Temba Bavuma and Chris Silverwood pre-match press conference South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 4th Match, ICC CWC 2023

South Africa Captain Temba Bavuma and Sri Lanka Coach Chris Silverwood pre-match press conference South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 4th Match, ICC CWC 2023.

South Africa Captain Temba Bavuma

Sri Lanka Coach Chris Silverwood

Transcript of South Africa Captain Temba Bavuma pre-match press conference

Reporter: I just wonder, some of your preparation because of the weather didn't quite go according to the plan. But how have you guys settled in, and where do you think your preparation is ahead of tomorrow's game?

Temba Bavuma:I think we're satisfied with our preparation. Yes, we didn't get the opportunity to play the warmup games, obviously because of the weather, but I think from a freshness point of view within the guys, I think that's a positive that we can take. I think we've had good training sessions including the one we had yesterday and there's an optional one today. We've played at this ground before so we kind of know what to expect, so I think from a prep point of view we are satisfied and I guess as ready as we can be for the game tomorrow.

Reporter: I think last time you played here was in October 2022 in ODI, and I think you guys got bowled out for 99 or something. What are the learnings that you took from that game? And also, if I may ask another one, have you guys decided on the composition of your bowling attack, two spinners or only one? Or what's the thinking on that?

Temba Bavuma: So, with regards to the team, we haven't decided on that yet. That will be finalised today once we have a proper final look at the wicket. All options are available at this point in time.

In terms of the last time, we played here, I never played in that game. I think I was sick during that game. But I think conversations have been had amongst the batters. Just, I guess, being more clinical in assessing the conditions and adjusting our games according to that.

I think tomorrow again will be the same like we have been doing the last couple of months- assess conditions and play accordingly. Not every wicket is going to be a Bloem [Bloemfontein] type of wicket where you can come out and hit through the line. So, I guess it's just being more savvy from that point of view. I think that's just going to be the order of the World Cup. From my experience of playing in India, I can only say that you can get different conditions on any given day and you can be caught sleeping if you're not aware of that.

Reporter:One of the interesting things that you mentioned before you guys departed is that you actually want to strike a balance between playing winning cricket and starting well but also probably not, I almost want to say overheating, not peaking you know at the wrong time. I just thought that was an interesting concept you guys have been sort of like discussing and what is the key to playing winning cricket, but probably not peaking too early in your tournament.

Temba Bavuma: I think in terms of peaking I don't know if that's something that we can really control, to be honest with you. In terms of starting well, that has always been a focal area around us as a team. We've spoken a lot about that. We've tried to find practical ways as to how we can start well. We haven't always started well to be honest but the focus and the awareness is there. Like I said, with the World Cup and playing each team once, any team can win on the day, so if you're not there on the day, you can get caught with your pants down. But I think in terms of the conversations that we've had within the team; I honestly don't think nothing is going to change for us. It's all going to be about the process, as cliché as it can be. We want to go out, see what the conditions are on the day and play accordingly. But most importantly, play accordingly to how we'd like to play our cricket. You will have heard the guys speak a lot about the brand of cricket, nothing really unique to us as a team, all the countries are playing in a certain way. That's our biggest challenge. How can we keep turning out those type of performances game in game out

Reporter: There's a lot of debates going about the future of ODI cricket because of T20 and all. For a national team captain, how difficult is it for you to motivate cricketers to keep playing for their country? Because we have seen Quinton de Kock before the tournament, he has announced that he will not be playing ODIs after this. So as a captain, how difficult is it for you to motivate players, youngsters to play for South Africa instead of picking leagues?

Temba Bavuma: Yeah, I think it can be a tricky or challenging one. I don't know if it's my job as the captain to inspire the guys to play ODI cricket but I think my biggest thing is that when the guys have that opportunity to play for the country, they give it their all. It's becoming tougher and tougher for I guess guys to overlook the opportunity of the lucrativeness of playing in franchise T20 leagues. And that's just the real thing. I think organisations around the countries, at least for cricket South Africa, what I know, are trying to get ahead of that trend. Maybe that trend is already gone, but they are trying to accommodate those individuals who have those opportunities of plying their trades outside of just playing for South Africa.

