After leading South Africa to their first-ever T20 World Cup final, skipper Aiden Markram encouraged his team to stay composed and not to be intimidated by the upcoming title match. (Highlights | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
South Africa brutally defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets in the first semifinal and now confidently await the winners of the second last-four clash between India and England.
"It is one more step for us, it (the final) is an opportunity we have never had, nothing to be scared of," said Markram in the post-match presentation ceremony.
"This win means a lot. We have some world-class players in the side but like I said, it takes a whole squad to be able to deliver such a performance.”
Markram praised his bowlers for skunking Afghanistan for a mere 56.
"We were brilliant with the ball, got it in the right areas and kept it really simple. The bowlers have been incredible for us."
Markram acknowledged the difficulty batsmen faced due to the pitch's significant seam movement.
"It was challenging with the bat, as no batter is going to lie and tell you it was easy out there. We had a bit of luck and then got a bit of a partnership.”
The 29-year-old skipper breathed a sigh of relief, saying the whole team was glad for the easy win.
“We have had a few close games and a few people back home would have woken up early with more grey hairs. Glad today was a bit more comforting,” he stated.
Marco Jansen, Player of the Match with his early three-wicket haul, credited their disciplined bowling that targeted the good areas.
He said, "we were focusing on keeping the ball in the right areas."
"It's an incredible feeling. The team performed exceptionally well, executing our plans perfectly. Our focus was on bowling good lengths and observing how the pitch behaved. As the wicket began to open up, our strategy was simply to keep it straightforward", Jansen added.
