World Cup 2023: After losses to both England and South Africa that were seen as shockers in the competition. Despite having some of the top players in the world in their team, Afghanistan defeated defending world champion England.
In contrast, South Africa played really well against the Netherlands, the only other associate country in this competition but ultimately fell short by 38 runs and today’s match will take place at Wankhede Ground.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma is enjoying the opportunity to play a huge ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against England, which brings back a lot of memories for him.
Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium is hosting its first game of the tournament on Saturday, and Bavuma can’t wait to play on the home turf of one of the biggest stars in the history of the game.
“I think for me, growing up, idolising a guy like Sachin Tendulkar, Wankhede was a stadium you always heard about. So, to have that opportunity to play here, that’s another tick off my list as a cricketer.
“The guys that have played here, JP Duminy, Quinton de Kock, have spoken about how it can be a batter’s paradise. You get value for your shots and the ball seems to travel further.
“So, I think as batters it can build a lot of confidence. And if it is your day, you can fill your boots. And I guess just the atmosphere of it all, it being a full ground, it can really be something to enjoy.”
Previous Match.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma is looking to bounce back from their shock defeat to the Netherlands last time out, while rivals England are hoping to bounce back from their defeat at the hands of Afghanistan.
And the Proteas captain says it is an attractive prospect with the tournament’s two big-hitting teams looking to make a statement on a high-scoring ground.
“I think if I was a cricket fan, I’d want to be watching South Africa versus England,” Bavuma said. “I think it will be a tightly contested game. It’ll be an exciting game.
“Both teams, I guess, will be looking to prove themselves, if I could say that. There’ll be individuals in both camps who are wanting to put their hand up for the team. So, if I was a fan, I’d definitely want to come and watch.”
Mumbai is not the only city to host the South Africa vs England World Cup clash on Saturday, the two countries will also face off in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in Paris on the same day.
And Temba Bavuma says both groups of South African players have been in touch ahead of their respective matches.
“A lot of us love our rugby so we’ll definitely be supporting the Springboks and I’m sure they’ll be supporting us as well,” he said.
“We play first so I guess the responsibility’s on us to get things going the right way and then obviously we’ll be supporting the guys after the game.
“They actually sent us a message today in our meeting, I guess you know trying to encourage us with our game.
“So yeah, I think as a fan for South Africa, even for England, you obviously will be glued to your screens. And I guess, again, for us as players, we have that responsibility to put smiles on our countrymen’s faces, and make sure we go out and entertain, and bring back the win.”
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Latest Points Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Won | Loss | N/R | Points | NRR |
| 1 | New Zealand | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +1.923 |
| 2 | India | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +1.659 |
| 3 | South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | +1.384 |
| 4 | Australia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -0.193 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -0.456 |
| 6 | England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -0.084 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | -0.784 |
| 8 | Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -0.993 |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | -1.250 |
| 10 | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -1.532 |
Also Read: INDIA VS. NEW ZEALAND World Cup 2023 Match | Hardik Pandya will miss match against New Zealand
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