Lahore (Sports Desk): South African captain Aiden Markram described his team’s heavy defeat to New Zealand in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup as a “powerful slap” for the Proteas.
During the presentation, Markram said that after a series of consecutive wins in the tournament, such a loss is indeed disappointing. However, he emphasized that it also serves as an important lesson, and the team must now move forward stronger.
The captain added that he had expected the Eden Gardens pitch to be favorable for batting. With a slightly more traditional approach, the team could have scored around 190 runs.
Markram further noted that the team would analyze the defeat in detail, but players would first be given time to recover emotionally, allowing them to perform better in future matches.
South Africa had scored 169 runs batting first, but New Zealand easily chased the target in just 12.5 overs. Finn Allen played a crucial role in New Zealand’s victory with an unbeaten century off 33 balls.
