South Africa’s journey to the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals took an unexpected detour, with the team flying to Dubai and back within 18 hours. However, as they prepare to face New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday, batter Heinrich Klaasen insists the whirlwind trip will not impact their performance.
The travel chaos stemmed from the tournament’s scheduling, which required both South Africa and Australia to travel to the United Arab Emirates while awaiting the result of the final Group A match between India and New Zealand. With India securing victory and topping the group, only Australia remained in Dubai for their semi-final against India, while South Africa made a swift return to Pakistan.
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Despite the disruption, Klaasen believes the team is well-prepared. “It was not ideal for the bodies, but we had some time to get out and walk about. We knew ahead of time that two teams were going to have to travel,” he said.
The quick turnaround meant the Proteas had to endure two flights of around five hours each within a short period. But Klaasen downplayed any concerns about fatigue, saying, “We haven’t travelled a lot in this competition, to be fair. It was just a crazy 18 hours. We could stretch our legs and recover before we had to come back. It is part of professional cricket these days. There is not much more to say about it.”
Now settled in Lahore, South Africa are shifting focus to the conditions they will face in their crucial knockout match against the Black Caps. “It is quite chilly (in Lahore), so I think the ball will swing a little bit more. It is a good skill that needs to be applied. But Pakistan is a nice place to bat,” Klaasen noted.
South Africa’s recent record in ICC events gives them confidence. They reached the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and finished as runners-up in last year’s T20 World Cup. Klaasen believes those experiences will serve them well.
“The nerves are a little bit less because we have more experience in the semi-final department,” he said. “We are playing good cricket at ICC events, we have just had some bad luck and things not go our way. We are holding our composure in the bigger moments. The big boys just need to step up on Wednesday.”
A victory over New Zealand would send South Africa into the final, where they would face either India in Dubai or Australia in Lahore. By then, the Proteas will hope their unexpected travel detour will be a distant memory.
