West Indies enter South Africa T20 clash with nothing to prove, says coach

Unbeaten West Indies are being underestimated despite their flawless record so far in the Twenty20 World Cup, batting coach Floyd Reifer said ahead of their Super Eight clash against South Africa on Thursday when they hope to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

“There’s no point to prove for us and we came here like any other team to win the competition,” Reifer told reporters on Wednesday.

“A lot of people have us flying under the radar but we plan every game to go in there with a positive mentality to win cricket games.”

West Indies are chasing World Cup glory for the first time in a decade, having last triumphed in 2016, and Reifer credits their success to squad depth rather than star power.

“We have quality batters and we’re not like the other teams – depending on one or two batters. Everybody has stepped up every game and put in performances and we’ve been consistent in doing that,” he said.

South African spinner Keshav Maharaj believes his side, finalists in the last edition, have finally developed the character to overcome the shortcomings that have historically derailed their World Cup campaigns.

“In previous World Cups, we never crossed over those small moments… If the character is strong in winning those small moments, it propels us to go further on in this tournament,” Maharaj said.

Despite the energy buzzing through the camp after Sunday’s 76-run victory over India, Maharaj warned against complacency against a West Indies side fresh off a mammoth 107-run win over Zimbabwe.

“We’re not getting carried away at that. We still know that there’s a lot of cricket to be played in this tournament,” the 36-year-old said.

South Africa will be playing their fifth match of the tournament in Ahmedabad but Maharaj said that would not give them any advantage and stressed the need for clear execution and adaptation.

“West Indies have a way of turning up in these events and we know the danger they possess from an explosive point of view,” he added.

Regardless of Thursday’s outcome, the group featuring defending champions India, West Indies, Zimbabwe and South Africa will remain wide open, with all four teams having an equal chance of reaching the semi-finals.