The SA group can’t afford to slide up once more of their quest for the World Cup semi-finals.
Despite dealing with one of many lower-ranked groups within the match in Mumbai on Tuesday, the Proteas don’t want any reminders about the necessity to take their Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh as significantly as they’d every other opposition.
They are 5 locations above their opponents within the ODI world rankings, however South Africa misplaced to Bangladesh within the group levels of the 2019 World Cup. And the SA group have been reminded once more to respect all opposition once they have been defeated by the Netherlands on the world showpiece in India final week.
Having bounced again to thump defending champions England on the weekend, the Proteas have been mendacity third within the opening spherical after raking in six factors from 4 matches.
While they have been 4 factors behind unbeaten hosts India and two factors behind New Zealand, the SA group held a game in hand and have been nonetheless properly in competition for a spot within the semi-finals.
With 5 round-robin video games nonetheless remaining earlier than the playoffs, nevertheless, together with clashes with India, New Zealand and Pakistan, they may not afford one other slip-up against a lower-ranked aspect.
“Whenever we play Bangladesh, it’s obviously a massive game for us,” Proteas vice-captain Aiden Markram mentioned on Monday.
“We haven’t done particularly well against them in the past, so that’s extra motivation for us to come out and replicate what was a good performance against England.”
Clean slate
While they thumped the defending champions of their final World Cup match, Markram mentioned the Proteas noticed every game as a clear slate and so they couldn’t carry a lot from that efficiency into this fixture, other than a lift in confidence.
“You have to respect the fact that it’s a new game of cricket starting tomorrow, and against opposition that’s become a really good white ball team, and then put them into subcontinent conditions – obviously that aids them very well as well,” mentioned Markram, who will captain the Proteas if Temba Bavuma doesn’t get better in time from sickness.
“And we have to respect that fact. You can never take form as an individual or as a team for granted. “It’s about us coming here tomorrow with positive mindsets, taking confidence that we can take, but understanding that we have to replicate that all again to hopefully get a good result.”
The match between South Africa and Bangladesh begins at 10.30am (SA time).
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