England's Adil Rashid emphasised focus on performance against South Africa
England lost ODI series to South Africa 2-1 at home
Aiden Markram lauds England's reputation in white-ball cricket
England Vs South Africa Preview, 1st T20I: Rashid Hopes Three Lions Can ‘Put A Show On’ Against Proteas
After a 2-1 loss in the ODI series against South Africa, Adil Rashid stressed on England's focus on redemption in T20Is against Proteas at Sophia Gardens
Summary
Adil Rashid stated that England want to “put a show on” against South Africa as they block out any outside criticism.
England lost a three-match ODI series against South Africa 2-1 last week, losing a 50-over series on home soil against the Proteas for the first time since 1998.
However, they come into their first T20I against South Africa in good form in the shortest format.
England are undefeated in their last four bilateral men’s T20I series at home (two wins, two draws), including a 3-0 win in their most recent series against West Indies (June 2025). They will be looking to remain undefeated in five consecutive home series for the first time.
Having also won nine of their 10 T20I matches at Sophia Gardens, Rashid insisted that the team are focused on the job at hand.
"We've got to make sure we do what we do as a team,” said Rashid.
"We're not too concerned about putting a statement out for others to see. It's for our own selves, making sure we are true to our own selves cricket wise – batting, bowling, fielding – and letting our cricket do the rest.
“Hopefully we can put a show on.”
Despite their strong record in Cardiff, England’s only defeat at Sophia Gardens came against South Africa in 2022.
The Proteas also defeated England 2-1 in their last bilateral men’s T20I series (in July 2022) after losing the teams' previous three series. They will be looking to win back-to-back series against England for the first time in the history of the format.
Aiden Markram was full of praise for Brendon McCullum’s side as they look to continue their fantastic record across all formats this year.
“They are always a good team. I'm expecting it to be a really good challenge for us,” said Markram.
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“They've won heaps of white-ball tournaments and were the trendsetters at one stage. We're looking forward to facing them and the strengths that they bring to the table, and seeing where we are as a team against really good opposition.”
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