Proteas can handle top-ranking pressure, says Smith by AFP

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Event:

ICC Champions Trophy 2009/10

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DateLine: 22nd September 2009

 

Skipper Graeme Smith said Monday South Africa can handle the pressure of being ranked number one in the world ahead of the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.

 

The hosts face Sri Lanka at the 20,000-seat Centurion Park 30 kilometres (18 miles) north of here in Tuesday's opening match of the second most important ODI tournament after the World Cup.

 

"We do not feel any pressure because we set out a long time ago to be number one in both formats of the game. It is a massive honour for us," said Smith as his team trained at the match venue.

 

"We are the only team bar Australia that has managed to achieve that feat. For us to be rated number one is a credit to the way we play the game," he boasted.

 

Smith said he was concentrating on his squad rather than worrying about Sri Lanka ahead of the first of 15 matches that will be staged over two weeks at Centurion and the larger Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg.

 

"It is crucial that we play our brand of cricket as we have done recently and hopefully play our game better than Sri Lanka play their game," said the batsman ranked eighth in the world.

 

"Our team has a lot of variety. We have got a left-armer, we have got pace, we have got all-rounders and we have got spin. It is nice as a captain to have so many options."

 

While conceding that Sri Lanka spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis are a class act, Smith said the Proteas were proud of their record in that department.

 

"Murali has troubled a lot of players down the years and it will be interesting to see how Sri Lanka fit their frontline spinners into a combination on South African surfaces.

 

"That is the challenge posed for us by the Sri Lankans and I am confident. Our record speaks for itself when it comes to playing spinners around the world in recent years.

 

"Each team has world-class performers and that is what makes the challenge so great. We are excited and the best prepared we can be. Hopefully we can put it all into play in the middle tomorrow."

 

Smith confirmed Hashim Amla would replace Herschelle Gibbs, nursing a rib injury from a warm-up win over the West Indies last Friday, for the opening encounter in Group B which includes England and New Zealand.

 

"Hashim has had a fair amount of success in a few opportunities at the shorter format of the game and is growing all the time at one-day level," said the captain.

 

"The injury to Herschelle has given him another chance so let's hope he can come to the party and continue where he left off when we won an ODI series in Australia last year."

(Article: Copyright © 2009 AFP)