South Africa will open their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on October 7 in Delhi.
With barely a few days left for the showpiece tournament, South African batter David Miller has expressed confidence that they are capable of doing something special this time around.
The Proteas are coming into the tournament on the back of a 3-2 ODI series win over Australia at home.
“We genuinely believe that we can do something special. The reality is we haven’t won a World Cup so there’s no point brushing that under the carpet. But personally I don’t live with those things on my shoulders. The past is the past. It doesn’t impact me at all."
“It’s about what’s in front of you…the next ball, your next moment. I know the other guys are in the same mindset. We’re looking at it as a chance to create history. What a brilliant opportunity this is. If we play well, we know we’ve got a helluva chance," Miller was quoted as saying by BBC.
South Africa are occupying the fourth spot in the ICC ODI team rankings while they have five batters featuring in the top 15 individual rankings list. Miller backed the batting line-up to fire in Indian conditions.
“We have performed consistently well over the past four years. I’m not personally a stats-driven guy. But it’s good to look at the numbers and know that the work we’ve been putting in has produced some positive contributions. For me it’s about making a situational impact. Can I take the game on? Can I see a chase home?"
“That’s where games are won and lost. I think we’ve proved some people wrong. Take Temba (Bavuma). He’s had so much flak from a lot of people and he’s basically just shoved it right back in their faces. He’s a terrific captain and a phenomenal player in this format. It’s a strong line-up. We back ourselves to compete with the bat," he remarked.
Miller also acknowledged that left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj will have to play a critical role in the World Cup.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 11. It’s actually an inspiration watching his progress. He’s ‘Mr Consistency’. He’s such an important player for us."
South Africa will open their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on October 7 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
(With inputs from Agencies)