South Africa has advanced to the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and is heading to Dubai, although there’s a possibility they may return to Pakistan for their match against New Zealand. Star player Marco Jansen views the trip to Dubai positively, as it allows him to play golf. He notes that the short flight feels like a domestic trip and emphasizes that playing conditions in Dubai won’t give either team a significant advantage, as both have experience there. Jansen’s strong performance against England has bolstered South Africa’s confidence in their pursuit of the Champions Trophy.
After reaching the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Saturday, South Africa finds itself heading to Dubai, despite a 50 percent chance of returning to Pakistan for their semi-final matchup. Both South Africa and Australia are in a unique predicament, as they had to travel to Dubai for the first semi-final against India. Yet, one of the Proteas or the Kangaroos may have to go back to Pakistan for the second semi-final against New Zealand. With the matchups for this crucial round still uncertain, an unprecedented twist has emerged in the current Champions Trophy.
Marco Jansen, a star player for South Africa, shared his thoughts about the situation during a press conference, stating that he welcomed the trip to Dubai as it provided an opportunity for some golf. While many believe the ICC’s decision was unwarranted, Jansen likened it to a domestic flight within Pakistan.
“Yeah, I don’t mind it. I haven’t played golf in a long time, so I’m looking forward to that. Yeah, no we don’t – luckily it’s a short flight. It’s an hour-and-a-half flight, so it’s sort of like a domestic flight back home. It’s not too much of a hassle, or if you can call it like that. But yeah, like I said, I’m pretty excited to play some golf,” Jansen remarked on Saturday just hours before their flight to Dubai.
“Yeah, we’ll see how they do against New Zealand because obviously that’s going to determine who we play in the semi-final, and that also will tell us where we’re playing. But if we play in Dubai and it’s against India, obviously they’ve had training and that kind of stuff, so they will be more accustomed to the conditions. But we’ve also played in Dubai, so it’s not something new for us. We handle spin really well. So, I don’t think it’s a significant advantage, if you can frame it that way. I just think it all boils down to who performs better on the day,” he added.
Jansen has played a crucial role recently, earning Player of the Match honors against England, where he took 3 wickets for 39 runs in seven overs, along with three catches.
“I wouldn’t say the mindset changes (going into the semi-finals); it’s just that the occasion is likely a bit more hyped up, I guess. You try your processes, which is a fancy term, but for me, it’s about having your steps or guides that you follow into every match, and in the semi-finals, you just aim to execute that extraordinarily well, if that makes sense, whatever that may be for you,” he told the media after South Africa’s victory over England, as reported by the ICC.
The current form indicates that the Proteas have all the elements in place to secure the Champions Trophy from this point forward.
While inclement weather prevented the cricketing world from seeing how they fared against Australia, there’s no doubt they outperformed an England team loaded with talent.
With ANI Inputs
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