Rob Walter (South Africa Coach) pre-match Press Conference - 25th June 2024
[Reporter:]
Rob, feels like a semifinal?
[Rob Walter:]
This is an empty hall, which is a good sign, I think.
[Reporter:]
Why would you say that it's a good sign?
[Rob Walter:]
Maybe there's not a lot of energy around the semi-final. No, I'm just joking. It's all good. It is what it is. It's not really about the press but about the occasion, isn't it?
[Reporter:]
You would prefer it to be low-key, just like another game?
[Rob Walter:]
It's never just another game. I think that sort of rhetoric around semifinals is always untrue, or people trying to downplay the occasion. Certainly, we don't do that. It is a semifinal of a World Cup, and we appreciate that and we're looking forward to it.
[Reporter:]
Now that you have passed that last kind of banana peel or whatever, how did you process the information that there are teams that have made it to the semi-final despite two losses and you are having to win nine out of nine in such a volatile format. How did you at that moment, how did you process it, internalize it?
[Rob Walter:]
I mean, sort of our language is - there's no point in worrying about what other teams had to do to get to a semi-final. Ultimately your journey is your journey, right? So, you got to do it the way you have to. Ours meant that we had to win seven games in a row in T20 to get to a semi-final. I'm super proud that we were able to do it and here we are.
[Reporter:]
And not just any T20 games, most of them have been close games. What do you think is different in this run than the earlier tournaments maybe?
[Rob Walter:]
I mean, there's no doubt that there's a lot of teams who can compete with each other now in the T20 format. It's great for the game. The more competitive sides playing the game of cricket, the better. We're seeing Afghanistan in a T20 semifinal. It's awesome for the game of cricket. I love the way they play the game and the way they support it. So, as I said, the more teams we can have competing at the top level, the better for the game and it grows the game itself. And from the closeness point of view, yeah, we've managed to get over the line in quite a number of close games in the lead up to the semifinal, which for a team has been great for us. We've potentially missed out on a few of those moments in the past, and this time around we managed to get over the line. So, we certainly take confidence out of that.
[Reporter:]
As you said, at times in the past you missed out on some close moments. I know you are elite sports people and you don't want to say that but luck does play a big part in those matches. Luck.
[Rob Walter:]
I don't think you can win a cricket game because of luck. I think potentially a few things can go your way but there's a few things that might not. So, skill will always trump luck, that's for sure. So, I'd like to think that.
[Reporter:]
With all these close wins you feel this this might finally be the time for South Africa.
[Rob Walter:]
Definitely it's always great to dream And I think everyone in South Africa dreams of the time when a trophy gets lifted. No doubt that will happen. Whether it's going to be this week, that remains to be seen. We're just going to try and play the best game of cricket that we can. And we still haven't played our best game yet.
[Reporter:]
Do all the previous close ones, the near misses, do they weigh on your mind when you go into a semi-final?
[Rob Walter:]
Look, I said, the near misses in the past, they belong to the people who missed them. To be honest, this team is a different team. We own whatever is ours to own. And so, our nearest reflection point is this tournament where we've managed to get over the line. So that's what we think about
[Reorter:]
Specifically, about tomorrow. What can we expect from the conditions the pitch?
[Rob Walter:]
Unsure. I Think we've I suppose the most positive thing about our campaign is that we've kind of encountered it all, to be honest. We've played in very different conditions. We've played on pitches that have given us something different every time. And we've been able to respond to the conditions pretty well. So tomorrow will be just the same. I think if you arrive with a preconceived idea about how the pitch will play, then you've already decided. We'll make an assessment of what's in front of us and then play the best cricket accordingly.
[Reporter:]
And just on Reeza's form, is that a big concern coming into these two big matches or are we looking at the same combinations?
[Rob Walter:]
Reeza's form doesn't bother me at all. He's a quality cricketer. It was just, what, three and a half weeks ago that he scored a magnificent 80 against the West Indies, a man-alone performance really. Over the last year and a half, he's been unbelievable, even beyond that in T20 cricket to be fair. So, he's a wonderful cricketer and that good batsmen are just one shot away from contributing to the team and that's all we Interested in is giving him the freedom to do that
[Reporter:]
and some of your middle batsmen – who are well known for being explosive batters, have had to adjust and score at around 100. Tristan, I think, is a great batter. How proud are you at seeing them adjust to what is required conditions?
