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After losing to India in their final Group A match in Dubai, New Zealand are set to face South Africa in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy on Wednesday in Lahore. Skipper Tom Latham acknowledged the Proteas' strong form and the challenge they present.
"They're going to be a huge challenge. As you said, they've been playing some fantastic cricket in this tournament, but also, as you said, probably the last year. They've got some match winners throughout their side and they've been playing fantastically well in these conditions," Latham said in a press conference. With South Africa reaching the T20 World Cup and World Test Championship finals in the past year, Latham expects a tough contest. "Another great opportunity, I guess, for both sides to put a performance on the board and obviously to the chance of making an ICC final, which is obviously what everyone's wanting to achieve," he added. "We know that there's a lot of hard work to do to get to that point, we know how strong South Africa are. They've got all bases covered in terms of batting, bowling and in the field. So, I guess you look at it, I'm sure it'll be a fantastic game, and I'm sure both teams are really looking forward to it," he added. Reflecting on their recent encounter with South Africa in a tri-nation series in Pakistan, Latham noted differences in the squad composition but emphasized the importance of past experiences. "The team that we played potentially will be slightly different. They had a lot of guys that weren't in that side. They were still playing in their SAT20 back in South Africa, so it will be slightly different," he said. "We'll do everything that we do leading up to a game. It's obviously going to be a reasonably quick turnaround, but it is what it is. And, we'll be looking forward to the challenge of a semifinal," he concluded. (ANI)
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