South African captain Aiden Markram is confident that Africa can finally end their draught at the ICC tournaments as the Proteas gear up to take on Sri Lanka in the Group D opener at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Long Island, New York.
The new stadium, which has a pitch that can be removed and replaced, recently held its first international match. In this match, India beat Bangladesh by 60 runs. The fast bowlers were important, taking seven wickets. This situation has created a challenge for South Africa, which had chosen three main spin bowlers. They might need to change their plan depending on how the pitch behaves.
While talking to reporters, Markram said, “On the day we will have to assess quickly and then adapt plans that will help us do well. It was an exciting day; we didn’t think we would ever be playing a World Cup game in New York. It’s a beautiful training facility and we will get a first look at the stadium and the pitch later to assess things.”
Markram later talked about the pitch condition in New York and asserted, “We are used to mostly playing in the evenings, but we have had a routine since we got here to wake up early and do things together as a team early in the mornings. By now, we are used to it.”
Throughout the years, South Africa has experienced several disappointments in both the 50-over and 20-over World Cups. Despite being viewed as frontrunners on occasion, they have frequently departed the tournaments in unforeseen and frustrating ways.
“I am feeling quietly confident,” Markram stated.
“There are really good teams here but we feel if we find our form and play to the best of our ability, we can beat anyone. We have put a lot of focus on ourselves and we will see where it gets us. But we are certainly here to lift the trophy.”