Following the impressive display against the West Indies at the weekend, Proteas fast bowler Marco Jansen says the infamous ‘chokers tag’ is now out the window.
The Proteas produced yet another emphatic win at the T20 World Cup. They beat co-hosts West Indies by three wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis method (due to rain) during their Super Eight clash on Monday.
The result means that South Africa is unbeaten in six matches. This has booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition. And this is where they will battle against a tricky Afghanistan side on Thursday.
Guided the Proteas to a thrilling victory
Jansen was instrumental on the crease alongside partner in crime Kagiso Rabada in the last two overs of the game. And he ultimately guided the Proteas to a thrilling victory. He said the current crop of players is on a serious mission to prove doubters wrong.
“In the past people labeled us as chokers. But now that is sort of out of the window and not in our heads,” Jansen said. He was speaking during a Zoom press conference on Monday.
“So, we know and recognise that is what people will say about us if we lose. So for us, it’s all about proving those people wrong and changing the narrative for us going forward.”
The Proteas have won most of their games at the T20 World Cup by fine margins. They left thousands of staunch South African cricket fans catching their breath after every win.
Confidence boost
Jansen says the close victories have done nothing but boost their confidence. It has boosted their belief that they can always get over the line, even in difficult situations.
“For example, some people say that the win against Nepal, we probably didn’t deserve it since we did not play our best game. But for me, it showed that certain things don’t matter. Because everyone was switched on at the right time and made things happen in our favor.
“But getting those close wins, I don’t think it does our sanity any good. Getting the team over the line in difficult situations and against different oppositions can only add confidence to our team going forward.
“So, for us, it’s to take every win as it comes and it’s not a case of, ‘we think we’re invincible’. Because we know anything can happen, especially in tight situations.
“We will just try to continue setting ourselves up as best as possible for every situation,” Jansen added.
