South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock believes the start of the Rugby World Cup in France on Friday has taken some of the pressure off the cricket team ahead of the ICC Twenty20 (T20) tournament which starts on Tuesday.
”We’re a sports mad country, but I think a lot of the expectations are focussed on the Springboks,” Pollock said at a press conference on Wednesday. ”We were staying in the same hotel as them, so it was nice to exchange some views and wish them luck.
”But there is definitely more pressure on them than on us. What is also good is that we have got all our commitments out of the way, and we can now go to Potchefstroom and concentrate on preparing for the tournament.”
Pollock said the Proteas were looking forward to the T20 tournament with keen anticipation.
Different mindset
”It’s a very exciting format, and it gives the guys a chance to express themselves,” he said. ”I think it can have an impact on the longer form of the game, particularly as far as things like death bowling are concerned, and we may even pick up some things to tweak our approach to Test cricket.”
He said that while T20 was a batsman’s game, it still offered bowlers a chance to do well, because batsmen were trying to score runs as quickly as possible and, therefore, gave the bowlers an opportunity to take wickets.
”It’s a different mindset,” he said. ”I think that’s partly why spin bowlers are doing well in this form of the game. They are more used to being hit for boundaries, and take that in their stride, knowing that they still have the capability to take wickets.
”It’s hard to know what would be a good economy rate in T20,” he added. ”There haven’t been enough international matches yet. I find the hardest part is getting into your bowling spell. I sometimes need the first three or four overs to get into my rhythm, but in 20-over cricket your spell is finished after four overs. But if there’s a wicket that does something, you can be a little more stingy.
”I hope I’ll get a chance to inflict some damage with the bat as well. I would enjoy moving up the order a bit.”
Pollock dismissed suggestions that South Africa were chokers.
”There is no time to choke in 20-over cricket,” he said. ”T20 is like a sprint, whereas one-day cricket is more like 800m. If you get off to a bad start in a 20 over match, you can lose the game, but if you get off to a good start, you can take the game away from the other side.”
Asked about the absence of South Africa’s premier batsman, Jacques Kallis, Pollock said that Kallis’s reaction to being left out of the team showed how important the tournament was to everybody.
”With it being a home event, Jacques was obviously very disappointed not to be included. I think his reaction shows that it’s going to be a very special event.” – Sapa