Upbeat Kallis emphasises the importance of winning start ahead of today's Champions trophy opener between South Africa and Sri Lanka
Upbeat Kallis emphasises the importance of winning start ahead of today's Champions trophy opener between South Africa and Sri LankaWhereas India's 103-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their Champions Trophy warm-up game at Potchefstroom on Sunday could not have done their morale much good, hosts South Africa's crushing 188-run win over an emasculated West Indies outfit has strengthened their credentials as favourites.
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Jacques Kallis. pic/getty images |
In another warm-up match of significance Sri Lanka, who play the event's opener at Centurion against the hosts in the country's capital Pretoria today, lost to Twenty20 champions Pakistan by 108 runs, but scored a comfortable 5-wicket victory over the West Indies. Sri Lanka won the Champions Cup in 1998 and were joint champions with India in 2002.
Meanwhile star Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis told the media yesterday: "Unfortunately we have stumbled a few times at major games in big tournaments, but I really believe now that we have a team that can play in all conditions no matter what the pitch conditions or the team we play against.
"Hopefully we can also get the bit of luck you need in big tournaments, the rub of the green going our way.
Favourites"We've probably gone as favourites into tournaments, like we did at the T20 World Cup, where we played really well and then had one bad game where one individual or team has put in a big performance and beaten us.
Hopefully we can peak as the tournament goes on, but we want to win the first game and not have to play catch up.
"Every game is vital. It's a tournament we have won many years ago and we are up for winning it again. It's about shortening your focus, not looking too far ahead and taking it game by game in tournaments. We have to worry about what we can do and not what we can't control."
The South African team has had a two-month winter break. Although this has resulted in the players being short of battle-readiness, injury-prone skipper Graeme Smith and his teammates have worked hard in the gym, attended to injuries and shed excess avoirdupois.
Dynamic opening batsman and mercurial fielder Herschelle Gibbs strained an abdominal muscle in the warm-up game against the West Indies while taking evasive action in avoiding a straight drive from Graeme Smith, he is expected to be fit at least for today's game.
Importantly, the Proteas are infuriated that not a single member has made the cut for nominations for this year's prestigious ICC awards (KHALIDOSCOPE dated Sept 21).
"It's strange to see the side that ends up No 1 in Tests and ODI cricket getting no nominations. It's bordering on crazy," Kallis said.
No 1 team"Individual recognition is not something we play for in the team. We play to be ranked number one, which we've achieved now and it's a matter of staying there.
"The guys have put the (ICC awards) snub behind them. We know as a team the big contribution certain individuals have made and in our eyes the guys have produced as good if not better than other individuals in world cricket. Having said that I don't think the awards will play any role in motivating the guys. They don't need motivation for big tournaments."
While England lick their wounds after the 6-1 shellacking at the hands of Australia, Champions Trophy hosts South Africa say they are fitter, stronger and happier and fully prepared to win the event.
The English media is indulging in its favourite pastime of finger pointing and self-righteous whingeing, blaming everybody and everything from the IPL in which their star players Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were injured to flawed scheduling of the one-day games and greed on the part of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which scheduled seven matches to placate additional counties.
