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The cricketing world is abuzz with excitement as the ODI World Cup 2023 draws nearer. This highly anticipated tournament, set to take place entirely in India, promises thrilling cricketing action and challenges aplenty, particularly for overseas players who may be unaccustomed to Indian conditions.
Amidst the mounting anticipation and concerns over playing conditions in India, Quinton de Kock, the renowned South African cricket sensation, remains remarkably unfazed. De Kock, along with other Proteas players, believes their extensive experience of playing in India provides them with a significant advantage.
Invaluable insights from IPL and Proteas tours
The 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has been a prominent fixture in the Indian Premier League (IPL) while representing the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). This extensive IPL experience, combined with numerous Proteas tours to India, has equipped him with invaluable insights into handling the challenging Indian conditions.
De Kock emphasized that his familiarity with Indian pitches, playing conditions, and the high-pressure atmosphere is poised to give the South African team a crucial edge in the upcoming global cricket extravaganza.
“A couple of us have been there quite often. Obviously, with the IPL and Proteas tours there. I think it’s not just me; a lot of us have an understanding of wickets there. We’ve got a good understanding when we talk to our batters about how we’re going to score runs on certain wickets. Whether it’s a spinning wicket, it’s swinging, or has good bounce, we all have these chats,” said De Kock in a video shared by SuperSport.
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Encouragement for open discussions in the team
De Kock further elaborated on the team’s approach to preparation, stating, that the team encourages open discussions about each player’s individual strategies for scoring runs. This information helps set expectations and prepares everyone for various conditions, allowing each player to tailor their net practice sessions to perform their best in the upcoming matches.
“Everybody tells me how they’re going to score runs in their way, just to keep them aware of what we expect, not to say we’re guaranteed this. So, we just highlight what we have seen in the past. If you’re going to go to preparation in the nets, you know what to expect, and the guys will prepare in their way, thinking about what’s best to score big runs for us,” added De Kock.
South Africa, led by captain Temba Bavuma will begin their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign against Sri Lanka on October 7 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
