Former South African captain AB de Villiers has praised the current Proteas team for their ability to approach the 2023 World Cup without being burdened by the disappointments of previous tournaments. The former cricketer also recalled how the previous generation of South African cricketers also struggled in the ICC events.
South Africa had a comfortable 102-run win against Sri Lanka in their inaugural match of the 2023 World Cup. In their innings, South Africa achieved the highest-ever team total in the history of the ODI World Cup, reaching 427 runs. This remarkable feat was accomplished with the help of three centurions in which Aiden Markram achieved the fastest century in World Cup history in just 49 balls to reach this milestone.
According to a column in ICC, de Villiers said,”I have played in previous teams that had more superstars in its ranks, but struggled to deal with the pressure that came with that. For the current generation, it is quite the opposite. There are fewer established figures but lots of players ready to put their stamp on the world stage, free of the baggage from previous failures,” he explained.
South Africa is one of the teams who have not won the ICC ODI World Cup. They have been labelled as chokers for many years.
South Africa will play their next match against Australia and he said that the wicket of star batter Steven Smith will be the most important for the team.
“It might sound obvious, but Steve Smith’s wicket will be the most important. He holds everything together for Australia and if we can get him out early, I am confident we can get the job done. The Aussies will be low on confidence after defeat to India, but a wounded Australia team is very dangerous. It will be crucial to pick up some early wickets to keep that pressure on, something we have not done too well recently,” he said.
