SHAUN POLLOCK BACKS SUNRISERS' PROTEAS STARS TO SHINE DURING T20 WORLD CUP

Shaun Pollock has backed the Sunrisers Eastern Cape quartet of Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje to play a pivotal role for the Proteas in the knockout stages of the ICC T20 World Cup.

The Sunrisers are the most successful team in the history of the Betway SA20 with the Eastern Cape team having recently seized a third title in four seasons.

Captain Stubbs and allrounder Jansen have been there from the outset with the duo playing in all four sold out finals since the inception of the League.

Pollock, of course, was on the other side of the Season 4 Final as the assistant coach of Pretoria Capitals.

The former Proteas skipper believes the experience of playing high-pressure matches before capacity crowds will be hugely beneficial, starting with the much-anticipated clash against hosts and defending champions India at the 132 000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

“There's no doubt that it (Betway SA20) played its part. We've got some good players that rock up, international players as well with different variations, different abilities and the pressure situation and the big crowds they play in front of can only help,” Pollock said in a SuperSport Round Table discussion.

“It’ll be interesting to see who can possibly stand up for South Africa at the back stages. Maybe it is those guys who've played in finals and maybe it is the Sunrisers boys who’ll have to carry the team over the line.”

De Kock has had a solid tournament thus far with the opener striking a half-century in the double Super Over victory over Afghanistan, while Stubbs showed that ice runs through his veins by clubbing a six of the final delivery of the first Super Over to send the Afghanistan humdinger into another tiebreaker.

Jansen excelled against New Zealand with a career-best 4/40, while Nortje picked up a credible 2/28 in his solitary outing against the UAE.

Pollock was also not too fazed about young Dewald Brevis’ form heading into the Super Eights.

The Pretoria Capitals superstar has not yet lit up the ICC T20 World Cup, but having watched the 22-year-old maverick blaze through the Betway SA20 knockout stages capped with a magical century in the final, Pollock is confident Brevis will rediscover his mojo when it matters most.

“You've only got to look back to the SA20, his last three knocks in that tournament were unbelievable. So, he's got a wonderful point of reference of sitting in and you sometimes have to be a bit of a spin doctor,” the legendary allrounder said.

“In team setups to be like prompting the guys from a psychological perspective and it only needs someone to say, ‘Hey Brevy, when the real money was on the line in the SA20, you produced three of your best knocks.’

“So, I mean if there's anyone who should be feeling good about the latter part of tournaments or knockout games as a batsman, it should be Brevis.”

The Proteas face India on Sunday in their first Super Eights clash before meeting West Indies on Thursday, 26 February and Zimbabwe on Sunday, 1 March.