“We’ve got the right players to win, we’ve just got to find a way to do that”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
South Africa have picked wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock in their World Cup squad even though he is currently recovering from a torn ligament in his ankle.
It is understood that de Kock will be fully fit after South Africa’s first two games in the tournament, which means that captain AB de Villiers will have to don the keeping gloves for both matches.
In terms of their pace attack, South Africa have drafted Wayne Parnell and Kyle Abbott into the side as back-ups for Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel. Due to this, there was no space for left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe and all-rounder Ryan McLaren.
Jean Paul (JP) Duminy also made the cut as he is expected to make a full recovery from his knee injury by the start of the ODI series against the West Indies, which gets underway on January 16 in Durban.
Speaking about the squad picked, de Villiers said: “We do feel pressure, it’s a huge responsibility. We desperately want to win a World Cup and bring it home. We’ve been playing some good cricket and we are confident. We feel we have got a really good chance.
“I am a more experienced player now than I was then, and a few things have changed in my game. I am still going to go out there and try to win games for South Africa – I just feel I am a little better at it now than I was when I started.
“We’ve got the right players to win, we’ve just got to find a way to do that.”
South Africa’s convener of selectors Andrew Hudson added: “We like to play seven batsmen or maybe an all-rounder at No.7, and then five frontline bowlers. There process of selection has been about supporting that type of cricket.
“The World Cup is not about only about playing Australia, its about playing minnows and sides with different batting and bowling strengths and being able to accommodate and play cricket accordingly. I can’t see it as a blessing in disguise because I hate losing.”
South Africa’s World Cup Squad: AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn