The South African team embraced an 18-hour stop in Dubai between their matches in Pakistan. They utilized this break to relax, take walks, and enjoy meals as a way to refresh themselves between the Champions Trophy group stage and their semi-final clash against New Zealand on Wednesday.
South Africa and Australia were the two teams that briefly departed Pakistan after their final group matches due to scheduling complexities. This was a precautionary measure in case either team needed to play in the semi-final against India in Dubai on Tuesday. With Australia confirmed for the Dubai semi-final, South Africa returned to Pakistan, viewing the quick travel turnaround as a routine part of the tournament.
Heinrich Klaasen, speaking from Lahore, acknowledged the demanding schedule, stating, “We were aware of the high possibility of needing to travel back and forth.” He admitted, “It’s not ideal for the players’ physical condition, but we managed to get out, walk around, loosen up, and have some good steak.” He added, “We anticipated this situation as part of the schedule, and unfortunately, we were one of the teams affected.”
After securing their semi-final spot with a seven-wicket victory over England, South Africa departed Karachi on Sunday morning. They arrived back in Pakistan on Monday at 11 am, later than New Zealand, who had left at 4 am following their loss to India on Sunday evening. Klaasen believes this schedule gives South Africa a slight advantage in rest, particularly since they didn’t have to leave Pakistan during the group stage like some other Group A teams.
“We haven’t had excessive travel during this competition,” Klaasen noted. “It was indeed a hectic 18 hours. New Zealand played a game and had to travel just six hours after. We, at least, had some downtime to stretch, recover, and then return. I think our team will be physically better prepared than theirs, but this is professional cricket. You have to accept it, recover effectively, and focus on performing.”
Some South African players, including Marco Jansen, spent part of their Dubai downtime playing night golf. While teams are permitted to play golf outside hotels in Pakistan, South Africa has adhered to hotel stays due to security concerns, unlike in Dubai where they have more freedom. Several team members also visited a mall in Dubai. Klaasen mentioned that only some support staff watched the India versus New Zealand match.
Despite potentially not needing Dubai conditions intel unless they face India in the final, Klaasen highlighted the contrasting conditions. “Pakistan conditions are favorable for batting, making it tougher for bowlers. Dubai wickets are slower, but you still need to play well.”
He concluded, “Regardless of the venue, we must defeat two strong teams to win. Whether it’s New Zealand and then potentially India or Australia, we have to play excellent cricket to lift this trophy. The location is secondary to the quality of cricket we need to play.”
Having reached their third consecutive ICC event knockout stage, South Africa feels they have consistently played well over the past two years. They aim to secure a major trophy after their first-ever World Cup semi-final win at the previous T20 tournament. A significant portion of that squad is present at this Champions Trophy, eager to advance further.
“There’s less nervousness now due to our increased semi-final experience. We are playing good cricket,” Klaasen stated. “Since 2018, we’ve played remarkably well, just facing some unfortunate moments and close game losses. But our consistent performance is now yielding results. The team is showing more composure in crucial moments. We hope to reach another final. We have the experience; now key players need to step up on Wednesday.”
Regardless of their tournament outcome, South Africa has already addressed pre-tournament concerns about their form, which included a home ODI series whitewash against Pakistan and a six-match losing streak. White-ball coach Rob Walter attributed those results to the absence of key players, confident they would perform when it counted, a prediction that has proven accurate. Klaasen advised South Africans to expect similar strategies in future bilateral series, focusing on player development, even at the cost of immediate results, to ensure the best team is ready for major events.
“The public should understand that post-ICC events, we use bilateral series to explore our player pool, providing opportunities so that backup players gain international experience,” he explained. “Expecting young players to consistently perform and win every game is unrealistic.”
“Over the last few years, we’ve consciously expanded our player group. This approach may lead to some losses. However, as long as our primary team and first-choice players perform when it truly matters, I see no problem with this strategy.”
