Understated Celebrations as South Africa Reach First Men’s World Cup Final
Despite making their maiden appearance in the men’s Cricket World Cup final, the South African team’s reaction has been somewhat muted. The outpouring of emotion has come more from former players who endured the team’s past near-misses rather than the current squad members.
South African captain Aiden Markram exudes an even-headed approach, with some even describing him as “dull” off the field. This pragmatic mindset seems to have permeated the team, as their post-match media interactions did not suggest a side relieved to have crossed a hurdle they had fallen at seven times previously.
The team’s mental strength has often been questioned, with the “choker” tag being thrown around liberally. This is only their second win in a World Cup knockout match, yet they have hardly displayed any overwhelming emotion.
Markram, however, believes that winning close games has instilled a sense of belief within the squad. “It does a lot for your changing room and the vibe in the changing room. We’ll take a little bit of confidence from that and see if we can put it to any use in the final,” he said.
Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi provided a slightly better insight into the significance of the achievement, recounting an emotional interaction with former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn, who spoke of the team’s journey and the foundation laid by past players.
Shamsi highlighted the team’s balanced approach, stating that the responsibility to win games is not placed on any individual’s shoulders. “Everybody’s really relaxed, and in this team no one is given the responsibility to win the game for the team,” he said, pointing to the depth and versatility of the squad.
Markram echoed these sentiments, expressing confidence in the squad’s ability to adapt to various conditions and opposition. “We’re really happy as a white-ball group where we are and the options that we do have when it comes to selection,” he said.
The key to their understated celebrations seems to be their focus on the task at hand – winning the final. As Shamsi succinctly put it, “It’s a huge achievement, but when we arrived for the World Cup, we didn’t come here to get to the final, we came here to win the final as did all the other teams.”
With the final just two days away, the South African team appears determined to keep their emotions in check and concentrate on the job at hand, rather than getting caught up in the significance of their historic achievement.
🔗 Source