But yeah, I think for me, it's when you're within the team and you have that opportunity to wear that patch, that you do it with honour, you do it with pride, and you don't take anything for granted.

Reporter: Temba, you talked about the different conditions you expect in India. But you have a very pace-heavy attack. Could you shed some light on that attack with KG, Lungi, and Lizaad also coming in right now? Could you talk to us about the roles that you have for these players? You have five pacers with your team, so could you talk about how exciting is that? Do you go sheerly by their pace and potency or do you even take the conditions in consideration?

Temba Bavuma: Yeah, I think with the South African attack as predictable as it may be, we always kind of lean to planning around our fast bowlers. That is our strength as a South African team. So, I think that's no secret to anyone who would be planning against us. I think with that being said, you know, when we have a guy like Keshav, guys like Shamsi, that does give us our opportunity there when the conditions do speak to playing more than one spinner, we do have we do have guys we can step in and do that quite well.

But I think the biggest thing like you said is the conditions and trying to put together a team, trying to put together a tactic that speaks to those conditions and conditions that we can exploit as best as we can.

Reporter: Temba, I think all of us in this room know of South Africa's history at World Cups and you yourself have been on the sharp end of some of those disappointments. I'm sure there's expectation on your shoulders now. You can probably feel it coming from home and everywhere, but what does it do that, I think it's fair to say, South Africa coming into this tournament is probably people are talking about other sides a little more than they're talking about South Africa in terms of chances of winning it. So, what does that do to you or do you just block all of that out?

Temba Bavuma: I think most guys will tell you that they try to block it out. I think it's probably impossible to block out that noise if I could say. That expectation, that pressure, I think will always be there. It will obviously be heightened when it comes to a World Cup type of event. I think I took a bit of comfort at the captain's dinner when I heard the other captain speak about pressure and kind of hearing and understanding that the emotions and the effect is all the same for all of us.

So, I think the biggest thing, at least for myself, is to accept that it is what it is. As a South African team, we know we're going to have that chip on our block, or that narrative that we have to get over. And I mean, that's always going to be there until we win a silverware. Or we win a trophy.

So, I mean we understand that as a team. We're not oblivious to all of that. But I think our biggest way of dealing with that is to be fully focused on, obsessed with each other, in ourselves, and how we want to go about doing our work on the field. We understand that it's going to be a process. It's a process of nine games getting through those group stages, getting into the playoffs and there's almost a belief that once we get into the playoffs anything can happen and things can really go can go in our favour.

But look, that pressure, that expectation, that's always going to be there for us as a team, for any Proteas cricketing team. That's something you just got to deal with I guess however, where you are.

Reporter: Do you think bowling is still a concern for you guys a bit, considering you gave away some runs during the warm-up?

Temba Bavuma: I wouldn't say it's a concern. I think, yes, there are areas that we can improve on. We always try to judge ourselves in the three different phases within the game and I think we haven't had a lot of instances where in all three phases being the power play, the middle and the death, where we've dominated as a bowling team so from that point of view, I do believe that there's room for improvement and the guys are aware of that.

I don't think it's all a skill thing. The guys put in the work that they do in the nets. I think it's probably more from a mental point of view, guys getting themselves into a head space where they can play their best cricket.

But I do believe it is a team effort type of thing. There are days where the batting attack won't fire and we're going to need the bowlers to come through and vice versa. At the moment, maybe it's the batters who are firing, who are taking on that responsibility. But yeah, there is room for us to improve within the bowling front.

Reporter: Does it help for your team to not have the favourites tag going to the World Cup?

Temba Bavuma: I don't think it really helps because I mean we have our own pressures and expectations, our own as a team, but also ones that come from outside the team. So, I mean, whether you're the favourites or not, I don't think it really matters. I think the challenge will always be for us to go out and play our best cricket, game in, game out. And that's where that pressure or expectation is.

