Proteas players in a huddle during the third and final T20 game against West Indies at the Wanderers, which served as the annual Pink Day match in support of breast cancer awareness. Picture: Marco Longari/AFP Despite falling to West Indies in the final game of their three-match T20 International series, captain Aiden Markram says the Proteas can take increased belief into the T20 World Cup. The touring West Indies sideearned a consolation victoryat the Wanderers on Saturday night, securing a six-run win on the DLS method, though the SA team earned a 2-1 series victory after winning the first two games in Paarl and Centurion convincingly.
With lightning causing delays and disruptions at the Wanderers, the match was reduced to 10 overs a side, and Markram felt this gave the national squad an opportunity to prepare for potential shortened matches at the World Cup. “We can take a lot of good things out of tonight, to be honest,” the skipper said. “It was weird to be on and off and it felt a bit all over the show, but that can happen at a World Cup.
“And each guy, whenever they had a role to play in the game tonight, was under immense pressure, so the guy who did well can take a lot of confidence going forward. “It’s quite hard to prepare for a 10-over game nowadays… it is different, so to have a little run-out and see what it’s like is a big positive.” With members of the squad producing fine performances not only during the series against West Indies, but also in the recentSA20 league, Markram felt they were in a good space ahead of the World Cup. After reaching the final of the T20 showpiece for the first time at the last edition in 2024, the Proteas were aiming to lift the trophy for the first time.
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“We can take quite a bit of confidence there (to the World Cup). Throughout the SA20 as well, the guys did really well, put their hands up for the respective teams and won games of cricket for their teams, which is obviously what you need at a World Cup. So the guys can take that moving forward,” he said. “From this series I think role definition was nicely refined for us and the guys got a much better understanding, so I think that’s a big positive as well.”
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