‘Playing under pressure at home unusual’
6 Dec 2013 5:04 AM IST
‘We are under pressure, playing in our own country and that is a bit unusual for us,’ De Villiers said during the pre-match media conference. While admitting that losing the ODI series against Pakistan 1-2 has dented their confidence, the South African skipper made it a point to state that they are certainly not underdogs as being dubbed in some quarters.
‘We have just lost a series at home, so the confidence is not very high. Some of the knowledgeable people will say that we are underdogs. But there is no way we will stand back and allow that to happen. There is no chance we will accept that. At home we cannot afford to be called the underdogs,’ De Villiers tried putting up a brave front.
The skipper expects his team to perform to their full potential at home against a team that’s not known to do well in these conditions where there is a lot of pace and bounce on offer. ‘If we play to our full potential, no one can stop us here, especially in South African conditions. That’s the kind of mindset I want the guys to go in with for tomorrow’s game. We need to show the right attitude, good body language.
‘Most of all, we need to remember that we are playing against a sub-continent team that has come to South Africa and they have a very bad record against us here. Even though we just lost a series, we have the confidence and belief to beat the world number one side,’ he added.
It is definitely a sound warning for MS Dhoni and his boys, as they prepare to take on South Africa in the first ODI at the Wanderers. Given this aggressive tone, the pitch rolled will obviously be of much interest, not just in this match but throughout the tour.
‘I have had a look at the wicket and there’s a lot of grass on it. But it should play the same over the course of 100 overs,’ said the South Africa captain.
‘We have just lost a series at home, so the confidence is not very high. Some of the knowledgeable people will say that we are underdogs. But there is no way we will stand back and allow that to happen. There is no chance we will accept that. At home we cannot afford to be called the underdogs,’ De Villiers tried putting up a brave front.
The skipper expects his team to perform to their full potential at home against a team that’s not known to do well in these conditions where there is a lot of pace and bounce on offer. ‘If we play to our full potential, no one can stop us here, especially in South African conditions. That’s the kind of mindset I want the guys to go in with for tomorrow’s game. We need to show the right attitude, good body language.
‘Most of all, we need to remember that we are playing against a sub-continent team that has come to South Africa and they have a very bad record against us here. Even though we just lost a series, we have the confidence and belief to beat the world number one side,’ he added.
It is definitely a sound warning for MS Dhoni and his boys, as they prepare to take on South Africa in the first ODI at the Wanderers. Given this aggressive tone, the pitch rolled will obviously be of much interest, not just in this match but throughout the tour.
‘I have had a look at the wicket and there’s a lot of grass on it. But it should play the same over the course of 100 overs,’ said the South Africa captain.
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