South Africa's Captain and Coach Downplay Lazy Logic About Playing Sri Lanka

South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma and coach Shukri Conrad have downplayed the lazy logic that the team should not play Sri Lanka at Kingsmead and St George's Park due to their previous wins at those venues.

Bavuma's Response

"There's not a lot of concern from my side," Bavuma said. "We're not at liberty to issue instructions about pitches or where we play against certain opposition. Sri Lanka will be confident at those two venues, because they've been successful there. But I don't see it having left any type of scarring."

Conrad's Response

Conrad was more emphatic in his response. "It doesn't matter where you play, it's a home match. You've got to fancy your chances back in South Africa. I don't even think about stuff like that. You can't play all your games in one or two venues in South Africa. What would be the point? We're comfortable. You say a few years ago we lost a Test series [at home against Sri Lanka]. It had been 10 years since we won one here [in Bangladesh], and we came and won. I don't see the need to make a big thing about where we're playing. Hopefully they can give us good pitches in Durban and in Gqeberha. That's all I can ask for."

Pitch Expectations

Conrad also discussed the pitch expectations for the series. "We just want good cricket pitches. Like I've said before, if we get good pitches, our batters can perform. And we believe that we've got an attack who can perform on any type of surface. So I'm not overly fussed."

Squad Experience

The series features five members of South Africa's squad for the 2019 loss, including Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, and Dale Steyn. However, Conrad noted that the current team is not the same as the one that lost in 2019.

Sri Lanka's Past Performances

Sri Lanka's past performances in South Africa are also worth noting. In 2019, they won a Test series against South Africa, but their team was decimated by injuries in 2020/21. The 2019 Sri Lankans played superior cricket compared to the South Africans, with Kusal Perera scoring an undefeated 153 in the second innings in Durban.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the outcome of the series will depend on the performance of both teams. However, it's clear that South Africa's captain and coach are confident in their team's abilities and are not intimidated by Sri Lanka's past performances.