18 March 2014
The Proteas take on Bangladesh A in Fatullah on Tuesday in the first of two warm-up matches for the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. They will face Pakistan at the same venue on Wednesday before opening their title challenge against number one ranked Sri Lanka in Chittagong on Saturday.
South Africa and Sri Lank last met in a three-match T20 series in Sri Lanka, edged 2-1 by the Proteas.
A lot is expected of Proteas batsman David Miller, who will be making his maiden appearance for South Africa at a World Cup. He made his International debut against the West Indies in 2010.
‘A lot of pressure’
“There is always some sort of pressure that comes with playing International cricket,” Miller said from Dhaka in Bangladesh on Monday. “For me personally, I’ve tried to play as much cricket as I can in the off-season overseas and locally in South Africa.
“The more cricket you play the more experience you get and the better the decisions you make on the field become.
“I enjoy that sort of pressure and I try to relish the moments that come about. There is pressure but the important part is how you deal with that,” he explained.
The hard-hitting 24 year-old thrives on his role as the bludgeoning finisher with the bat, and has learned to cope with the expectation that comes his way on every occasion he steps to the crease.
‘A dream come true’
“It’s another opportunity for me to do well,” he said. “It’s my first World Cup, so it’s a dream come true for me and a really special moment.
“To have the opportunity to go out and play cricket in this tournament is great. The expectation is there, but I’m going to go out and give my best in every situation. That’s all I can do,” Miller said, adding that the Proteas are going to have to “be at their best” to win the tournament.
Warm-up matches
Looking at the week that lies ahead, Miller said: “The two warm-up games are going to be really good for us in terms of adapting to the conditions and the heat. We will also have a few nets in between, so the preparation leading up to our opening match is going to be vital.”
WARM-UP FIXTURES
-
- 18 Mar: Bangladesh A vs SA, Fatullah
-
- 19 Mar: SA vs Pakistan, Fatullah
GROUP MATCHES
-
- 22 Mar: SA vs Sri Lanka, Chittagong
-
- 24 Mar: SA vs New Zealand, Chittagong
-
- 27 Mar: SA vs qualifier, Chittagong
-
- 29 Mar: SA vs England, Chittagong
SEMI-FINALS
-
- 3 Apr: 1st semi-final, Mirpur
-
- 4 Apr: 2nd semi-final, Mirpur
FINAL
-
- 6 Apr: Final, Mirpur
SAinfo reporter