Reporter: Sir, my question for you is, Heinrich Klaassen is in a very rich vein of form how crucial how great he will be in conditions against pace and spin alike because he's taking down everyone right now, one of the best now.

Temba Bavuma: Yeah, Klaassen is walking on water at the moment with the way he's been batting. He's obviously a big player, a big player for us. He's been part of our group for a number of years and he's truly shown why there's been so much faith and backing in his ability. Obviously he comes in and he marshals that middle order of our batting and I guess his success, not to take credit away from it, but his success is probably largely due to the platform that it gets from the guys who come in just be at the top of the order whether it be Quinton whether it be myself whether it be Rassie at the top three so I think it's important that those guys do their jobs so guys like Klaassen even a guy like David [Miller], Aiden [Markram] can go out and do what we expect and want them to do.

Reporter: Temba, I know you talked about that there's obviously some tweaks that can still be done in terms of the bowling department and stuff. It's actually a two-part question. Just like, how useful was it to play in different conditions against Australia at home? And also, you must be pretty encouraged that even though there's still some work to be done, you guys, particularly in those last three games, were actually quite potent. You took your wickets.

Temba Bavuma: Yeah, definitely. I think the way we performed in those last three ODIs in that series epitomises us as a team. Again, we started slowly within that series, but we managed to pick it up so and I think like you said, within the bowling there were definitely improvements.

I think if we look at the death, we were always going to be put under pressure the way guys like David Warner, Travis Head, Marsh came out and played. They were always going to put us under pressure.

But I think that, in honesty, has put us in good stead. We don't believe it will get any tougher than that. I think Australia were getting about 90 in 10 overs. We don't expect teams to be getting more than that. So, I think we were really stretched from that point of view.

Middle phases, the way we went about it there, we really improved and we hardly got to situations where we were bowling in the death.

So, there was definitely an upward trajectory within our bowling in that series. And I guess for us it's just to continue with that momentum and keep getting better.

We'll always be chasing that perfect game not just within the bowling but within the batting and until we can be able to sit there after a game and say we've ticked all the boxes in the different phases we'll be happy but until then our role is to come into the press and say there's room for us to improve.

Reporter: Temba, what positive or strength do you see within your squad? I mean, what does South Africa have that no other team has in this World Cup according to you?

Temba Bavuma: Yeah, I think, probably not so much from the skill point of view, because I think all the teams have match winners within, at their disposal, whether it be batting or bowling. I think for us, the biggest thing is our character. You'll hear a lot of guys speak about our resilience. I think that's something that really stands for us in good point. There's also a willingness or desire from guys to put in the big performances for the team. That's at least something that I felt in the last couple of months. So, I think that's something that we will be leaning towards, guys not shying away from those pressure moments, going towards them, and really grabbing the opportunity or the game by the scruff of its neck.

So, I think yeah more from a personality of the team, that's probably where our strength is- our resilience and our willingness and desire to make a play for the team.

Reporter: Temba, you spoke earlier about, you know, you guys really knowing about the psychology of everything and that you will only shake all the tags that you have once you win a tournament. I was just wondering, when you guys speak about this, do you ever use the word choke?

Temba Bavuma: I've used it a couple of times but you don't really hear it coming about within the team and I think there are guys who believe that it applies to this team, there are guys who don't believe that it applies to this team.

I think the belief amongst the team, that's the most important bit I bring up to just make sure that we're not kind of skirting around the issue that it's something that is there, it's something that will always have to deal with. So mentally make sure that you know how you're going to deal with it. But again, it's just that acceptance that it would always be there within the team, within this group, within guys who are to come. Hopefully they don't have to experience that. It's something that will just exist, I guess, for as long as we do what we need to do.

Transcript of Sri Lanka Coach Chris Silverwood pre-match press conference

Reporter: Are all 15 players available for selection?

