The China Mail - South Africa 'embrace pressure' and favourites tag, says coach

Runners-up in the 2024 edition, South Africa went past Zimbabwe by five wickets in their last Super Eights match New Delhi to the only unbeaten team in the tournament.

Often called "chokers" for failing in the knockouts of top global competitions, South Africa have played commanding cricket in this edition save one close match against Afghanistan.

Their opponents New Zealand sneaked into the semi-final with a better net run-rate than Pakistan and remain underdogs in the first semi-final in Kolkata on Wednesday.

"There's always pressure and and it's really about embracing that pressure," Conrad told reporters.

"And we don't do things any differently, we're gonna prepare exactly the same way for New Zealand whether we start as favourites probably because we're the only unbeaten side in the competition."

He added, "I always felt that as a South African team you want to be able to play as a favourite and because it's easy being an underdog you know the expectation isn't great."

Aiden Markram's South Africa registered two statement wins over defending champions India and the West Indies in their first two Super Eights matches.

South Africa lost the T20 World Cup final to India in Barbados two years back, but Conrad said the experience was invaluable.

"I think our experience in the last T20 World Cup will stand us in good stead," said Conrad.

"And I've said this many a time previously, if you continue to make semi-finals and finals eventually you're going to win one.

"But if you don't make it, you can't win anything."

South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship final in June 2025 to win their first major International Cricket Council trophy but they are still hunting for a first World Cup title in the white-ball format.

Markram has led the team from the front with his 268 runs including three half-centuries at a punishing strike-rate of 175.16.

Conrad praised Markram's leadership of a well-oiled unit.

"Aiden has been fantastic both with bat in hand as well as a captain," he said.

"But he is only as good as his troops and he'd be the first one to admit that.

"So it's easy to captain a bowling unit that's on top of their game and batters that are firing but Aiden's... been at the forefront of everything that we do."

C.Smith--ThChM