AB de Villiers says he'd be devastated if SA fail to win the Champions Trophy
The balance of the current Proteas side gives captain AB de Villiers genuine hope that they will do well in the Champions Trophy to be held in the UK next month.
South Africa starts their campaign against Sri Lanka at the Kennington Oval on June 3 in London where they will be looking for a solid performance to set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
Speaking before the team departed in Johannesburg on Tuesday‚ De Villiers said balance is their biggest assert because they cover all the bases with bat‚ ball and on the field.
“Our biggest strength is the balance that we have in the squad. I really believe that we cover all the bases when it comes to spin‚ seam and proper pace bowling.
"We also have an amazing bowling line-up which is similar to the one that we had at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and prior to that.
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"The other important thing for us is that we have played together for a while now‚” he said.
Last year‚ De Villiers‚ who controversially opted against some of South Africa’s tours to manage his workload‚ added that he would be devastated if the Proteas fail to lay their hands on the trophy.
“We have been playing some good cricket over the last few years from the 2015 World Cup‚ which was a disappointment.
"But we have raised the bar and picked ourselves up. We go there with confidence and we would like to win the trophy.
"I have not won a Champions Trophy before and obviously the desire is there‚ lots have happened in my career individually and I have shifted my focus to this kind of tournament that I have not won before.
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"It will mean a lot to me to win this kind of tournament because this is a great opportunity for us as a team and for me as an individual to go there and hopefully win the trophy.”
According to De Villiers‚ quick adaptation to English conditions is going to be important for the Proteas if they are going to return home with the trophy.
“England is a little bit different to some of the countries that we have played because I think you get a little bit of everything over there.
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"There is the Edgbaston wicket that turns a little bit sometimes and some of the wickets move around with the new ball‚” he said.
“It is a good balanced cricket destination where you have to cover all the bases to be able to play a good brand of cricket in a tournament like this with different opposition.
"You have to be able to adapt on those conditions that change all the time.”
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport