Johannesburg – The Proteas intensified their preparation for their opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup against Zimbabwe with a thorough training session at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Friday.
Proteas bowling coach Allan Donald said the excitement was building around the team as the opening match drew closer.
“Everyone is excited, especially arriving at the ground for this training session today. We know it is right on the doorstep now and we are very eager to get on with it,” he said.
The Proteas were wary of the unpredictable nature of the Zimbabwean side, but carried confidence and insight following their successful tour across the border in August.
“We did some homework, had good meetings over the last couple of days, especially this morning strategising around that,” Donald said.
“That was a good little exercise in Zimbabwe; we know we are going to face a lot of spin, they base their cricket around that. They have some dangerous players like Williams and Masakadza to name a few.
“That’s really what we expect from Zimbabwe, tough and gritty, they find a way. They are a team that never sort of goes away.”
Donald said the bowlers would need to strike early upfront in the PowerPlay overs, particularly in Hamilton which had small boundaries and high second innings scores.
“This ground in particular is very small. A lot of sides have won here chasing quite comfortably. That is why we have the emphasis on the first 10 overs. We have to hit Zimbabwe hard if we bowl second.”
Farhaan Behardien remained the only concern for the squad following a tight lower back injury sustained earlier in the week. He batted unrestricted on Friday but remained symptomatic while bowling. He would be monitored and treated, with a final call on his availability set to be made closer to the match. – Sapa