Chris Silverwood: No, at the moment, Theekshana is still recovering from a hamstring injury, so he won't be available for this game. But we expect him to be available very soon. The rest of them are fine.

Reporter: Chris, about the conditions here, what is the impression, how does the pitch look like and what would you expect from it?

Chris Silverwood: I expect it to be a very good pitch. Speaking to Mahela who has got good knowledge of the wickets around here, and speaking to the curator last night and looking at the wicket, it looks a good wicket. History tells us it's likely to be a high-scoring game. And you're looking at the size of the boundaries, I would expect it to be a high-scoring game as well. So, for me, I expect it to be a belter.

Reporter: This coming year after the debacle of the final in Asia Cup and the form of your captain has been quite poor and injury concerns. So how do you see this tournament panning out with the beginning from tomorrow's match?

Chris Silverwood: Well, I mean, first and foremost, we're prepared to the best of our abilities. We've been treated very well since we've been here at some great facilities from a team point of view, we know on our day we can go toe-to-toe with anybody.

So, we prepare in exactly the same way all the time and injuries may happen and we have to deal with them the same as any other team does but we know given the right conditions, given the right day we can go toe-to-toe with anybody.

So, we'll be going out there looking to win as always but we expect a very tough game tomorrow.

We know there are some very tough games during this tournament and I think although everybody talks about the final in the Asia Cup, we played some very good cricket together and we got there despite people not thinking we could, so actually we know we can play some good cricket.

Reporter: Nissanka hasn't been giving big runs you know there were a couple of 40-odd scores here and there in the Asia Cup. So is there any message for him, is there any talk with him regarding form or batting or any special preparations?

Chris Silverwood: Yeah, no, nothing to be honest. What we have had is some good starts. If we look back from the World Cup qualifiers to where we are now, we've had some solid starts from the top of the order. I think the one thing that we need to capitalise on is those solid starts and obviously go big towards the end. So that's one area we have been working on and it's certainly not a secret that that's something we've been working on. But I think the top of the order, they've done a solid job for us so far and I expect them to carry on doing that.

Reporter: Not a Sri Lankan, but what do you think it would mean to the people of that country who've had some tough times of late but have known cricket glory in the past? What do you think it would mean to Sri Lankans for the team to give a good account of themselves in this tournament?

Chris Silverwood: I think for a country it would be huge. I certainly sat in the dressing room and all the players in there feel the pride that comes out the country, they feel the support that comes from the great people that sit there supporting us. And equally when we're walking around in Colombo, everybody wants to talk cricket. So, there is so much love for the game. And I think it would be huge if we could put a good show on here for them. And bring a smile back into the country's faces with what we're trying to do.

Reporter: Something on Pathirana, obviously there's always a mood around the cricket world that people are opting for T20 leagues and when someone like MS Dhoni in public says that he shouldn't even be considered for ODI cricket, how do you keep the team together and motivate these youngsters from Sri Lanka when the lure for money and IPL is so much bigger and someone like MS Dhoni suggests in public that he shouldn't be playing ODI cricket. So how do you get the players in the mood for the ODI World Cup like that?

Chris Silverwood: Well, I've not read that what MS has said and so to be honest it doesn't bother me in the slightest, it's got nothing to do with us. But what I will say is somebody like Pathirana is a very exciting young talent and he's got a lot to showcase in 50-over cricket as well and I think it would be wrong to deprive him of that opportunity. And I think it would be wrong for us not to have him out there and not let Sri Lankan people see what their young talented cricketers can do out on the cricket field.

So, for me I get very excited about the young talent coming through, not just him, we have other youngsters as well. And I think it's great that we can give them a stage to go show off on. So, for me, they go out there, they spread their wings and fly. And let's see what they can achieve.

Reporter: Sri Lanka is known for their unorthodox bowlers and all. So how is it being the coach for them, how do you handle them? Do you want them to be traditional or bowl like they are doing since their childhood? Is there any type of strategy you keep on suggesting to them or you want them to play freely?

