Follow UsWith just four days until South Africa's opening Champions Trophy Encounter against Afghanistan in Karachi, skipper Temba Bavuma has insisted that his side carry no baggage whatsoever going into the tournament.
South Africa have not won a a single One-Day International (ODI) since October and are currently on a six-match losing streak in the format. They lost both their matches in the recent ODI tri-series in Pakistan as well, first against New Zealand before losing against Pakistan.
However, Bavuma, who led South Africa to the 2023 World Cup semi-final, is not too perturbed by that. "It's for us as a group to connect strongly again and to remind ourselves about how we want to play," Bavuma said.
"That confidence and knowing comes from how we have performed as a group. These guys have all known each other for the past four or five years. There's no baggage coming into this tournament, we are looking forward to playing our best cricket."
Despite losses to Pakistan and New Zealand in the tri-series, Bavuma believes that those matches gave him and his side some insights into the conditions.
"It was important for us to get a proper understanding of the conditions," he said.
"We saw how tough it was to get 10 wickets, and as bowlers, we've discussed different plans and approaches. From a batting perspective, we've also focused on the importance of runs and the scoreboard pressure it creates."
Other than Afghanistan, the Proteas also have Australia and England to contend with in Group B.