South Africa Know What They Need to Do

With South Africa locked on points with India, Proteas assistant coach Claire Terblanche is clear on what her side need to do against Bangladesh.

South Africa need a big win to stand any chance of qualifying for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals, as India have a sizeable lead in net run rate.

The Proteas get a doubleheader at Lord’s underway at 10:30 local time against Bangladesh before India take on Group A leaders Australia.

“The girls and the whole setup are quite professional,” Terblanche said. “We know what we need to do.

“It’s kind of like that ball-by-ball situation and match-by-match, so it comes down to Bangladesh and South Africa.

“Yes, we have to win it, and after the game, it is then out of our hands, obviously, what happens between Australia and India.

“But as long as we’re focusing on what we’re going to be doing, the result will take care of itself.”

Having lost to Australia in the opener, South Africa blew the race for the semi-finals wide open by defeating India at Old Trafford.

They’ve now made it down to England’s capital and have been taking in the sights of one of the most famous grounds in cricket.

She added: “We are very excited. The ladies walked in, and the first thing they did was whip out their phones, took a couple of pictures, couple of videos.

“And then they settled, but they’re very excited to be at Lord’s and play tomorrow.”

Bangladesh are playing for the first time at Lord’s and are still in the hunt for semi-final qualification.

They need to beat South Africa comprehensively and hope India lose heavily to Australia to have any chance of progressing.

With it still all to play for, Nigar Sultana has set out exactly how she wants her side to approach the match.

She said: “First of all, I think every game in a World Cup is extremely important, and the last match will be no different.

“We definitely want to play good cricket, and of course, we want to win the match as well. So far, the team is in a fairly good space, but there are still some areas that we can rectify and improve.

“In my opinion, it’s all about mindset. If each player can contribute better from their respective roles, play more responsible cricket, then I believe we will have a chance.

“Because both our batting and bowling units are gradually finding their rhythm, but still, I have faith in both the bowling and batting units.”

Before Bangladesh embarked on their first-ever trip to England, they met with the Bangladesh Cricket Board president, Nazmul Hassan and Nigar is replaying his words in her mind ahead of their final group game.

“Before we came here, the president spoke with us,” the skipper added. “He emphasised one thing: that we should stay positive, play our cricket freely, and try to perform well.

“He did not put any pressure on us. He always wanted us to enjoy this World Cup and give our best effort. It’s all about effort, that was his main message.

“We are playing for the country, and every player wants to give their best. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don’t. But overall, that was the message he conveyed to us.”