ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

October 25, 2021

Kagiso Rabada

Dubai International Stadium

South Africa

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. Kagi, you guys did not have the ideal start on Saturday against Australia, but you guys must take quite a lot of confidence out of the fact that you nearly restricted them to a very low total and could have got yourself over the rope had it not just been for one or two moments.

KAGISO RABADA: Yeah, it obviously wasn't the ideal start with the bat, and rarely do you ever have a perfect cricket game, although you would want both departments to balance out or balance each other out. If you also have a look at Australia, as well, we bowled extremely well, but yeah, their bowling outshined their batting, too.

So I guess it was probably a day for bowling, but in saying that, it's no excuse. We know that we have to perform well in all departments. We've analyzed what we have needed to do, and the guys are on it at the training grounds.

Whenever you do defend a low total, especially on a big platform like the World Cup, you're always going to give it your all. We came with a lot of intensity, and I think we're going to look to do more of the same, and we're going to try and do the same with our batting, too.

Q. Just looking at the balance of the side and maybe the difficulty between length in the batting lineup and getting enough bowling options, would you be open to batting higher up, and are you starting to see yourself as a lower order allrounder?

KAGISO RABADA: I look to score as many runs as I can because wherever you can play a hand to contributing to a winning team performance, I think that's what is on my mind, and I know that there's always a chance that I can come in and bat. It's an area that I've been working on.

When it comes to the balance of the side, I don't like to get involved. Whatever team is played has been the best team that has been, I guess, discussed by the selectors and the coach, so whatever team is played, that is the team that's going to be playing on the day, and you're going to have to produce the goods.

I don't like to get really involved in the balance of the team. I do believe in each and every player in our team.

Q. In regards to the batting unit, we know what Quinton means to that batting unit. Just how much momentum does the team take from when he gets going, and how easy is it to get that momentum going, particularly with the batting unit not firing last week?

KAGISO RABADA: Yeah, look, coming to this press conference, I kind of knew that people were going to ask or that you guys were going to ask a lot about the batting. We also see it as a concern. The last thing we need to do is keep bickering on and on about it.

Quinton is a top-quality player, and I guess he just didn't come off. Now we just need to look at it and come into the next game.

That's just how cricket goes. The batters know what they have to do. We know what we have to do as a team. No one is blaming anyone. But the world thing you can do is just harp on and on and on about it.

It is definitely an area that was of concern, and it's being addressed.

Quinton is a massive player for us. He's done extremely well for South Africa ever since he started playing. He's a world-class player, and he needs just to go in and do his thing.

Q. Your next opponent, the West Indies, recently got defeated by England in their opening fixture. Can you talk us through your thoughts on that game, and what will you guys be looking to improve, especially against a potentially hot batting lineup of the West Indies?

KAGISO RABADA: We obviously have our tactics, so we're going to need to make sure that we come with the same intensity and execute our tactics. Yeah, with the strategy that we have sort of built up, it's just about having the strategy, having the tactics and then executing it.

West Indies are going to be looking to come back really strong. We can't underestimate them. You can never estimate the West Indies. In fact, you can't underestimate any team, especially in a World Cup.

That game is behind. The game that they played against England, that's behind. Tomorrow is a completely new day, so we're going to have to go and deliver the goods, but at the same time enjoy it and have a smile on our faces. You guys put a lot of pressure. (Smiling.)

Q. In three of the four games a lot of wickets fell in the powerplay, and seamers have also played a part there. Were you surprised by that, and from a batting perspective -- obviously from a bowling perspective you put as much pressure on the powerplay as you can, but from a batting perspective has that sort of changed the way that you guys will approach the powerplay in this tournament?

KAGISO RABADA: Well, we have our strategies, and we're going to see what we can do best, especially in these conditions. We know that the ball, as you have seen, sort of moving around a bit. The play as far as I've noticed, it's not going to be free-flowing play. The wickets are not particularly flat. But they offer something for the bowlers.

We're just going to have to bat well and assess and play according to the conditions. We definitely have to adapt, and that's the challenge that we're faced with.

Q. If you're looking for positives, I suppose one is that South Africa at least batted better than West Indies did on Saturday.

KAGISO RABADA: That was just a joke, but yeah, I guess. (Chuckling.)

Q. Do you think that makes West Indies going into tomorrow's game, is that going to make them more dangerous, or do you think they're irredeemably wounded?

KAGISO RABADA: No, they're a dangerous team. You can't underestimate anyone. Tomorrow is a new day. We're going to have to go and be as disciplined as we were in our first game. We cannot take anything for granted. Yeah, that's pretty much it. It's a new game, and they're incredibly -- they're a strong, powerful team, T20 team especially.

Q. You mentioned a bit of assistance for you and the other pace bowlers in Abu Dhabi. Obviously pace bowlers dominated in that game. In Dubai are you expecting more of the same, or do you think spinners are going to come more into play as they were expected to before the tournament?

KAGISO RABADA: Yeah, there's been something for the spinners and something for the seamers, as well. Looking at last night's game and the England game against West Indies, there was a bit of assistance. There was a bit of bounce. Also looking at the IPL there was some assistance in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, too. The ball is sort of like stopping and it's a bit two-paced, so batters really have to apply themselves and bat well.

It's been proven when batters do apply themselves, then they can actually score some runs, and also the bowlers, you can't just rock up and put a ball in a spot. You really have to apply yourself. The wickets have been kind of in the balance.

But at the end of the day you also never know really what kind of wicket can be thrown at you, but obviously the expectation is that there will be a little bit in it for the seamers, a little bit in it for the seamers, too, some bounce, a little bit of -- some balls are two-paced.

Yeah, there's a lot to work with. Both departments need to apply themselves. Tomorrow is just about seeing what comes our way. We have to adapt.

Q. Just based on your body language the way I'm seeing you at the moment, you seem very upbeat at the moment. Can we read something into that? Are you guys still upbeat? Is that still the mood in the camp over the next couple of matches in this tournament? Because we've seen the past few days that even if you are the most favourite team to win by us, probably the media, to win this tournament, you can be beaten by the smallest team.

KAGISO RABADA: Yeah, anything can happen, but I guess at the end of the day it's not really about overthinking. This is a big platform. At the end of the day it's just another game of cricket. It's another game of cricket; however, we need to rock up and we need to be -- we need to rock up with proper intensity and play, I guess, close to our best. That's what we're here to do. We're here to win the World Cup, otherwise why would we be here.

It's just one game that we couldn't get over the line. Tomorrow is another day. Why be negative about it? Be positive. Whatever happens happens.