The Proteas have not won a Cricket World Cup or T20 World Cup since first attempting this in 1992.
They have the opportunity to win a maiden T20 World Cup title in the United States of America and West Indies next month. South Africa have exited the T20 World Cup at the semi-final stage twice.
“Mentality is very important on the big stage, whether it’s ODI or T20 cricket, and we still haven’t delivered that big match-winning performance at the knockout stage,” former Proteas batsman Ashwell Prince told IOL Sport. Prince worked with South Africa as a batting consultant earlier this year.
“If you look at the other teams around the world, their big big players stand up. When it comes to the business end of the competitions, the guys who have the big local contracts and big Indian Premier League contracts must show their quality when the pressure is on. Believe me, the youngsters will then follow with top performances.”
Several Proteas are involved in the ongoing IPL, including Sunrisers Hyderabad duo Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen, Lucknow Super Giants’ Quinton de Kock, Delhi Capitals’ Tristan Stubbs and Gujarat Titans’ David Miller.
“We have a quality of batting line-up. That line-up can hurt any bowling line-up on any given day,” added Prince.
“Over the years we have improved against spin, particularly the middle order, being able to hit boundaries against the slow bowlers after the powerplay.
“Guys like Miller, Stubbs and Klaasen can be destructive and transfer pressure. Even Reeza Hendricks at the top of the order is a very good player of spin.
“The guys have also been performing well in the Indian Premier League and are playing with a positive mindset. They will bring that mindset into the group for the T20 World Cup and share with other batsmen who are not at the IPL.”
The United States of America’s New York and Dallas will co-host this year’s T20 World Cup with the West Indies.
“In the West Indies and the United States, you will have to assess the conditions because the conditions won’t be the same as what they are currently experiencing in the IPL,” concluded Prince.
“Between now and when the T20 World Cup starts, you won’t have enough time to get a good understanding of what the conditions will be like in New York.
“The adaptability I’m taking about is in-game. A night before the match starts, you might be sitting in a batting or bowling meeting to make plans, but then the surface may not not align with those plans.”
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