Rabada comes to the defense of his top-order batters

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South African fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada has come to the defense of his top-order batters, saying their form can’t be judged on the wickets the Proteas played on in their first three matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Rabada feels the most important point is that the Proteas have won all three of those matches in New York, ahead of the team’s final Group D game against Nepal on Saturday morning in Kingstown, Saint Vincent.

The Proteas’ top order battled in the USA, but all the teams playing on the makeshift pitches failed to post totals that T20 fans have become used to.

Rabada enjoyed the conditions as a bowler and says the effects of the surfaces they played on shouldn’t be underestimated.

“You can’t judge the form of those batters on the wickets we played on. It’s not an excuse but common sense and you can’t blame them anyway. Nobody has. Because of that and we play the conditions as we see them and we know the sky is the limit,” says Rabada.

He feels winning games is more important than the number of runs the team scores. But the batsmen will have to play a bigger role in the new conditions in the West Indies.

“I haven’t seen how the wicket plays or any of the matches but according to the nets, it will turn and be a bit slow, but the guys are getting to grips with it and forming strategies,” he says.

And while the Proteas have already qualified for the Super 8, the game against Nepal will be an ideal opportunity for the top order to get extra confidence.