Here is the full transcript of Floyd Reifer’s press conference ahead of the South Africa vs West Indies Super 8 clash
(Reporter:)
There has been a lot of talk about the West Indies and specifically the six-striking ability. Do you see it as a good match in terms of the South African line-up which is in pretty good form and I mean the surface is a red clay surface so you expect it to be quite a six-stroke contest?
(Floyd Reifer:)
Both teams hit sixes but yes once the wicket is good then you expect good batting performance from both teams. I think the main thing for us is to try to give as many balls as possible. Yes, we know we have hit sixes, we have hit fours, but for us it is to score as many deliveries as possible.
(Reporter:)
After 10 years there was a lot to say and maybe people don’t expect them to be as good as they were or show they can do it or something. I mean you’ve had some amazing wins and on the brink of the semi-finals. Do you feel this has been proven or are there points still to be proven?
(Floyd Reifer:)
There is no point for us to prove it and we have come here like any other team to win the competition, a lot of people let us fly under the radar but we plan every game to go there with a positive mentality to win cricket matches.
(Reporter:)
Many of the batsmen in your line-up have been in the SA20 where they would have faced many of the South African bowlers. Did some of those guys like Sherfane Rutherford or Shai Hope provide any specific help with regards to the particular pitchers they faced?
(Floyd Reifer:)
We just played a series against them in South Africa. We played three games there and guys like Rutherford, Chase and captain Shai also played in the SAT20. So when you play against teams in international cricket, the guys know each other. They also play against each other in franchise cricket. So it’s just a matter of the day, who plans the best for the day, who executes the best on that day.
(Reporter:)
Floyd, do you think it’s fair to say that there is something about the energy and dynamism of tournaments that seems to bring out the best in the West Indies. They always seem to be a threat in the tournament in a way they often aren’t in bilateral series.
(Floyd Reifer:)
Listen, our energy is great. The vibes in the team are good. Everyone is up for it. And as I said earlier, we came here to win cricket. We have come here to play good cricket and that is what we have done so far. We planned well, we batted well, we bowled well, we fielded well. So you have to do all these three departments to win cricket games. But for us it’s about ticking the boxes, that guys enjoy playing with each other, enjoy each other’s company and enjoy each other’s success, that’s important in a team setting.
(Reporter:)
Just the tournament dynamic, does that bring anything to your guys?
(Floyd Reifer:)
Yeah, I mean it’s a world stage, everybody wants to go to the World Cup. It’s important for guys to perform beautifully on the world stage where everyone is watching.
(Reporter:)
The turnaround time between the last game and this game isn’t much. And you also come to a place where you haven’t played, where South Africa have played almost all their games at that place except one. So what challenge do you think your team’s preparation and the goal of qualifying for the semi-finals brings?
(Floyd Reifer:)
Yeah, they have the advantage of playing most of their games at the same venue. But as I said once we plan and execute our plans properly we will play some good cricket. So for us, we don’t worry too much about places and who played there, who didn’t play there. Not for us, it’s just now coming and we understand what needs to be done and executed.
(Reporter:)
And also, your coach Daren told me at the Wankhede Stadium that regardless of any problems in West Indies cricket, he wants his team to play a brand of cricket that will inspire the next generation. Regardless of what happens in the tournament from now on, do you think this tournament creates such pride in the team that you inspired the next generation with the cricket you played?
(Floyd Reifer:)
I think we are playing good cricket and we have a lot of people watching at home. Yes, I think we have inspired the next generation of cricketers. The Caribbean people are also very happy with the way we are playing and obviously we want to achieve that in the tournament so it’s just up to us to continue, as I said before, to do all the good things, make sure we’re ticking the right boxes, that we plan and execute well and they know the Caribbean is rooting for us.
(Reporter:)
Do you see South Africa as the most balanced side in this tournament and will tomorrow’s match be like West Indies batting and South Africa bowling? Do you see South Africa as the most balanced side in this tournament and could tomorrow’s match be South Africa’s bowlers against West Indies’ big hitting?
(Floyd Reifer:)
All the teams are balanced teams – when you come to the World Cup, there are quality players in every team. And on that day, on the day, it’s important which team wants it the most and which team executes its plans under pressure. So I would say, yes, I would say they have a balanced team, we have a balanced team as well. All the other teams have balanced squads, but it is only a matter of the day which team wants to execute their plans as best as possible.
(Reporter:)
Do you think anchoring has a role for the batting side when batting in the T20 format? And if you think it’s still there, instead of going – right from the start, first ball, it goes bang, bang, bang, bang. If there is, who do you have as an anchor in this current West Indies team?
(Floyd Reifer:)
For me, the game has evolved. Teams get 220, 230 plus. So it’s just a matter of guys understanding their roles. Each person has a different role in the team. They have different phases of the game. You have a power player phase, then a post-power player phase, then 11 to 15, 16 to 20. So each person has a role in each phase of the game. So it’s just for guys to go out there and play their role, play their role in different phases of the game.
(Reporter:)
(inaudible)
(Floyd Reifer:)
If you look at our team, we have quality batsmen and we are not like other teams, we depend on one or two batsmen. If you look at our games, everyone stepped up and performed every game and we were consistent in that. And that is the mark of a good batting team, a good batting unit.
