South African skipper Aiden Markram was certain that he does not want to play another match on the pitch here, but was chuffed to see his side tame a challenging track in the semifinal to enter its maiden T20 World Cup final.
The deck at the Brian Lara Academy stadium offered considerable movement off the seam and South African quicks used it to the optimum to bowl out Afghanistan for an insufficient 56.
T20 World Cup 2024 Semi-final: South Africa vs Afghanistan – HIGHLIGHTS
“If we reflect back on this wicket, we’ll probably be pretty happy that we’re not playing here again. T20 cricket as a whole, you want entertainment,” said Markram in the post-match press meet after SA defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets.
Markram was delighted to see South Africa finding a way to win on a challenging strip.
“The wickets that we’ve had throughout the competition have been pretty challenging. It’s hard to tell that a wicket is not good because it can’t just always be a batter’s game.
“Having said that, still taking the positives we can. Wickets are tough. So, finding a way to win is probably the most important thing.”
South Africa will now travel to Barbados for the final either against India or England.
“We’ve been doing it for most of our careers, you jump from venue to venue where conditions are quite different. So, it’s again just adapting and playing the pitch and the game that’s in front of you.
“We’ll try to find ways to always take wickets with the ball and from a batting point of view try to get to a score that’s defendable. Both teams have to play on the same wicket,” he noted.
The 29-year-old patted South African bowlers for making the semifinal a lopsided affair after bowling out Afghanistan for a record low of 56.
“The bowlers, the whole competition, they’ve been really good. Probably saving the batters on certain occasions. So, you have to give a lot of appreciation towards them,” he said.
Markram was also gracious enough to acknowledge the wonderful run Afghanistan had in this event.
“It’s really cool to see. They have some of the best (players) in the world at the moment. So, they’re really on a good track. Making a semifinal for them is obviously massive. I think they’ve inspired a lot of people back at home.
“I’ve seen some pictures that inspire us as well to try and make that difference to people back at home. I’m sure it’s not going to be the end of them making knockout cricket,” he concluded.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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