Cricket: Proteas not afraid of mind games

South Africa's ODI and T20 cricket captain A B De Villiers. Photo / Mark Mitchell

South Africa's newest international captain AB de Villiers yesterday scotched the idea that his team are suspect under pressure.

When they last played New Zealand, in the World Cup quarter-final at Dhaka last March, South Africa were cruising at 121 for three, chasing New Zealand's 221 for eight.

But they dropped the ball under serious New Zealand pressure. Indeed de Villiers' runout, when set on 35, courtesy of a smart piece of work by fielder Martin Guptill and wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, precipitated a slide which had them tumble to be all out for 172.

Throw that in with other perceived mental stumbles, such as the World Cup semifinal against Australia in 1999, and the suspicions that South Africa might be susceptible when the heat is turned up arise.

De Villiers, who turns 28 on Friday when the teams clash in their opening T20 in Wellington, has a different view, and he's ready for any verbal jousts New Zealand might be keen to initiate.

"There's always a little bit of this and that when we play New Zealand, especially last time at the World Cup," de Villiers, who took over the limited-overs side for their five ODIs against Sri Lanka last month, said yesterday.

He described his own dismissal 11 months ago as "past tense".

"A few things went on there but at the end of the day they won that game and we've got a lot to prove in this series.

"I'm sure the games will be played very hard on the field, but we're friends with most of the guys off the field [so] it's nothing too serious."

De Villiers, a fine, attacking batsman with a positive outlook on how he wants to play the game, said if New Zealand believe they can get under South Africa's skin with words "good for them".

"Mentally we will have to be tested in the future to see how strong we are. I believe we're very strong, but we'll have to wait and see."

South African coach Gary Kirsten is an old hand at this business, having played 101 tests and 185 ODIs for South Africa from 1993-94 to 2003-04, and just done a stint coaching India.

His focus is squarely on ensuring South Africa's skills are up to the job.

"I don't think we're going to think too much about what New Zealand are doing," he said.

"We feel if we play really good cricket in terms of our skills - and don't say anything - we are going to win more games than we'll lose.

"If New Zealand feel they want to get verbal with us that's their business. The side that plays better cricket is going to win, bottom line."

South Africa's T20 squad is laced with younger players, such as top order batsman Richard Levi, and lively fast-medium Marchant de Lange, along with a group of older hands.

The 21-year-old de Lange took eight wickets on test debut against Sri Lanka just after Christmas, including seven for 81 in the first innings, and promptly made way for the returning Vernon Philander.

Add in champion quick Dale Steyn, tall, bouncy Morne Morkel and the fast-rising Philander and the Proteas are bringing bristling aggression in the seam bowling department.

"We're excited by that," Kirsten said. "But we're also mindful that in international cricket you've still got to get the ball in good areas and be a consistently good unit with the ball in hand to get the result you're looking for."