SA focused on World Cup glory, not just Barbados redemption - Markram

The last World Cup was a heartbreak for South Africa, who managed to mess things up from a winning position in the final against India in the West Indies. The South Africans are now determined to do the course-correction of the Barbados 2024 debacle in the World Cup starting in two days, but captain Aiden Markram says that is not the sole reason why they want to win this time around.

"Obviously we are motivated to win, especially after 2024. But that is not the sole reason for our motivation," said the South Africa skipper at the captains meet ahead of the marquee event here in Mumbai. "The previous World Cup has already passed, it was two years ago. It is done now. We have played a lot of cricket since. Every captain sitting here wants to lift the trophy.

"I have to mention that we have to earn our right in the group stage first. And then continue to play good cricket. It is a competition and a format where any team can beat any team. It takes one or two special performances and it breaks the game open."

The Indian team has been South Africa's nemesis but Markram says they will worry about the home team once they are through the group stage. "We don't have India in the group stage now, and hopefully, at some stage, we can get to a position in the comp where we can.

"But for now, we've got to focus on our group, making sure we have a good four games there and get ourselves and earn the right to be in a position where the competition can go further for us. But the focus is certainly just on our group for the time being."

South Africa are in Group D along with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada and UAE.

It's not just the South African men who failed to win a final. Even their women's team could not get over the line, again against India in the women's World Cup final last year here in Mumbai. What is that they need to do to get the result in their favour? "To score one extra run I guess," smiled Markram.

"There have been some good signs I suppose from the men's and women's teams over the last couple of years. To not quite get over the line can be frustrating and disappointing. But you still have to take the positives that exist from those experiences. We will take what has worked. Obviously we are in different conditions now. If we get a position we will give it an absolute crack."