23 Jan 2015 15:37pm
WINDIES WHITEWASH NOT PIVOTAL FOR WORLD CUP PREP While the prospect of a 5-0 series whitewash against the West Indies is on the cards, walloping the struggling Caribbean outfit will mean little come the World Cup, says Proteas player JP Duminy. "We don't want to be too blasé about these recent performances ahead of a big tournament. As much you want to take a lot of confidence out of a previous series, it actually means nothing," Duminy said in Port Elizabeth on Friday. South Africa face the West Indies at St George's Park on Sunday, having already secured the five-match ODI series 3-0. Duminy said winning was about seizing the moment which they hoped to do at the quadrennial tournament in Australia and New Zealand next month. "At the end of the day it's about how you perform on the day in the World Cup tournament. When you get into a knockout phase, it's not about what's happened in the past against an Australian, or Sri Lankan team. It comes down to what you're going to produce on that day." However, it would be important to ensure South Africa kept up their intensity as the five-match series draws to a close, he said. "In a World Cup you're probably going to have to win back-to-back games. "Yes, we've won three in a row but the challenge for us will be to go four-nil, five-nil up and put ourselves under that sort of pressure and to take that into the World Cup." Duminy had batted just once during the series, and with Hashim Amla sitting out the fourth match, the left-hander could move up the order. "I'm more than likely going to shift up the order, but I'm not sure exactly where I'll bat. There'll be a few of us shuffling up the order and hopefully getting some opportunities." Explosive batsman and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock trained with the squad on Friday, and was set to return to the lineup ahead of schedule from an ankle injury in the final ODI against the West Indies on Wednesday. De Kock was initially thought to be in doubt for South Africa's first two games of the World Cup, but had a miraculous recovery to become eligible for the current series. "He's a key component of our World Cup side and it's a big boost, It's exciting to know he's ahead of schedule, it's important for him to get some game time," said Duminy. Dale Steyn would be rested for the remainder of the ODI series and AB de Villiers would likely miss the last game. Sapa /ms/jlb