Abu Dhabi, Oct 18 (IANS): South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada is hundred percent sure that winning the ICC men's T20 World Cup will be one of his biggest life achievement in sports. He added that if his team wins the trophy, it would be 'one of the highest achievements in cricket' by South Africa.
"That would be extremely special. Hundred percent - It would be my biggest life achievement in sports, that's what it would be. That would also be one of the highest achievements in cricket, that's what is missing. It would be the icing on the cake. We hope we are the generation that can bring it (the trophy home)," Rabada was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo on Monday.
Rabada isn't interested in talking a lot about how South Africa fared in previous editions of the men's T20 World Cup. In six editions of men's T20 World Cups, South Africa reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014 while failing to advance to the last four stage in the rest of the times.
"I don't even actually like to talk about that (baggage)and what's happened in the past, happened in the past. I don't want to talk about it too much, we have a challenge in front of us. No one in the past tried to lose games. We are coming in with the same mentality, whether we have baggage or not. I just think it's not worth talking about, it's just worth playing."
Rabada knows how it feels to be a winner in an ICC tournament. In 2014, Rabada was a member of the team winning the U-19 World Cup in the UAE, taking 14 wickets in five matches. Now, back in the country where he became a U-19 World Cup winner along with then-captain Aiden Markram, Rabada hopes to replicate the same with the senior team.
"It feels great. Obviously, there are a lot of good memories from the U-19 World Cup. It would be great to replicate that with the senior team."
South Africa begin their campaign in a Group 1 match of Super 12 stage in the men's T20 World Cup against Australia on October 23 in Abu Dhabi.