Chris Silverwood: From them being unorthodox, I think from my point of view, it's a great learning curve for me as well. To get away from the orthodox bowling action, to see someone like Pathirana, for me it was, okay, how do I work with this guy? What does he want from me? And it's been a great journey so far. And I find myself listening to him a lot because I'm not going to tinker with his action It's his own, it's his, and it works for him. For me, it's about teaching him how to bowl now in ODI cricket and look at angles and things like that but no way am I going to try and change his action because the last thing I want to do is take the X factor away from him and that's what he's got, he's got X factor.

Reporter: How crucial will Dunith Wellalage be in absence of Wanindu Hasaranga? As an all-rounder, how much has his role has changed or has it become any larger due to the absence of Hasaranga?

Chris Silverwood: Well, to be honest, I mean, Dunith has shown us what a good young cricketer is and he's got an old head on young shoulders and I think he's played his cricket with maturity so far and I think he's shown his worth with bat and ball and he's a good young fielder as well. We're not going to put any more pressure on him than that, so for me he goes out and he plays his way. He knows his role in the team and he's very happy with that. So, for me it's about not putting pressure on these guys, it's about taking pressure off them and I want him to go out and enjoy himself and show the rest of the world how good he is and if we can do that and give him that freedom, I think we'll see the best of him.

Reporter:

Chris, the opening combination, what's your plan going forward and also you tried Dimuth in the middle order as well during the warm-up game. Any thought of playing him there?

Chris Silverwood: I won't be telling you our combinations before tomorrow. Nice try though.

Reporter: This isn't the strongest Sri Lankan group when you compare it with the past Sri Lankan teams, but somehow you managed to win the T20 Asia Cup last year and you managed to make it to the final this year.

So, what would you say is the success mantra on the ground with such a young team?

Chris Silverwood: I think first and foremost it’s creating an environment within the dressing room that these guys can talk, speak with freedom, and go out and play with freedom as well. One thing I always try and encourage them to do is to find solutions to problems. Every day when you go into a cricket field there are challenges and problems put in front of you. I want them to become self-thinking, self-sufficient cricketers who can figure things out on the field for themselves and I think one thing that they have done is embrace that and they've showed that every time they get a challenge put in front of them, they try their very best to find a way around it and they've done it more often than not. You're not going to do it all the time as we've seen but I think the consistency will come in our team once we start learning to do that more and more and more.

Reporter: Coach, what's the update on Kusal Perera? He had a niggle and then the captain also had a small niggle. Are they fully fit and then what's your concern on batting collapses? We had quite a few even in the warm-up game after Kusal retired.

Chris Silverwood: Yeah, I mean as I said previously the two of them are ready to go. And we can't hide behind the fact that actually we haven't kicked on from solid starts and again we missed an opportunity in the warm-up game to do that. As I said, there's no point hiding behind it. It's a ‘work-on’ for us and it's an area that we're trying to improve constantly. So again, it's just trying to give them confidence, especially now we're in competition. I mean, we're heading into our first game. We've got to try and give them as much confidence as possible and as much guidance and a plan for doing that - a framework that they can work with. So as coaches, we've been working very hard with the batsmen to do that. And we've just got to go out there and do it now.

Reporter: So, do you think that this World Cup can save the ODI cricket because people's interest is shifting towards T20s and Test and yesterday it wasn't a house full for the opener?

Chris Silverwood: Yeah, I mean listen T20 is here to stay and It's a beast of its own now and I don't think you can do anything about that. It's attractive, it's got all the razzmatazz, especially when you look at the IPL and the glamour that goes around that and equally the money that's available for the players to play in that. And you're playing against the best people in the world all the time. So, for me I think that's a great thing. I think if we can put a good show on, I mean not just Sri Lanka but all the teams here can put a good show on and actually show that this format of a game is great as well, I think it will go a long way to obviously promoting the game.

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