‘They are used to that type of intensity’ - Robin Peterson backs South Africa to perform under pressure in 2023 ODI World Cup

Former South Africa all-rounder, Robin Peterson, backed the national team to own the kind of pressure in the forthcoming ODI World Cup, slated to be played in India in October. 

With the mega ODI event on the horizon, Peterson drew parallels with the 2011 World Cup, citing the pressure and the media attention faced by the players during the course of the event. He further added that the IPL has helped the Proteas to perform during the crunch moments which will help them in the marquee event in October. 

“During the 2011 World Cup social media was at its infancy stage, I think now everything will be even more exaggerated. There’ll be more media and broadcast attention around the tournament. Back then it felt like it (high pressure), now it will feel like that even more,” Robin Peterson told IOL Sport.

“The players are used to all the pressure because a lot of our key players play in the IPL. They are used to that scrutiny, that type of intensity in which the fans react to games and the intensity of the cricket itself,” he added.

India is at the pinnacle of cricket: Robin Peterson

The former Proteas all-rounder further opined that playing in India would essentially translate to being in the public eye as it is currently ‘the home of cricket’. Furthermore, he suggested the think tank to have an element of competition in the setup so as to keep players sharp in their game and obtain a quality team for the World Cup.

“For me there’s probably only two places you’d like to play World Cup cricket, I think the last one was in England. India is at the pinnacle of cricket at the moment and you could probably say they are the home of cricket now. You’re always in the public eye and everything you do is news,” Peterson added.

“As much as it’s important to back players, there has to be an element of competition for spots within the squad. That’s what keeps everyone sharp and, on their toes, working hard,” he concluded.