South Africa coach Corrie van Zyl says they would not take Ireland lightly – ICC World Cup 2011 news
The South Africa coach, Corrie van Zyl on Monday said that they would not take Ireland lightly as they play the leading associate side in a penultimate group fixture of the ICC World Cup 2011 in Kolkata on Tuesday.
“We are fully aware of what Ireland have done and can do and so it's important how we prepare, not just from a tactical point of view but also from a mental point of view. But we are certainly aware of that,” said van Zyl while talking to
the media.
The 49-year-old former South Africa cricketer said that he has been impressed by Ireland’s performance. He said that not only their fielding was impressive but also their fighting attitude has stunned the followers of cricket.
Van Zyl said that Saturday’s breathtaking three-wicket victory against India came as a huge morale-booster for his side. However, he warned his men of complacency and has asked them to play the Irish as a tough opponent.
“I think it was really a good psychological boost for us, going ahead in this tournament,” said the former Proteas player who just played two One Day Internationals for the national side. “It was a very important game for us in the tournament
and from a psychological point of view.”
In their last fixture, the Proteas defeated co-hosts and tournament hot favourites http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 came out victorious with three wickets to spare.
However, van Zyl said that looking at Ireland’s giant-killing status, they are not in the mood to relax.
South Africa have six points from four games. Their last two matches are against minnows http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, and they have a very good chance of topping the group by defeating the tournament outsiders in their next two games.
However, the Proteas coach said that they are taking one game at a time and are just focusing on the match against Ireland for the time being. Van Zyl also hinted at playing an unchanged squad against the Irish, barring injuries.
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