Explosive De Kock can light up Proteas at T20 World Cup, says Boucher

SA coach Mark Boucher believes the Proteas can go all the way if opener Quinton de Kock keeps his swashbuckling form for the remainder of the ICC T20 World Cup.

Left-handed De Kock was sublime with the bat in SA's opening match on Monday against Zimbabwe at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, crashing the ball to the boundary nine times while making 47 runs in a rain-affected match.

Incessant rain had the final say, and the game was declared a no-result with the Proteas on the cusp of victory. South Africa meet tricky Bangladesh in their second match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday (5am SA time).

If De Kock continues in such form and receives support from his fellow top-order players, SA could become a real threat to their opponents at the tournament.

Boucher noted the tough conditions in the opener but commended De Kock for his approach to the run chase.

“In a competition like this, guys can tense up a bit, so it is very good [to see him bat the way he did],” the SA coach said.

“Quinny had a moment where he actually went out and just played the free-flowing game that we know he can. If he comes off, he can be very dangerous.

“I am happy for him to get a start like that, and hopefully he can continue with that confidence and freedom because I think that is when we get the best out of him,” Boucher said.

After the disappointment of the rained-out opener, every match now becomes a must-win affair to give South Africa the best chance of reaching the semifinals.

Boucher said Bangladesh should not to be underestimated, and SA would need to execute their game plan to the finest detail to overcome the Tigers.

“We have to win all our games now. World Cups are cut-throat and we are going to a different venue. Hopefully, the rain stays away and we can get some good cricket in and showcase our skills.

“T20 cricket on [any given day], you can have one or two guys come off and that can be the win for you.

“We believe we’ve got some good quality bowlers and batters who can give us quite a few different chances of coming off and I am sure Bangladesh feel the same thing.”

Boucher said they had a good idea of how the SCG pitch could play having watched the thrilling India vs Pakistan clash earlier in the competition.

“A lot of our guys have played at Sydney before, so we sort of know what conditions we are going to get there and we know the boundary sizes too and we have prepared for that accordingly,” the former wicketkeeper said.