Keshav Mahraj on South Africa looking to sealing super8's top spot against co-hosts West Indies
22/06/2024
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet
22/06/2024
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet
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00:00I know you were going to have a pretty big impact on the game, looking at how it played in the first innings.
00:04I wouldn't say that. I was just trying to go about my business. I know I had a role to play within that bowling unit,
00:10especially on there, and I tried to watch a bit of rash and more ball and just sort of replicate certain things that they did really well in their spell.
00:17Do you sort of look forward to bowling against a team like England with a lot of right-handers at the top of the order?
00:22Yeah, very much so. I think it's a good contest. Obviously, they were the prior world T20 champions, so it's always good to go up against the best.
00:29Just in terms of where you are in this tournament, you've had quite a few sort of tight games, tight wins like today.
00:35Do you feel that stands you in pretty good stead heading into a potential semi-final?
00:39Yeah, very much so. I think if you look at previous World Cups, the small moments we haven't really won,
00:44and it's good to see that I think all the games have come really close and we've found a way.
00:48So it's building the character within the team, and I think it prepares us for, obviously, certain opportunities that we could get.
00:55And crossing over the line in those small moments are things that we've never done before, so it's good to see us getting into that.
01:01You'll obviously know exactly what you have to do heading into that last game against West Indies. I guess that gives you a big advantage.
01:07Yeah, very much so. I think it's more a case of focusing on each and every game and not to get too ahead of ourselves.
01:13I think we've been very focused on our processes and trying to win each and every game and letting the rest take care of itself.
01:20And how much are you looking forward to going up against two other left-arm spinners that they have in Moti and Hussain?
01:26Yeah, it's always a battle of the spinners. But yeah, I think I'm just going about my business.
01:32I think they've bowled exceptionally well in the tournament. I've watched quite a few spells of them, so obviously they're quite a dominant force as well.
01:38They've got a very strong batting line-up, but just trying to stick true to my processes and my principles.
01:44Do you think having won every game and posted an unbeaten record, are you starting to make a bit of a target on your bats?
01:53Every time you win a match, you come a little bit closer to doing it?
01:58Not at all. I think this team sort of believes that we can be really great as a unit.
02:04Obviously, with the last World Cup knockout, bowing out in the semi-finals, it's both the character and there's a lot of hurt.
02:10So, we just take it one game at a time and focus on trying to get the results to go away and not looking at the negatives.
02:16Just trying to highlight the positives as much as possible.
02:19You teased England a little bit through the air. You were almost tempting them to hit a little bit against the wind sometimes.
02:26Do you look forward now to facing that West Indies top order and doing the same and seeing if they fancy taking you on?
02:32Yeah, very much. I think it was only because the wind was in my favour.
02:36Obviously, I might have bowled slightly different at times if the wind blew the other way.
02:40But I think it allowed me, from the conditions point of view, to toss a few up there and just try and make the play.