Dhaka, Mar.27 : New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram has said that his team had backed themselves from the outset and had never doubted that they would win their World Cup quarterfinal against South Africa.
"It''s more about the team and I think the fact nobody thought we''d win and the pressure I suppose we''ve been under in terms of putting a good performance on the board," Stuff.co.nz quoted Oram, as saying.
"That, for me, is the real pleasing and satisfying thing right now. We played well against a good side, we applied pressure, we followed exactly the right game plan and we won.”
"I haven''t had too many sweeter moments in my career and I''m very proud to be part of the team right now," he added.
He also described the win as one of the sweetest moments of his career.
Of the critics who predicted the Black Caps would bow out in the quarterfinals, Oram said that silencing them was pleasant, but nothing close to the feeling of elation after making yet another World Cup semifinal.
"The criticism doesn''t drive us pre-game but I think it adds to the satisfaction and the sweet feeling post-game, but we are our own worst enemies because we should play like this more often than not. We are that sort of a team and we have got skill and we have got talent,” Oram said.
The Black Caps will now head to Colombo, where they will face Sri Lanka in the semi-final.
© ANI
