T20 World Cup: South African skipper Aiden Markram urges his players to not to be scared ahead of final clash
T20 World Cup: South African skipper Aiden Markram urges his players to not to be scared ahead of final clash
NEW DELHI: Skipper Aiden Markram has urged his players to stay calm and not be "scared" of the title clash after leading South Africa to their maiden T20 World Cup final. South Africa convincingly defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets in the first semifinal.
South Africa now awaits the outcome of the second semifinal between India and England.
By reaching the final, South Africa has secured a significant milestone in their T20 World Cup journey.
"It is one more step for us; it (the final) is an opportunity we have never had, nothing to be scared of," said Markram in the post-match presentation ceremony.
"This win means a lot. We have some world-class players in the side, but like I said, it takes a whole squad to deliver such a performance."
Markram lauded his bowlers for bowling out Afghanistan for a lowly 56.
"We were brilliant with the ball, got it in the right areas, and kept it really simple. The bowlers have been incredible for us."
He noted that batting was challenging on a pitch that offered pronounced seam movement.
"It was challenging with the bat, as no batter is going to lie and tell you it was easy out there. We had a bit of luck and then got a bit of a partnership."
The 29-year-old said the whole team was relieved after closing out the match easily.
"We have had a few close games, and a few people back home would have woken up early with more grey hairs. Glad today was a bit more comforting," he added.
Player of the match Marco Jansen, who picked up three early wickets, said they focused on keeping the ball in the right areas.
"Awesome feeling. The guys played really well; we executed perfectly. We just wanted to stick to our plan, bowl good lengths, and see how the wicket reacts.
"The wicket was getting a bit open, and it was about keeping it simple."
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