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SA wary of Pakistan fightback

ABU DHABI — South Africa’s Twenty20 captain Johan Botha had a wide grin on his face after his side completed a 2-0 demolition of Pakistan in the Twenty20 segment of the Bank Al Falah presents Cool and Cool Cup series.

A clinical South Africa beat Pakistan by six wickets on Wednesday night after scoring an identical win the previous night.

“I am really impressed with the way the boys performed. It is certainly because of the hard work we put in the past. It is nice to win both the games. It is a good reward for us,” Botha said.

Botha said that there have been some really good performances. “There have been some really good performances. The fielding has also been tight,” he said.

He said that with the new players having made a mark and with the regulars Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn slated to come back, it was a happy situation to be in. “It is going to be tough. Guys outside the team have put in the hard work. And guys who have come in have put in the performance. They have done what they have been asked to do. It is good to be in this situation. It is nice to see a group of 15-16 players pushing for spots,” said Botha, who was adjudged the Player-of-the-Series.

Despite a good start to the series, Botha warned of a backlash from Pakistan in the ODIs.

“Pakistan is a very good team and they can bounce back in the ODIs. If you get ahead over a team like Pakistan, you need to try and stay there. Friday’s game is key. We need to keep our foot on the gas. We are aware that if we slip up, Pakistan will bounce back. We will keep the momentum going and ensure that we keep working hard and try to win as many as matches possible,” the South African skipper said.

Man-of-the-Match Rusty Theron, who returned with a career-best 4-27, said: “I have been practicing really hard and put in the hard work. I am happy that I have been playing well. I want to continue doing so.”

Theron, who made his debut in the home series against Zimbabwe, has impressed here and looks a likely candidate on the plane to the sub-continent for the 2011 World Cup. But Theron said he wasn’t looking too far. “The World Cup is still four months away. Things can change very quickly. I’m taking it one step at a time. Right now, my focus is to play well and ensure that my contributions help South Africa win,” Theron said.