[Rob Walter:]
Yeah, super proud. Again, I'm proud of the team to be honest, to be unbeaten, getting to the semi-final. Again, it doesn't just happen from a batting point of view. The batsmen have probably had to respond the most because the conditions have been very foreign to what you would normally experience in T20 cricket, especially for the guys who come from IPL. We saw significantly high scores in the IPL and a very different method of the game being played but I think everyone knew that would be slightly different in in America and the Caribbean but you still have to adjust you still have to taper and temper your games accordingly and the guys have done that very well.
[Reporter:]
And just finally, as you said, people who say that's a semifinal or a final is just another game is not true. In terms of smaller markers, how does it affect you in terms of how you're training, the kind of sleep you're getting, smaller things, where do you see the change in the lead up to the match?
[Rob Walter:]
Look, I mean for us, from a training point of view, that's almost irrelevant. We played three games in five days with travel in between. So, there's been no training barring a smaller group that came out today. It's really about physically and mentally getting fresh for another competitive game of cricket, which is a semi-final.
If you're asking about sleep, mine's never very good, so I can't comment on that. But no, I mean there is such a cool energy in the team at the moment, it's a very close group of people, we've come a long way together, spent some great times together and so this is just another one of those in the journey of cricket that we're on.
[Reporter:]
I was just asking about any smaller signs of excitement or anxiety or whatever that tells you Hey this is a special day coming up.
[Rob Walter:]
I think there's always an energy that you can feel that's tangible when it comes to a semi-final. There'll be a mixture of emotions which is with anxiety but excitement and I think anyone in any sport, if they get to this phase of a competition, feels that. And so really, it's just acknowledging that and accepting it and then just understanding what you'll do with that. We still want to play our best cricket in the key moments of the game tomorrow.
[Reporter:]
How well do you know Afghanistan?
[Rob Walter:]
Look, I mean, a number of their players play in a number of the leagues around the world. In this day and age, there's not too many players where there's no footage or no information about. So, from an Afghanistan player point of view, we do have that sort of information. We've also got an entire World Cup, which they've also played seven games in. So, from that point of view, we've had the opportunity to watch games of cricket as near as last night and then also in the different leagues that the guys have played and played together. So, we're comfortable with our knowledge in it.
[Reporter:]
What are you weary of in Afghanistan?
[Rob Walter:]
I think you, yeah, you would have seen it all in the last two days. I think they are a well-rounded team. Gone are the days where there is an area of the team that is not strong. They wouldn't be in a semi-final if that was the case. You're talking about some world-class spinners. Everyone knows about the world-class spinners led by Rashid Khan. I mean, he's a top-class T20 spinner anywhere in the world. So, we know about that. But as I said, it's not a one-man show anymore. That's for sure. The opening pairing, statistically, have been outstanding in this tournament alone and so yeah, I mean they're a well-rounded side with great experience played some very good cricket in the last couple of games to actually make a semifinal so yeah, they're there for a reason.
[Reporter:]
Afghanistan has already played here in this World Cup, you have not. Do you think this means a slight advantage for Afghanistan coming into this game or do you think it doesn't matter?
[Rob Walter:]
I think to be fair the pitches have been that variable even at the same grounds and same stadiums that I don't see it as a huge competitive advantage to be honest you're still going to have to play the best cricket on the day irrespective of the pitch if you want to try and win the game, so if there's an advantage maybe there's a small one but certainly nothing that's that worries me too much.
[Reporter:]
Last question from me what would it mean to you and the team if you make it to the final?
[Rob Walter:]
Pretty obvious, isn't it? Yeah, one step at a time So to make it into a final would obviously be great for the side Sydney as head coach. I hope that that is written in our destiny. There's a lot of players in this team who deserve to be part of that showpiece. But the game doesn't owe anyone anything, right? And so, we have to go and earn the opportunity to be there. And we'll see at whatever time tomorrow night, finish the game at 1.30 a.m. Just a few days ago. So, it might be the same. But whatever time the game finishes, we'll see then.
