Kagiso Rabada admits to Bangladesh "complacency" as South Africa face crucial West Indies clash

South Africa’s fate may be taken out of their hands as they take on West Indies on Monday; the weather forecast is less than kind, with heavy rain likely for much of the afternoon

Kagiso Rabada has explained why he still holds out hope that his South Africa side can turn a poor World Cup start around, while admitting that his team may have taken Bangladesh too lightly.

Speaking before Monday’s must-win encounter with West Indies at Southampton, the 24-year-old is the last man standing of the Proteas’ feted pace trio.

Dale Steyn was forced to withdraw from the tournament with a shoulder problem and Lungi Ngidi pulled up with a hamstring issue during South Africa’s 21-run defeat against Bangladesh.

It has placed an added pressure on the fast bowler, though he believes his team’s battling performance against India should provide some cause for optimism.

“I hope so [that the India performance was a turning point],” he said. “We are very hopeful. I think we've played two of the best teams in the world.

“Bangladesh, we felt that we might have been a bit complacent. We played England where actually we felt we really could have won that game.

“India, we took it right to the death, but I think that's just in our DNA as South Africans. The way we play our cricket, you know, we are always there. If you look at how we play our cricket, we never give up.”

^{Rabada has taken four wickets in his three games so far.}

South Africa’s fate, however, may be taken out of their hands as they take on West Indies on Monday; the weather forecast is less than kind, with heavy rain likely for much of the afternoon.

“There's been small talk, not big talk, about the weather,” Rabada added. “It's an uncontrollable. Whatever God decides to do, He'll do. But we're going to control what we can control.”

As for Rabada’s reflections on the tournament experience so far – he is playing in his first World Cup, he confesses the experience has been complicated by extenuating circumstances.

Alongside injuries to Steyn, Ngidi, Hashim Amla and Anrich Nortje, it was revealed last week that AB de Villiers had offered to come out of retirement for the tournament, only to be turned down by Cricket South Africa management.

“It's been very interesting,” he said with a smile. “There's a lot been happening off the field. So it's a bit of a weird stage in terms of the Proteas and cricket in South Africa.

“You've got youngsters that are coming in. You've got guys that don't have much experience coming in. And you've got guys who are towards or nearing the end of their careers.”

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