Advertisement

Updated July 6th, 2021 at 10:07 IST

South Africa coach believes IPL will provide idea on UAE pitches ahead of T20 World Cup

Boucher said conditions in the UAE are going to be very different than what Proteas are used to, where batsmen can easily "bash their way" to 180 to 200 runs.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
South Africa, IPL, T20 World Cup, IPL 2021, West Indies vs South Africa, BCCI, ICC, World T20, England vs India, Mark Boucher
(Image Credit: PTI/AP) | Image:self
Advertisement

South Africa cricket team's head coach Mark Boucher feels the conditions in the UAE for the ICC T20 World Cup will be similar to that of in the Caribbean. Boucher stated that the wickets in the UAE are expected to be dry after the conclusion of the IPL, which is scheduled to be held in the Gulf country right before the start of the World T20. Boucher believes teams and players will get an idea of what the par score in the UAE is going to be after the IPL is over. He added that the conditions in the UAE are going to be very different than what South African players are used to back home, where batsmen can easily "bash their way" to 180 to 200 runs. 

'Spinners will not play massive role' 

Boucher, who spoke to ESPNcricinfo after the conclusion of the T20I series against West Indies, said he doesn't feel spinners will play a "massive" role in the T20 World Cup in UAE. The Proteas head coach also wants all his players to return back to form during the Ireland series so the side could decide on its strongest line-up before the World Cup. The marquee ICC event is slated to be held between October 17 and November 14 in the UAE, where the remaining matches of suspended IPL 2021 will also be held by the BCCI prior to the commencement of the World Cup. 

"It's going to be tough to bat on especially at the back end as we saw here. We will have an idea of what scores are going to be by watching the IPL and then taking a look and assess how the wickets are playing during the beginning part of the World Cup. I suspect spinners will play a massive role. If we can get all the guys firing on all cylinders, we've got an idea of what could be our strongest line-up and once that happens, then you end up finding an extra 15-20 runs which, in these conditions becomes a very difficult total to face, especially when it's so dry," Boucher was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

South Africa and the West Indies have been locked in a heated battle for the past month, playing two Tests and five Twenty20 Internationals. South Africa defeated the West Indies in both Tests. The Proteas also won the five-match T20I series, defeating the Kieron Pollard-led side 3-2 on Saturday after a 25-run victory in the final game. The par score for the five-match T20I series in the Caribbean was 160 runs.

(Image Credit: PTI/AP)

Advertisement

Published July 6th, 2021 at 10:07 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Ramban Accident
6 minutes ago
Bitcoin
7 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE
10 minutes ago
Faridabad Fire: Massive Blaze Engulfs Factory in Bhankri Village, Panic Grips Locality
19 minutes ago
Riyan Parag
20 minutes ago
Raw Mango
23 minutes ago
Byju's leadership dispute
24 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo