ICC Women's World Cup 2022: Every Match Will Be Played Like A Final - South Africa Skipper Sune Luus

South Africa women’s team all-rounder Sune Luus said that every match in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 will be like a final match for them. Luus will be leading the 15-member squad in the showpiece event in regular skipper Dane van Niekerk’s absence.

Earlier this month, South Africa defeated the Stafanie Taylor-led West Indies women team 2-0 in the four-match ODI series.

It is imperative that we only focus on what we do best: Sune Luus

Luus, who has scored 1416 runs and picked 108 wickets from 92 ODI matches, said her team should focus on their strengths and not pay attention much towards their opponents.

“The most important part for us is to not focus too much on our opposition. Every match will be played like a final, therefore it is imperative that we only focus on what we do best and what we can control. In our previous series, this is what worked best for us,” Sune Luus wrote in her column for ICC.

“We tried to do the basics as best as we could, and the result took care of itself. It is so easy to get caught up in the hype and excitement of a World Cup, but it is going to be important for us to stay in our little bubble and be focused on our goal,” she added.

We have always been seen as the underdogs: Sune Luus

South Africa women’s team is yet to feature in the final of Women’s World Cup, in the last edition they finished fourth in the group stage with nine points from seven matches. They lost to eventual champions England women in the semi-final by two wickets. Luus said that the team’s aim is to qualify for the final in the upcoming edition.

“In the past, we have always been seen as the underdogs, but I think we have shown in the past few years that we are a team to be reckoned with,” said Luus.

“We have shown consistent performances in difficult countries like India and the West Indies. We as a team also had a great T20 World Cup two years ago In Australia and turned some heads. I hope that we do the same this year, and hopefully reach that final that we’ve been missing out on, on three different occasions,” she added.

South Africa women will play against Bangladesh women in their first match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 on March 5 at the University Oval in Dunedin.

Also Read: South African Women’s Team Captain Dane van Niekerk Out Of ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 Due To Injury