“The longer I’m on the park, the more the confidence will grow,” said Proteas all-rounder, Andile Phehlukwayo, after the first ODI between South Africa and Ireland at the Malahide Cricket Club got washed out due to inclement weather.

Phehlukwayo bowled seven overs in which he took one wicket. Although he was clocking speeds in the early 140s, Phehlukwayo conceded he was “a little bit rusty.”

Impressed with the environment in the South African camp, Phehlukwayo felt the results in the West Indies were a reflection of the hard work the team has put in over the last few months. “You can see in our results, the guys are working hard. We’re moving forward, and hopefully, we can continue the success,” said Phehlukwayo.

Offering insight into the playing conditions at the Malahide Cricket Club, Phehlukwayo explained that the first ten overs of the game presented the most challenges for batsmen. “After that, it became a tad bit easier and the wicket got a bit slower and the ball didn’t do as much. Moving forward, the first ten overs, you just have to adapt, and after that, the game does get easier.”

With South Africa trying to score as many points as possible in an effort to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, Phehlukwayo emphasized the importance of producing clinical performances consistently. “Every game is important. So you got to be quite clinical and we got to remind ourselves that we are building to a bigger cause, and just continue those consistent performances.”