South Africa coach Gary Kirsten wants his team to raise their game – Cricket news Gary Kirsten, the South African coach, is not happy with his team’s performance in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 against India but hopes that the Proteas will turn the tables today against Pakistan. The former left-handed opening batsman thinks that the whole team needs to get their act together if they are to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. AB de Villiers and company lost their first group match of the mega event against India by 26 runs. “Some of our players haven’t quite hit their straps yet,” Kirsten said. “We all know that we don’t have much time and we are going to have to play well from here. I don’t think we were quite on fire the other day which is quite disappointing, we had chances in the game to turn it around.” The South Africans are handicapped in the all-important competition in the absence of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. On top of that, Morne Morkel has been ruled out of the event and Dale Steyn is also struggling with a side injury. Pretoria’s all-rounder, Chris Morris, has been called up to the squad as Morkel’s replacement. The 26-year-old cricketer did an exceptional job for Chennai Super Kings in the recently-concluded sixth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kirsten hopes that the right-arm seamer will carry on in the Champions Trophy from where he left in the IPL. “It’s nice to have him here. He has done well and more importantly he comes here with confidence. I have had to tell him that he may be playing. I’m sure he is looking forward to the opportunity,” he added. Morris has already played two T20 Internationals for the Proteas; however, the talented cricketer is yet to make his debut in the other two formats of the game. Despite the fact that Morris has just joined the South African squad in England, it is highly expected that the all-rounder will be given a chance to prove his credentials against Pakistan as the two teams will be up against each other today at Birmingham.
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