Cricket World Cup 2023: I See South Africa Going Long Way In This Tournament, Says AB de Villiers
A former big hitter, AB de Villiers, thinks his country would be among the leading contenders for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which begins on Thursday. South Africa's campaign will begin on Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi with a matchup versus 1996 champions Sri Lanka.
Proteas' advantages and disadvantages were discussed by former South Africa captain AB de Villiers during an interview for Jio Cinema's daily programme "AAKASHVANI." "The manner South Africa plays cricket is what makes them strong.
Cricket has a very combative and never-say-die mentality. They fight to the very end because they always feel like they're in the thick of things. They also bear similarities to New Zealand. They field well and apply pressure to the hitters, in my opinion.
"We have Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller to give us firepower. However, their greatest flaw is that they haven't won many games in the previous few years. That they're neither No. 1 nor No. 2 in the globe raises some concerns.
Being among the top three going into a World Cup is always the goal. One little plus is that they prevailed at home in the series against Australia. In the end, I believe that the ball is the weak point throughout the first ten overs.
It is concerning that they haven't been striking, but maybe Kagiso Rabada and company will work things out before the World Cup, De Villiers continued.
De Villiers, a former batter for Royal Challengers Bangalore, believed that in order for South Africa to win games, runs must be scored. "With the bat, I think Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma will get off to a good start and lay the groundwork, while Klaasen, Markram, and Miller are really explosive hitters who will be playing a lot of IPL 2023 games." They are able to take over and dominate an inning. For South Africa, big scores are the name of the game.
"Our bowling assault has been lacking, so I believe we need to produce a lot of 300+ runs to have a chance. Rabada and company should be able to figure it out and take a few wickets early on, De Villiers continued.
This will open the door for Maharaj and Shamsi to really wreck havoc in the middle overs to set it up and make it hard for the batting squad.
The Proteas are full of potential 🇿🇦
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 2, 2023
But can South Africa go all the way and win their first ever ICC Men's @CricketWorldCup?https://t.co/rIOXogA3Oa
He shared his World Cup predictions as well. "In my opinion, South Africa will do well in this World Cup. They have a crucial match in the quarterfinals or semifinals, and if they win, it would give them such a huge confidence boost that they might just go all the way. I predict that South Africa will win the World Cup.
I am aware that India is the favourite, therefore it won't be simple, especially because there are many other talented cricket teams. The decisive game, in my opinion, will occur in the semifinals. De Villiers said, "If we win that one, I envision South Africa winning the World Cup in 2023.