the majority of what we wanted to do, or what we planned or set out to do.

“And then obviously the batters went out and did their job really nicely. Rassie (van der Dussen) and Klaasie (Klaasen) went out and played with good intent and obviously they got us over the line quite easily.”

Looking ahead to semifinals

The Proteas will find out only after the last Group A match between India and New Zealand on Sunday which semifinal they will play, but they will either turn out against India in Dubai on Tuesday or New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday.

Taking a chance, the SA squad had already left for Dubai. That way, if they faced India, they wouldn’t have to travel the day before their semifinal.

And while their opponents, and the venue, had not yet been decided, Jansen said they would stick to the processes that had seen them going unbeaten in the group stages (one of their matches was rained out).

“I wouldn’t say the mindset changes. It’s just the occasion that’s probably a bit more hyped up, I guess,” Jansen said.

“You try your processes… you have your steps or your guides that you go into every match, and then basically in semifinals you just try and do that extraordinarily well, whatever that is for you.

“For me it just depends on where you play, on what lengths to hit, and then as a game develops trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t work, and what to do and what not to do. For me personally, it’s just the occasion or the situation of the game that probably changes, not really mentally, if that makes sense.”

Illness and injuries

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma was withdrawn from the team ahead of the match against England on Saturday due to illness, and stand-in skipper Aiden Markram was unable to bat due to a hamstring niggle, leaving Klaasen in charge for most of the match.

Jansen was unsure, however, whether captain Bavuma or vice-captain Markram would be ready to play in the semifinals.

“I’m not exactly clued up to how they’re feeling at the moment,” Jansen said.