(Reuters) – Captain Temba Bavuma said there will be honest conversations in the South Africa camp following their surprising 38-run defeat by the Netherlands on Tuesday. The loss halted South Africa’s impressive Cricket World Cup campaign in India. The South African team displayed precision in victories over Sri Lanka and Australia in their first two games. However, they were careless and sloppy in the match against the Dutch in Dharamasala, ultimately leading to the deserved victory for the Netherlands.
Bavuma expressed the need to address the matter with the players. In particular, he highlighted the 32 extras conceded by the team’s bowlers, which became the second highest ‘scorer’ in the Netherlands’ innings. “The extras, that’s something you can control,” Bavuma said. He emphasized the significance of minimizing extras as it adds extra overs and ultimately affects the team’s performance. He stressed the importance of having a conversation to determine whether the issue was a matter of skill or complacency.
South Africa initially had the Netherlands in a precarious position at 112 for six after opting to bowl first. However, they made the mistake of bowling too short, allowing the Dutch to reach a total of 245 runs in 43 overs due to rain-shortened gameplay. “We definitely dropped the ball there letting them get to 240-plus,” Bavuma admitted. He also acknowledged the team’s struggle against the Dutch team’s double-spin strategy during the powerplay.
Bavuma lamented the team’s fielding performance, stating that it did not meet the expected standards. Despite a clinical performance against Australia, South Africa failed to replicate their previous success. Bavuma urged the players to reflect on their mental state during the game and answer the questions themselves. He affirmed that the fielding display was not up to the team’s standards.
South Africa’s next match will be against England in Wankhede on Saturday. Both teams come off losses in their recent outings, with England losing to Afghanistan. The upcoming match carries significance in the early stages of the competition as it will impact the race for a spot in the semi-finals. Bavuma optimistically stated that their campaign is not over and encouraged the team to regroup and approach the next match with determination and confidence.
(Reporting by Nick Said in Cape Town; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
