Chester-le-Street: Out of the reckoning from the ongoing World Cup, skipper Faf du Plessis rued that had South Africa got an easier fixture at the beginning of the tournament things might have panned out differently for his team.
South Africa’s first three games were against hosts England, Bangladesh and favourites India in the span of one week. They lost all three encounters, severely denting their confidence.
“That first week was really tough for us. But that’s the sport we play. I think it is crucial, especially for a team like us in tournaments like these, that you need to start well,” du Plessis said after his side’s nine-wicket victory to Sri Lanka. “If you start well, your confidence in your team will grow and then from there, anything is possible.
But to start the way we did, you come here already with an expectation of needing to do well and then you go zero from three, and that expectation becomes a weight on your shoulders. That is a heavy burden to carry.”
South Africa registered only their second win of the tournament by defeating Sri Lanka by nine wickets in their penultimate game at The Riverside on Friday. They now face Australia in their final match of the World Cup.
Talking about the match against Sri Lanka, the skipper made particular mention of Dwaine Pretorius, who came off the bench to take 3/25, after not playing since the opening match against England. (PTI)
