In the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram said that the USA had shown that they were a formidable squad and that his side would not be taken lightly in their Super Eight match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Co-hosts The USA have been standout performers in their maiden Men’s T20 World Cup debut, defeating Pakistan and Canada and almost defeating India to finish second in Group A and advance to the Super Eight round.

They now face a South African team that won all four of their games, including close calls with the Netherlands and Nepal, to top Group D.

“They have been excellent. They’ve shown that they’re no longer a little team, but I believe that many others will also kind of say smaller countries. We will thus need to perform at the highest level possible, and hopefully everything will go according to plan. I look forward to the task.

We’re looking forward to playing against a side we haven’t played against much in cricket, as well as the distinct weather in Antigua.

Thus, with everything kind of coming together, we definitely need to evaluate fairly fast and create preparations on the ground so that it can, ideally, take care of itself,” Markram told reporters.

The South African batsmen found it very difficult to get going in challenging circumstances in New York and on a spin-friendly surface in St. Vincent. Markram expressed the expectation that the Proteas team will perform better at bat during the Super Eights in the West Indies.

“I’m still trying to play that almost flawless game. Our bowlers have been excellent for us so far in the competition, and they may have even saved us from jail a time or two. However, this is understandable. Since then, things have been really difficult for us.

“This is a new beginning for us. In particular, as a batting unit, we get to experience new circumstances that should be a little more batting-friendly for us. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for us to start peaking and establishing some form going forward in the tournament,” he said.