South African captain Dean Elgar is wary of the threat posed by England’s new approach in Test cricket, i.e. the ‘Bazball’, but revealed that he is not too concerned about it.

England adopted a new playstyle in their home summer stretch where they chased down targets in excess of 250 four times in a row against New Zealand and India. However, Elgar was unfazed ahead of the first Test, which begins on August 17.

“Good for them. They’ve obviously taken a few risks along the way and it’s paid off. I think conditions had a massive role to play with regards to that kind of style of cricket. I’m not too concerned about the way they’ve gone about their things of late.”

“It’s been an interesting style and caused a few conversations around the world around the way they’ve been playing [but] I’m not too concerned about that,” Elgar told South African news publication, Daily Maverick.

“Starting slow is not an option” – Dean Elgar

Elgar’s men are keen to kick off the tour on the right note and ensure they don’t fall behind in the series. The 3-match Test series against England is also vital to their chances in the WTC 2021-23 cycle.

“I know how important it is to start well against a tough side in their home conditions. The conversations are ongoing and as long as I’m here those conversations won’t stop. I need to make those players aware of that, the coaches have made the players aware of that again.”

“Starting slow is not an option because playing catch-up cricket is not easy in Test cricket. We might get away with that maybe at home where we know the conditions much better, but when you’re touring you can’t start slowly. I’m very much mindful and aware of that,” Elgar concluded.

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