Africa-Press – South-Africa. Proteas batter Rilee Rossouw has his eyes on helping the Proteas make a proper fight of it at the T20 World Cup later this year.
Rossouw, who smacked an unbeaten 55-ball 96 in South Africa’s 58-run win in the second T20 against England in Cardiff, said they’re building a more than decent head of steam ahead of the World Cup.
If the Proteas fielded better in the first T20, the series may have taken a different path, but Rossouw chose to take the positive route, saying there’s the need to build momentum for the World Cup.
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“Everyone wants to play to win a trophy and the Proteas have had a great last year and there’s the need to build on the momentum leading into the World Cup,” Rossouw said.
“This is not the World Cup, but we’re putting in some good performances from an individual and team perspective.
“The sky’s the limit now.”
Belief in their abilities will have to be part of SA’s attempt to annex a first International Cricket Council trophy for the team since 1998.
They didn’t show a lot of it in last year’s T20 World Cup, especially after their meek opening loss against Australia.
However, they got better as the tournament progressed, but their lack of self-belief at the start of the tournament cost them dearly.
Rossouw feels he provides an injection of this, but also said doing well at a World Cup will require a collective effort.
“You have to have belief in yourself first before someone else can see it,” Rossouw said.
“I do believe in my ability, not necessarily to win a World Cup, because that is impossible. However, I can put in a performance that can help my team.”
Rossouw, who top scored in one of Cricket South Africa’s two T20 provincial tournaments before being the second highest run-maker in the T20 blast in the United Kingdom, felt he may have been overconfident in the first T20.
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Rossouw was bummed that he didn’t get to three figures, but also acknowledged Reeza Hendricks’s 32-ball 53 that allowed him to settle.
“Things didn’t go my way in the first T20 and I suspect I may have been a tad overconfident based on the runs I scored in the season,” Rossouw said.
“I had to take my time today and I had to bat a little bit more sensibly. Once I found the pace of the wicket, it became easier and I found the confidence mode.
“Reeza also played well, but there were no three figures and I really wanted them badly, but Chris Jordan bowled an exceptional last over.”
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