Prince says Cobras need self belief like Barcelona

Cape Cobras coach Ashwell Prince believes the quick turnaround time between One-Day Cup fixtures may be helpful. Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Cape Cobras coach Ashwell Prince believes the quick turnaround time between One-Day Cup fixtures may be helpful. Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Published Mar 9, 2017

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CAPE TOWN – Cape Cobras coach Ashwell Prince believes the quick turnaround between Momentum One-Day Cup fixtures will suit his team perfectly after the debacle at Boland Park on Wednesday evening.

The Cobras are back in action on Friday – just two days after the embarrassing four-wicket defeat to the Dolphins – against the Highveld Lions at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.

It’s a make-or-break fixture for the Cobras if they are to harbour any further ambitions of progressing in the season’s One-Day Cup. After the demoralising defeat it is hard to see Prince’s team dusting themselves off for such a crucial tie, but the former Test batsman believes the hectic schedule actually works in their favour. The Cobras are also back at Newlands on Sunday.

“There is no doubt it was very disappointing in Paarl,” Prince told Independent Media. “But we’ve dealt with it and it’s now time to move on. There was no shouting and screaming in the dressingroom, but rather a short and precise chat. The players know they let themselves, their teammates and the franchise as a whole down.

“The message I was trying to get across was that we’re not out of the competition. Our destiny is still on our own hands. If we win three of our remaining four games, we should be right up there and that’s very possible. Playing just two days later is actually an opportunity to rectify Wednesday evening’s mistakes very early on because there isn’t time to still dwell for too long on what happened.”

According to Prince, there were some positives to take from the debris of the defeat, and it was now simply about getting the players’ minds into the right space for such an important fixture.

“It’s all about the mindset. The belief that we can go out there and do it. This is a highly-skilled team with no lack of players able to change the course of a match in our favour. But it’s about the belief to want to go there and do it,” he said.

“Players must want the ball to be hit to them. They mustn’t dread it. That’s what happened on Wednesday evening. There was a lack of confidence.

“Look at Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League. They never gave up, no matter how much was stacked up against them. Each player believed he could make a difference. That’s what we need here. Embrace the challenge.”

It’s unlikely Prince will ring changes in Potchefstroom with only loan signee Eddie Leie unavailable due to the conditions of the agreement with the Lions. The same rule applies to left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks who cannot play for the Lions against his employers.

It is actually a pity for the Cobras as Leie put in a decent spell on his return to franchise action after a hamstring injury and certainly added control to the attack during the middle overs, along with fellow spinners Dane Piedt and Keegan Petersen.

Seamer Zakhele Qwebe will most likely return to the Cobras line-up for Leie with the batsmen being afforded another opportunity. Former Rondebosch Boys’ High prodigy Zubayr Hamza will then in all likelihood continue carrying drinks while all-rounder Jason Smith recovers from his thumb injury.

Cape Cobras squad:

Richard Levi, Andrew Puttick, Omphile Ramela, , Dane Vilas, Keegan Petersen, Aviwe Mgijima, Dane Piedt (c ), Rory Kleinveldt, Dane Paterson, Zakhele Qwebe, Zubayr Hamza, George Linde, Lizaad Williams.

Independent Media

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