Champions Trophy – SA take Dubai stopover in their stride despite ‘a crazy 18 hours’

“We haven’t really traveled much during this tournament,” he said. “It was a wild 18 hours. New Zealand played a game and traveled six hours afterward. We had a chance to relax and recover before returning. I believe our bodies will be in a better state than theirs, but that’s part of professional cricket. You have to manage it and focus on recovering well and ensuring we perform at the end of the day.”

During their downtime, three South African players, including Marco Jansen, took the opportunity to play night golf in Dubai. Although the teams are permitted to leave their hotels in Pakistan for golf, South Africa has opted to remain at their accommodations due to the security situation in the country. In Dubai, however, they could freely go out. Other squad members spent their time visiting a mall, and Klaasen confirmed that none of them, apart from some support staff, watched the India vs. New Zealand match.

Interestingly, South Africa won’t require any insights into the conditions in Dubai unless both they and India make it to the final. Klaasen noted the distinct differences: “The conditions are quite different. The pitches in Pakistan are great for batting, so bowlers have a tougher task. In Dubai, the wickets are slower, but good cricket is still necessary.”

“No matter where you play, you still need to defeat two strong teams. If we beat New Zealand and India overcomes Australia, we still have to face India again. Similarly, if Australia wins, we must beat a formidable Australian side to clinch this trophy. Regardless of the venue, playing good cricket is essential.”

Having reached a third consecutive knockout stage in an ICC event, South Africa can argue they have indeed played well over the past two years. They hope to secure a major title after winning a World Cup semi-final for the first time in last year’s T20 tournament. Most of that squad is present at this Champions Trophy and ready to strive for more.

“The nerves are somewhat diminished since we have more experience in the semi-finals now. We’re performing well,” Klaasen said. “Since I joined the team in 2018, we’ve showcased some remarkable cricket. There have been bad luck moments and a couple of games that didn’t go our way, yet we’ve been playing solidly. The outcomes we’re witnessing now reflect that. The players are showing greater composure in critical game moments. We’re aiming to reach another final; the experienced players need to step up on Wednesday.”

Regardless of how far South Africa advances, they have already alleviated pre-tournament worries regarding poor form, which included being swept in an ODI home series against Pakistan and entering a six-match losing streak. White-ball coach Rob Walter attributed those results to the absence of key players, who he believed would perform when it mattered most, and he has been vindicated. Klaasen urged South Africans to brace for a similar approach in future bilateral events, aiming to provide experience to players, even at the cost of results, to ensure the best team is ready when it counts.

“The public needs to understand that post-ICC event, we’re looking to explore as a group, identifying potential and providing opportunities so that when players are needed as backups, they have international experience,” he said. “You can’t expect a young player to step in and perform flawlessly right away.”

“In recent years, we’ve focused on broadening our player base, and this may lead to some losses. As long as our main team and first-choice players deliver consistently when we need them, I don’t see any issue.”